New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-13
ITALYsPATRIOTIsM EXPLAINED
By One Who Thinks His Country
men in America Deceived.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. II has been a source of wonder 10
me to see that a large number OF itahhhs
are leaving free and pacific America 10 CONF
to Italy in order to serve in the army
know that the Italian emigrants bear an
exaggerated attachment TO their not very
com Portable hearth; but did not think tha'
such attachment was so strong as to induce
them to sacrifice their life on the battleheld
Wishing TO fathom this mystery, set
about to nterrogate quite few OF these
reservists, and learned that 1t is not patriot-
ism TINT drives them hither (at least the
greater number OF them) but the pe"ei
deeply rooted in their mind that they must
obev the orders OF the King of italy, as
given by mis- sundry consuls in the United
States.
All the reservists with whom | spoke were
firmly convinced that the Italian Consuls are
invested with authority to arrest those
Italians that refuse to answer their calling
and that the United States government Will
force them to return to Italy and fight.
This fallacious idea is also entertained by
Italians who are American citizens, either by
the acquisition of the full citizenship papers
or by the naturalization Of their parents;
and by those that had declared their inten-
ton to become American citizens.
| tried TO explain to the reservists of this
latter class that they were exempt from
military service. 1t is true that the Italian
Civil Code expressly states that Italians who
have become alien citizens and their male
children must serve in the army; but the
Italian government issued decree Few
months ago, specifically exemptlng Italians
who become citizens of the United states. as
we'll as their children. from military service
Of
protest lodged by our government with the
Italian government, in connection with the
arbitrary impressing into the Italian army OF
Young American citizen of Italian extrac-
ton, named Da Prato.
As regards those Italian reservists who
still retain their Italian citizenship, their re-
Spouse to the calling of the King Of Italy is
purely voluntary. They cannot be forced to
leave civilized America to fight in Italy, and
the United States will surely not in any
way modest them If they desire TO ignore
such calling.
But my arguments proved quite frutless,
for the simple reason that the average Italian
immigrant cings to his ideas especially II
they be wrong deas-with a tenacity worthy
of better cause OF course, Italian officials
clevery exploit this ignorance OF Italian I'M
migrants ! have had occasion 70 touch on
the subject with various officers. They main
tanned that the United States government
was bound by treaty with Italy to compel
Italians residing in the United States to join
the Italian army, which is utter rot.
believe that the American press should
feel it incumbent upon itself to enighten
those uniformed Italians that are apt TO be
called TO the colors on the real status of
things. am certain that if they were con
WINGED of the fact that their return TO Italy
cannot be made compulsory very, very few
of them would come here.
In preventing these unfortunate Italians
and other Europeans, for that matter-from
being used as fodder for the cannons' that
serve TO fight the battles of the hopelessly
cruel and uncivilizable ruling classes o Eu
rope not only would be performing great
act OF humanity, but We would likewise be
fostering our own welfare. For these re-
servists are all men in the prime OF life,
whose vigor and capacity for work should be
used for constructive, not destructive, pur-
poses.
Therefore. why permit that they be
slaughtered on Europe's battlefelds? Let
them stay in America, whore they can help
advance nobler form OF civilization By
building railroads. aqueducts, subways, etc
America needs this kind Of prolctariat. and
will need il still more in the future.
Naples Oct 20. 1915 " e. Il.