The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-28
THE ITALIAN TURKISH WAR THIRD ARTICLE-Occupa of Coast of Tripoh.
 (BY HENRY WOODY Rome Correspondent of The
 Evening Farmer.

Rome. Dec. 2s-Following the actual dec aration of war and the almost simultaneous blockade of the coast of Tripoli and Cyrenaica, Italy's soldiers and sailors at once occupied the prin- cipal cities of the two provinces. At all of the four principal fortified coast cities, Tripoli, Hons, Bengasi and Tobruk, nominal resistance was offered to the naval occupation, but Ill each case this was easiiy overcome by the large. Italian navy, without se- rious loss to the Italians, with the ex- ceptfon of Bengasi. There an effort was made to land marines in a heavy sea while the efforts of the battleships
 to keep from blowing up the powder magazines In the city, which would nave completely demolished the place, kept their fire from being very effec-
 tive and the Italians suffered heavily, especially in the first attempt which mad to be abandoned. In the second attempt successful landing and oc. cupaNOn was effected.
 At all four of the cities, the Italian fleet confined it's efforts merely to de- ] molishing the forts and entrenchments
 and every possible effort was put forth
 to keep from inflicting any unneces- sary damage to private and business
 property within the cities. In the
 main, this effort was successful, and after the forts had been reduced and
 abandoned by the enemy a landing
 was made and the formal control of
 the tties taken over by the Italians.
 In each case many. of the Arab tribes
 submitted peacefully and the first
 phase of the occupation was very
 much like that of a welcome to Ital-
 ian control Immedia tely following
 the naval occupation, the military ex-
 petitions which had been forming for
 weeks at the various ports of Italy set sail with great secrecy, under heavy
 naval escort, and troops were later landed at the four cities, lines of for
 tificatlOnS and trenches thrown up and complete occupation fully estab
 lished
 At this time and for some little time thereafter there was every indi
 cation that the occupation was going to be a very peaceful and easy affair. This was especially the case at Trf- poll, where, although there were night attacks from the Arabs and the Turk ish tribes without, yet they were at tacks that were easily repulsed and in dications were that there was little thought of very serious opposition.
 As a consequence, Italy gave it's at tention largely at this time to the carrying out of the implied promises it had made in occupying the two terri tories-namely the promise of their moral and material development. There had been a crop failure in Tri- poll for the three years previous, and the Italian officials at once began the distribution of grain and seed for the coming planting period. Food was also distributed to the natives. the local currency was changed into Ital- ian money, the Italian system of posts and telegra phs was established, and Italy seemed on a fair way towards carrying out an extensive and instan- taneous system rt benevolent assimila- tion.
 She was well prepared for this phase of the occupation and development of the territory, for the reason that for months previous, following her deter imitation to occupy the territory, every department of the. government had devoted practically it's entire time to studying the country, its needs, and it's possibilities, so that when actual occupation took place every detail had been perfected for d0ng the country the utmost possible amount of good in the smallest possible amount of time.
 It was, however. at this point, that Italy was made suddenly and fOrcib ly to realize that Tripon and Cyrenaica were not to be hers until she had con- quered them fully and completely, and her efforts at benevo' 'ent assimilation was forced to give way at once to measures first for self defense and protection and then for subdfng the entire country.