East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-12-26
Need of Territory for Colon
iaI Expansion Results in
TripoIi Invasion.
TO CONTROL SUBJECTS
Ambition of Latin Governmcnt to
Rank With Other European En-
pires, and Demands of Moneyed
Men. Lend Aid TO Hostilities.
(By Henry Wood. United Press Cor
respondent at Romeo

(By Henry Wood, United Press Cor
respondent at Romeo
Rome, Dec. 26.-The real reasons
and motives back of Italy's desire to
annex Tr.poli and Cyrenaica, the two
Turkish provinces lying on the north
ern coast of Africa and Immediately
to the south of Italy, were not made
fully public at the time the actual oc-
cupation took place. In a general
way they may be summed up as fol-
lows:
1st-Italy's desire to start a sys-
tenn of colonial expansion similar to
that of the other great European ma
tions
End. The necessity of Italy's find
ing some outlet for its excess popula-
ton where it could still have control
over it's millions of emigrants after
they had left their native shores.
Srd. The necessity of having a
place for the investment of Italian
capital where it would still be under
| the protection and fostering influ-
ence of the Italian government.
The first of these motives was one
! of long standing in Italy. Wher
Italy in 1861 finally succeeded in be-
| coming a United Kingdom, after {
| bitter and disheartening struggle o.
! fifty years, it was at once seizet
with a desire to rank with the otheI
s.eat, but older nations of Europe
| This led to the formation of thu
| Triple Alliance with Germany anC
! Austria, which ever since has necess
tated the ma ntenance of one Of tn,
! larger armies and navies of Europe
and also the desire to emulate those
/ other European countries in a sys
TEN of colonial expansion.
| Italy had at first ardent hopes o.
securing from the European power:
! permission to assume a military pro
tectorate over Tunis, which is almos
/ in sight of Sicily and therefore mos
J acce sible and convenient for colon
! ial development. France, however
! was able to step in and take over Tu
I mis-, and Italy was forced to be con
| tent with an effort to establish a col
! ony in Err trea lying along the Rec
| Sea and adjacent to Abyssinia.
The colony of Eritrea, however, al
|
I Italy, has never been a success. The
native tribes were only subdued afte,
| heavy italian losses and the colon!
failed to reply in a commercial anC
| industrial way for the lives and mon
ey which Italy had spent in acquir
ing it. As a consequence Italy wa
forced to look elsewhere for a col
ony.
The second motive that inspire,
Italy to acquire Tripoli and Cyrenaici
was to solve an old problem that still
contronts most of the European ma
tons. Italy itself only will supper
a population of about 100000 peo
pie. AS a result there is a yearly eX
cess of about 100000 Italians VIII
must em'grate. These in the pas
have gone largely to North and SoutI
America. In South America the
have formed large and prosperou
colonies, but always colonies of whic'
the country wherein they were form
ed reaped the benefits. Naturally
therefore, italy desired to find a co
lonial territory to which the tide o
this emigration could be directe
| NhOiC llt IlpNiiCA Npuh''N NSuAu 81
have control over her subjects and t
reap some of the profits of tn
wealth which they would produce.
In the third place Italian capital
lists within the past few years hav
shown a decied tendency to inves
their money outside of italy. especial
ly in countries where there were grea
possibilities OF development. Tripo
was one of the countries thus favor
ed but it soon became apparent tina
. it would be very desirable for Italia
capital if the country in which 1t wa
invested could be under the contr,
and influence OF the mother countr!
Because, therefore, of the capital a
ready invested there by italian finar
ciers, and because still other Italia
capital which was seeking investmer
, in other countries could be turned in
, to Tripoli IL the Italian governmer
was In a position to assume proteC
ton. Italy felt that in Justice to II
= wealthy subjects and to give them
proper field and opportunity for Z
nancial development, it must assun
the control of the two Turkish prov
= inces of Tripoli and Cyrenaica.