New-York tribune., 1915-03-18
Italv's S Terms.

10 demonstrate how excessive, how impos-
sible. from the Austrian point of view are
the italian demands as disclosed in
Rome dispatch printed in The Tribune
Yesterday. What Italy asks is the entire
seacoast Of Austria Hungary. Two years
ago Austria intcrvened to deny Servia a
window on the sea-; now Austria is asked
10 surrender hers.
There are two different questions raised
by the Italian demand First, as to the
character Of the territory asked and the
Justice Of the Italian claim. Second, as to
the immediate and remoter political conse-
ouences If the Italian appetite should be
satisfied
What Italy actually demands falls into
three distinct categories, the Trentino,
Trieste and the Istrian Littoral, with
Fiume and the Adriatic islands.
Accepting the Trentino as meaning the
Italian speaking communities on Lago di
Garda and in the middle valley Of the
Adige. there is every reason In the world
why il should he Italian. The people are
by race, language, sympathy Latin. 1t
was lost to Italy only by accident. While
Austria holds it she holds the key to all
of Northern Italy and Milan, and the
whole valley Of the Po is indefensible.
But Italy does not stop with the Italian
communes. She also demands Meran,
Bozen, the upper valley Of the Adige and
the whole valley of the Esak. Here the
population is German. Geographically
the country belongs to Italy, since it is
south of the Alps. Strategically it would
fortify Italy and give her a scientific"
frontier, but there is no question Of free
ing Italians; rather it is an effort to en-
slave Teutons.
A similar situation exists in the districts
about Trieste and in the peninsula Of
Istria. Trieste is quite as Italian as
Genoa. Pola and the shore towns of
Istria are equally so. But practically the
whole hinterland is peopled by Slovenes,
who are Slavs, not Latins, who prefer to
be subjects of Austria to becoming Italians
and who can be annexed only against
their will
The islands Of the Dalmatian coast all
bear Italian names. They belonged to the
Adriatic empire of Venice and portion
of their population has been Latinized.
But in the main the people are Slavs;
their natural alignment politically is with
the Slavs of the eastern mainland, not
with the Latns of the remoter shore.
Save in the districts about Trent and in
Trieste Italy is not merely seeking to re-
deem old Italian lands and liberate Italian
speaking populations, now the reluctant
subjects of Hapsburg. She is quite as
patiently seeking to extend her frontiers
to include people of races as hostile to her
as Austrian Italians are disloyal TO their
present sovereign.
On the political side the problem is
even more complex. To cede the whole Of
the Austrian Tyrol south of the crest of
the Alps will be an unimportant sacrifice
for Austria, price she could well afford
to pay for Italian neutrality. But to part
with Trieste, Fiume and the Istrian Lit
toral-this is to sign her own death war
rant, for 1t would deprive the Austro-
{ on n
What would follow such cession has
long been recognized. To-day Russia holds
most of Galicia. Bukovina and Transyl-
vana have been marked by Rumania as
her share in the Austrian estate. Bosnia,
Herzegovina and Dalmatia will go to
Servia IL the Allies win. The Austro-
Hungarian Empire will then be an un-
natural combination Of two fragments.
ruled by races economically, politically, So
cially distinct.
In such situation Hungary is almost
certain to seek her independence again.
As for the balance of Austria, It's destiny
leads to Berlin. Deprived of an exit on the
sea, it must seek an outlet through German
ports and follow Bavaria into the German
Empire, thus adding 20,O00,000 to the
population of the Hohcnzollern realm.
For Italy such a change would be
fraught with instant peril. The o5,OOO,-
600 inhabitants of the new German En-
pire would look with natural impatlence
upon the thin strip of Italian territory
separating them from the southern sea-
Prince Bulow himself is reported to have
described Trieste as a German lung.
Quite in the same fashion the destruc-
tion of Austria would drive Croatia and
Slavonia into tho new Serb state and thus
Axcct on the eastern shore of tho Adriatic