Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1911-11-24

and where various races and
civilizations have contended
for supremacy. Italy, the mod
ern successor TO the Rome Of the
Caesars. is seeking to establish her
sovereignty.
Only yesterday. as history measures
the life OF nations, Italy sprang into
nationhood and now this puny sue
cessor to the world-conquering Rome
Of the consuls and the Caesars is
reaching out for part OF that terri
tory over which imperial Rome exer-
cised her authority from the Red sea
to the Pillars of Hercules
But of all that vast region there is
little now that is not pre-empted.
Egypt is securely anchored to British
authority--securely at least for the
present generation. Far to the west
lies Morocco, where French dominance
Is assured. East of 1t lies Algeria and
further east. Tunis, both as securely
French as Egypt is British. And then
lying In between Tunis and Egypt and
extending southernward into the sands
Of the desert lies Tripoli. with its de-
Tendencies of Barca and Fezzan. the
particular region which modern Italy
covets and over which the Turkish
crescent floats In impotent protection.
When Carthage Was Supreme.
TripolI formed portion of the an
Client empire of Carthage. which had
Its beginning. according to legend. in
the city founded by Queen Dido. near
the modern city OF Tunis. The Car
thaginians. like the Romans. were
empire builders and gradually came
into possession of the rich cities and
colonies founded by the adventurous
on the African coast.
controlling the whole ter
ritory extending from the Pillars of
Hercules to the Great Syrtis--a dis
lance OF 1000 miles. AT the height Of
her power Carthage was the greatest
maritime nation in the world. as then
and her enterprises on
he sea led her on almost inevitably
% engage In foreign conquests. In |
Ter colonization schemes In Sicily she |
lIct Nsliut iltO tQulAtl Win iNOntdH
lower and the first Punic war. In |
which the Carthaginians suffered de-
eat. was the result. This war began |
n 264 and ended In 241 Il. c. and |
carthage was compelled to cede Sicily
nd Sardinia to the Romans. The
econd Punic war. provoked by Car
haginian conquests in Spain, broke
ut In 2ls. when the great Hannibal
ed his soldiers across the Alps and
y vigorous campaigns and several
loody battles brought Rome almost
0 the brink OF ruin. But Rome tri-
implied IN the end. breaking the
over Il Carthage In Spain and de-
eating Hannibal In the decisive battle
I Zama. In Africa. The third Punic
AR, begun In $50 y. c. by Rome.
nded In the destruction OF Carthage
nd the Roman absorption of the rich
frican territories including Tripoli.
hich for centuries had been under
sway.
Northern Africa remained In
oman. or Byzantine. possession until
lie fierce inroads OF the Vandals
ariy In the fifth century of the Chris.
an era These savage warriors had |
xept short time before across the
yrenees into Spain and had estab- ,
shed an independent kingdom
andalatia. the modern Andalusia. |
he hordes which crossed with their
reat general. Genserlc, into Africa. /
ION overran the country and occu- {
led II until SOS. when their power :
as broken by Belisarius. the famous
of Jnstinian the Great. /
10 emperor OF Constantinople
But disintegration had we'll begun (
the provinces OF northern Africa 5
ID soon the power OF Rome as wen I I
OF the byzantine empire. founded ,
: Constantine. was restricted 10 the r
OF Carthage and other !
,ints on the coast The narhsry Il
ates thus became an easy prey for Va
Ie fierce and fanatical Arabs, who
sept from Egypt into the region In a
e middle OF the seventh century and Il
no soar established their supremacy. il