The Washington times., 1915-05-21
Italian Demands Are
Centered Upon Lands
Now Held by Austrians

Widely divergent are the concessions
which have been offered Italy by the
central powers and tho triple entente
In answer to her demand for national
expansion.
The accompanying map indicates the
territory Austria Hungary has been pre-
pared to yield as the price of continued
neutrality on the part Of her erstwhile
associate in the triple alliance, while the
entente powers are said to have agreed
to recognize these claims in the event
Of active participation
The concessions offered to Italy by the
allies are said to include the following:
l. Annexation by Italy Of the Tren-
tino, Trieste, Istria. Pola, Fiume, lara,
and the Dalmation coast lands as far
as the River Larenta-
2. Annexation by Italy Of the Cyclades
Islands and the Albanian port Avlona.
3. RectihCation Of the eastern frontier
of Tunis in favor of Italy.
4. Constitution Of an independent
Creation state under the government or
q prince acceptable to Italy.
8. Part of the Ottoman empire.
8. Portions Of the German colonies.
But 1taly's claim On the op)ects or
her aggression Is not based on prior
not belonged to her for hundreds or
years. She wants the Trentino. Trieste.
and Istria because their population is.
except possibly in Istria, overwhelm-
ingly Italian. with intense ambitions to
become part OF Italy.
Italy's eyes are on the Trentino. that
little wedge of Austria that extends
down between Lombardy and Nenetia;
on Trieste. Austria's most important
seaport; and on Istria. the peninsula
on one side by Trieste and on the other
by the Hungarian seaport of F1ume.
which Italy also aspires to seize, though
she probably has no desire to hold IT..
Added to the seizure of these prov
lnces, which Italy has always regarded
as rightfully her own. and the redemp-
ton of which has always been her ma
tional dream. there Is still another OBJ
jective to her military operations. that
Is the establishment OF such firm
comes to settle once again its troubled
affairs Italy will have the deciding
word in the council and Austria will
have no voice at all.
tier. but the most Of this lies in the
Dolomites, where, except for a few
heavily fortified passes, the jagged
peaks form, natural barrier. The
undoubtedly be made from Verona,
which on account of Its position thirty
miles from the Austrian frontier Is
probably the most important military
post In northern ltaly.
Although Austria has not had the
reputation Of favoring her Italian sub
jects very much so overwhelming is
the Italian population Of Trieste-some-
thing like so per cent-that she has been
obliged to yield in the matter of street
signs. all of which are printed in
Italian as we'll as German.
For the possession Of 1stria. italy has
more recent claim. founded only.
however. on Its possession by Venice
until 1897, when it went to Austria. by
which it has been held ever since. with
the usual Napoleonic interval.
Verona Is the terminus Of the railroad
from Innsbruck over the Brenner pass.
route open to military movements
since Roman times. The entire route
from Verona to the Austrian line be-
is a succession of Notifications. From
the frontier to the city Of Trent Is a
distance of less than thirty miles, but
for that thirty miles the Italians would
encounter Notifications quite as for
midable as their own.
Vicenza Is another town In the north
from which troops can be poured into
Trentino. the frontier being only twenty
eight miles distant and connected with
a splendid military road, in the con-
struction of which Italian engineers
excel.
A famous road familiar to all motor
| lists who have ever been In the Dolo-
| mites and which will undoubtedly figure
| In military operations Is the road by
way of Belluno and Pliave di Cadore tc
| Toblach. From Belluno another mill
| tier through the beautiful valley of the
| Agordo through the towns of Agordc
and Cencenighe. where heavy garrisons
| of Alpini are maintained, to Caprile.