The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-07-07
Realization by italy Of What Il Has
Cost to Seize the Two Turkish
Provinces In
War.
STREAM OF LETTERS
Soldier Writes That His Soul IL DEAD,
Lying With tho Many Com
rades Who Were
Slain.
by Henry Wood, Rome Corresponds
emf nf Tho AIInifaA prnaa ]


TBy Henry Wood, Rome Correspond
ent of The United Press.l
ROME, July THE present Italian
cabinet is losing not a little sleep Just
now as the result of an almost end
less stream OF letters that Is con-
stantly pouring into the country.
These letters come from the Italian
soldiers IN Africa to their relatives
and friends In Italy. With them Is
coming a gradual realization on the
part of the Italian public Of the aw-
full price in human life which Italy
has paid, and is still paying, for Its
seizure OF the two Turkish provinces
OF Tripoli and Cyrenaica.
Unfortunately most OF the relatives
and friends in Italy. With them is
| ing these letters are yoters-the
81 eat majority for the first time. ow.
ing to Italy's new universal SUI.
frage law. During the coming sum.
mer they will elect new parliament,
and should these letters produce too
much discomfort with the present
cabinets conduct of the war In Trip.
oil they might result IN the election
OF parliement that at its first sit.
ting next fall would vote lack OF
confidence in the present govern
ment A new cabinet would be the
result.
The thing Of course that is really
dangerous Is the realization on the
part of these voters OF the thousands
and thousands of lives that have been
and are still being sacrificed for
Italy's ambition to be a grea,. colonial
empire. Up until the present mo-
ment the government had succeeded
fairly well in concealing this phase
of the price paid.
During the war. which was official
| " ended some seven months ago, the
government press censorship of all
war news published in italy proved
sufficient The official told only OF
the glorious side OF the combats. The
family OF every soldier killed or Sc
riously wounded was notified individ-
hdhy 10y thG SONSl DuI Iuc Gil
| tire number killed and wounded was
never known collectively and SO Italy
| never ruew as whole Just how
much human life 1t paid.
Now, with the war officially closed,
but with the italians still obliged to
effect the conquest of the native
tribes on the interior of the two prov.
inces, the italian public is gradually
becoming appalled, at the endless de.
mand for life The press censorship
lis still in force but the letters of the
soldiers to their families and friends
cannot be stopped.
The latest influx of these has Just
followed the recent capture by the
! Italians of Ettangi near Derna. Like
many of the italian battles in Tripoli
1t was victory, but victory at a
heavy cost. Like many Of the similar
engagements the excessive price OF
human life paid seemed to be due
largely to the senseless ambition OF
| the poor Judgment Of some commands
I ing officer.
In the present case, General Nam
bretti had Just taken charge Of the
troops at Derna. He was sent out
with limited column on purely re.
connoitering expedition Presumably
Understanding the strength OF the
/ enemy and thinking to cover himself
with glory almost at the moment OF
4 taking command he turned his little
accommodating column into an attack.
/ ing army.
A brief engagement seemed to give
| the italians their usual easy victory
Then while they were taking a rest
the Arabs played their old time trick
of attacking with their main force the
unorganized, resting troops. The ar.
rival of reenforcements prevented the
wiping out Of the command
AS in the past the official aocoun,
told OF the glorious manner in whicn
| victory was snatched almost from de.
feat. 1t stated also that the dead
were less than 100 and the wounded
$50. Now, however. 1t is known that
the dead, wounded, prisoners, and
those unaccounted for is between L.
500 and 1000.
From the volume of letters which
Immediately afterwards poured into
Italy from the soldiers. but which
we're not allowed to get before the
public, the United Press corresnon-
! dent succeeded In obtaintno nna ~
was written the day afte- the battle
by Lieutenant Alfredo Monacelli 70
his mother at Rome, 1t is. known 20
be similar to thousands of others and
| It is the effect OF these upon the vot,
ers that at present is causing the gov
eminent to worry. Lieutenant Mona.
CELL wrote:
Mother mine, be happy. ! am still
here alive and in oon6 haoifl, u.st