The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-08-22
The Triple Alliance
Germany, Austria and Italy Joined In
Strong Bond For Offensive
and Defensive War

France and not Russia. Yet under
the terms Of the alliance, Austria was
bound only to preserve state of
friendly neutrality should Germany be
attacked by France. To protect the
interests of Germany Bismarck ar
ranged in 1887 neutrality treaty with
Russia, which was cancelled. however,
few years later by his successor,
Caprivi.
Italy Versus France.
Italy entered the triple alliance in
1882, soon after the French invasion
of Tunis had reused the Italian people
1 to a point of wrath and bitterness
which for the moment quite extinguish-
ed all ancient grudges toward Austria
and even temporarily quoted the agi-
tation for the redemption" of the
| Trentino and Triest-
This Italian bitterness toward France
lasted until 1890 In its fiercest mo-
mentS it provoked Il tariff war which
cost Italy many millions The military
! expenditures necessary to keep Italy
up to her engagements with her allies
! cost still more AS for Tunis. it re
! manned French, and in 1890 and 1902
| France and Italy recognized France in
! Tunis and Morocco as We'll France
agreed to an ultimate Italian protec-
torate in Tripoli.
With these treaties the Italian enthu-
| siasm for the Austro-G German alliance
| cooled visibly. The Italian desire to
| include in the kingdom the Italian
speaking territories Of Austria reassert-
! ed itself. Finally the Austrian annex
alton of Bosnia and Herzegovina
brought Italy face to face with the
| possibility of a future Austrian expan-
sion along the Adriatic in Albania. and
the increasing strength of the Austrian
fleet raised questions concerning the
mastery of the Adriatic which pro-
foundry stirred the whole nation.
ltaIy's Army Divided.
With the Tripolitan expedition the
last sentimental connection with Ber-
/ lin and Vienna vanished, if any still
survived. From Berlin came a denun-
citation of Italian aggression which
fairly astOunded the Italians. While
| Paris journals viewed with calmness
and even with q certain measure of
| sympathy Italian expansion, which
French agreements had legaliZed, Ger
man newspapers denounced Italy as a
worthless and peridious ally and gave
ready currency to reports of the brutal
ity of Italian troops.
To all these sources of italian bit
terness there is now added the serious
change in conditions the Tripolitan an
nexation has brought Henceforth for
many years large Italian army will
have to be kept in TripoIi But in the
event of war between the triple alIi-
ance and the triple entente British and
French fleets would command the COM
munication with the Italian peninsula,
while Egyptian and Algerian armies
would be able TO invade Tripoli itself
BY her African expedition Italy has in
n measure given hostages to the sea
powers.
Weakened as an Ally.
AS for the German aspect of the
case, the Italian course toward Tur-
key weakened Italy manifestly as an
ally since it diminished her European
army and increased her vulnerability
to Anglo French attack. But. what
was even more serious. it shattered
the bonds between Germany and
Turkey because. although Germany
1t takes / tons of beets TO produe,
| oua tom pf ban+ sttUop