The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-28
PLEADS FAIR PLAY
 FOR ITALIAN ARMY Charges of Cruelty to Turks
 Unfounded CAUSE OF THE WAR Official Document From Italian Statesman Shows War Was Re suit of Many Annoyances and
 Injuries From the Empire
CAUSE OF THE WAR
Fly RICHARD HAGoT

London, April 27.-(Special)-I imagine that there are few people in England who have not by this time realized that the charges of inhumanity and savage blood-thirstiness brought against Italian soldiers fighting for their country in Tri- poll were false charges, These calumnies have now been repeatedly and authorita- lively proved inventions while thair source and object are well known to all who have not been content to accept them as truth without due investigation So far as outrages against humanity and against all rules of civilized warfare are concerned, shall presently show that In the war in which Italy is now engaged, these have been perpetrated on an almost incredible scale--but not by Italians.
 Lest it should be suspected that I am drawing upon novelists imagination In descriping these outrages, or that am unduly prejudiced wish at once to state that derive my informa ton from documents and official reports in the pos session of the session of the Italian for eign office and the ministry of war copies of which documents have been courteously placed at my disposal by the Italian government.
 The complete ignorance of the English public as to the existence of any genuine reasons for Italy's declaration of war
 was immediately seized up by the agents of the young Turk party as affording favorable ground for the sowing of the seeds of those calumnies against Italian humanity which in a very short time sprang to maturity.
 The energetic suppression of the Arab revolt at Trpoli no doubt afforded splendid opportunity of reaping the crop so easily sown. Sensational ac- counts of Italian. cruelty and injustice were sent to the press by newspaper correspondents who, as a matter of fact. were very many miles distant from Tri- poll during the days of the Arab insur- fection, and who had no possible means of information save those sunplied hv Turkish agents Among these last fig ures an English ex-offcer, whose req sons for propagating the invention of the young Turk syndicate have recently been exposed in an official Italian iour- nal.
 Will now proceed to mention some or the principal causes which compelled N'S AfNbdii bONcIilInt0I to Issue the ultl- matum that immediately led to the out break of the war with Turkey ouota from document sent to me through the Italian foreign office. It is an of- tlclal statement drawn up by the Italian minister or foreign affairs, the Marchese san Giulianno, and signed by him. As former ambassador to England and one better known to English society than most foreign ambassadors, no comments n .a..tr the value of this statesman's memoran- dunn:
 The conflict between Italy and Turbey which would appear to have broken un- eXpectedly, Is in reality only the epilogne to long series of annoyances and in- luries not always apparent on the sur lace or things directed against Italy and tue ltailahs by the Ottoman government For considerable period innumera ble complaints have been received bv the klhg s government from all parts of the lurklsh empire, seeking protection against constant exactions, the impossibility of ob- taining justice, and the absolute tyranny to which they were exposed, all redress TOT when things were invariably refused
 Here follows long list of instances:
 Nunberous other complaints. and an
 nfinity of controversies of greater or less gravity exist, such as for instance, in- suits and aggressions committed against individuals belonging to the Italian con sulates in various portions of the empire. the passacres at Adana in 1909, and the sackfng or the agency of the Italian Gen eral Steam Navigation company at Santi Quaranta These acts of aggression were such as to demonstrate that for some tune Italians were surrounded by a hos tile atmosphere. irreconcilabe-wit the good relations officially existing between the two states. And with the new regime (that of the Young Turks). which had aroused so many hopes in Italy, these deplorable incidents only became more frequent and more serious.
 But the most persistent examples of the aversion and hostility of the Turkish au thorities have been demonstrated in these portions of the Ottoman empire in which Italian interests were most prominent such as in the Red Sea and the l'ri- politania The attitude of the Turkish officials in the Red Sea and onf the Arab ian coast opposites our Eritrean colony has constantly become more violent and more provocative, The list of insults of fered to the Italian flag is too long to be Included in this paper. He will only quote some which have taken place under the new regime. On June ,, 1909, the Turkish gunboat Murahad seized by force the sum of 2S40 thalers on board the Italian vessel from Selma. This was simple act of piracy. without any possible excuse for