Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

III France the proposal TO Teiuiu I"
three years service in the army has m
spired the anarchistic and sociahstic so
cieties to organize a vast agitation, using
the General Labor Federation as a means
of action.
Marquis di San Giulano delivered a
speech in the Italian chamber recently
in which he passed in review interna-
tional questions of particular interest. ana
the speech has created widespread at
tentssfi. ~
Although the Italian minister of foreign
affairs said nothing of ltaly's policy with
reference to the Aegean Islands, II il
nevertheless fact that Italy is greatly
interested therein. for she holds them, as
a guarantee for Turkeys faithful execn-
ton of the treaty of Ouchy. According
to the treaty Italy holds possession or
the islands until Turkey withdraws her
troops from the Cyrenaic. when she
must transfer the islands 10 the Turks.
The collective note OF the six am6assa-
doris at London the 18th of January said:
THE great European powers believe
they should renew to the imperial Otto
man government the counsel 10 consent
to the cession of Adrianople to the Bal
kanic states and to submit to the six
powers the care of deciding upon the fate
of the Aegean Islands 1t is then the six
powers OF Europe will decide the fate OF
the islands"
A dispatch from Rome. dated the 18th
instant. announces the arrival there or
NJ. Gryparis, former Greek minister to
Turkey. The dispatch claims that the
object of the Greek minister Is 10 urge
the Italian government to help Greece OBJ
tain the annexation OF the Aegean Is
lands. And the dispatch adds:
IF the Greek desires are not satisfied
NJ Gryparis will urge that there is Ger
tain to be serious situation in the Medi-
terranean, as the Greek nation Ia deter
mined to fight to the bitter end to pre-
serve what 1t has won by the blood OF its
soldiers
In the speech of Marquis di SAN Giu-
liano there are some phrases which are
ambiguous and others which have been
characterized ominouS. There is one
which may be cited:
IF by the force of events against their
will and that of their allies and of all the
great powers remarkable
luminous territorial changes were to
nl occur sooner or later in the
Mediterranean Italy could
not remain an inert spectator OF them.
She would have to exact from everybody
consideration for her position as Medi-
terranean power. In the Mediterranean
one of the first places has been won and
would be exercised by Italy
Marquis di San Giuliano's expression
has been construed as meaning the Asiat-
ic possessions of Turkey.
Is it possible that Italy has signed
anew the treaty of the triple alliance
with the understanding that she may be
given a place in proposed partition OF
Turkeys Asiatic possessions? Ii is use
less to add. for ii goes without saying.
that such a contingency would destroy.
not maintain, the equilibrium of the
Mediterranean, which is the keynote OF
the Italian premier's speech.
There is an uncertain note in the Mar
quis di San Giulianos speech in his ref
erence to the Mediterranean being no
longer as in the ancient .Greco-Roman
period the unique center of civilization.
No one now had a right to call the Med
iterranean a closed sea. II should re-
main the free way of nations; none
should be its mistress and all should
share its privileges. and the premier
adds: Among the powers one of the
first places has been conquered and will
be guarded by Italy"
The marquis adds, ''On the above basis
our relations with our neighbors, France
and England. continue to inspire us with
their eqIita BILE and friendly spirit accord
ing to existing treaties. Italy will pass
similar accords with Spain, perhaps, be-
cause the two nations desire to reinforce
their cordial and amicable relations.
The press i'm Austria is naturally well
pleased with the general tone OF the
speech. The Zeit alone
Austria criticises the facility with
n,.J which the Marquis al
San Giuliano treats the
questions discussed as solved Neverthe-
less. the Zeit confesses that the speech is
the most favorable one for the triple al
lance ever made in Italy. This opinion
is doubtless the one that prevails in
France, England and Russia. note OF
which has been made in those countries.
but whose press for the most part is
significantly silent. 7s's
The French government in view OF the
proposition of the German government 10
vote $1b0.0o0.eGo annually to increase her
army has asked the chamber to vote a
like amount for the same purpose.
Italy is not to be outdone. The conquest
Of Tripoli has appeared To change
ner pac'fism into remarkable spirit of
belligerfsm. Italy is actually demanding
an augmentation The army or, a peace
footing is 2J00e0 $1,000 of which are
permanent oo9,o0o divided into ten
classes. The annual contingent, based
upon 11030,t&D male inha bitants. is 1l3.Op
men. Deputies Merazi and P.storia. who
are military men. cited the example of
France which on the basis of 19.oo.Ue
male inhabitants enrolled 100000. The
deputies demanded an increased enroll
ment for two rea sons. the ffSt mat the
occupation of Lydia required still 10000
to s0o0o men, and when the pacification
was complete it would still demand 1000
to $1,000 men; the second reason was that
the home army should be augmented be-
cause of the augmentation OF the forces
OF Italy's neighbors. Austria and France
The reply of the minister of war at Rome
is awaited with curiosity. The minister
has until now approved only the PROPOSE
ton to create the 18th army corps,
destined to serve as corps of occupation
maintain that that measure Is insufficient.
=
A dispatch from St. Petersburg 10 the
Temps announces on indubitabie author
ity that the Russian govern
Russian ment is augmenting its effec-
tives by the creation of three
army new army corps, which thus
brings the number up to forty-one. The
duma will ratify the military projects
without any doubt In fact, member
of the committee told the correspondent
that it would vote anything proposed for
the national defense. AS for the increase
of the effectives, that presented no dffi-
cuIties whatever, for the reason that the
population of the empire increased at the
rate of two millions and half annually!
NJ. Zveguintsef. chairman of the war
committee of the fourth duma, said:
1.-The emperor. the government and the
nation have shown that Russia Is ready
and will not recoil from any sacrifice in
order to maintain the prestige or the
country and the peace of Europe.
..Russia ardentlV desires peace, which