Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-24
GLOOM DARKENS ITALY'S HOMES
AS HER MEN GO FORTH TO WAR
Woman Observer Rome Sees Little Real Enthusiasm Among
the Masses of the PeopLe-PoignGnt Grief
of BereGUed Families.
Bv INEz MILHoL LAND BoIssEvAIN

Another friend who lives in Rome had
the same story to tell. People are not
enthusiastic. At most they do their duty.
My chauffeur was called week ago. He
cried ! did what could to console him;
SO did others. The day after he left
asked his friend how he behaved at the
end. Always the same, madame he
answered; crying, always the same.
encouraged him. His father encouraged
him. but he had no hope.
Here is another version. I asked a
journalist, correspondent OF an Ameri-
can paper. whether he would 20 gladly.
Yes" he said, like every one else"
But do the Italians like the war? That
has not been my impression" l said
Like II? They love It, We are fighters
by tradition and training. We are not
like your English ofilcers-soldiers part of
the time. We are trained to hard fight
ing; 1t is in our blood. The nation goes
to war exultant and singing. as l do"
D'ANNUNZIo'S CALL TO ARMS.
Especially was I convinced that this
was the state of mind of those who in
toxicate themselves with the idea of
war as an heroic endeavor after / had
talked with D'Annunzio and one or two
of the Nationalists Il. e., group of
writer's and journalists whose motto is
United Italy" and who are about the
only group, as far as 1 can see, who
are enthusiastic and have always been
enthusiastic for war;. These gentlemen
view 1t from an imaginative and story
telling standpoint, and not from a stand
point of reality. They live in the past and
the traditions of the past.
ITALY must fight, else her chances of
national greatness are gone forever. .
They get drunk themselves, and, of
course, they easily make a crowd drunk
with clap-trap of this sort. And this.
g.
the enthusiasm that is so diligently
written up for a Government which has
not gauged the enthusiasm of its people
for war by a referendum-the only ac-
curate way to measure enthusiasm.
AN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION.
Another explanation of enthusiasm-this
from an official high in Rome-a nom
party man. How" l said, "if there was
no enthusiasm for war, do you account
for the demonstrations against Glolitti?"
Here 10 n way to account for part of
them" he answered. THE Free Masons
were given n holiday The sum of rs
centlmes per man was paid by the French
Embassy to those who would participate
In the demonstration. A paid nucleus like
this could easily whip up the crowd, as
you can see. No; Italy did not want war
She was a surprised nation TO find her
self In the midst of il and wishes she
had these last few months over again.
OF course. now that she is in it she must
keep at it, and therefore she keeps tell
ing herself how glad she is to be where
she is.
SOLDIERS LED TO SLAUGHTER.
II watched the faces OF some soldiers
off to the front. They We're being
marched through the streets by an ex-
cited, cheering crowd. / noticed that
they did very little cheering themselves.
They looked bit dazed. They each had
tricyeles and side by side with each
tramped friends and relations. The
friends, OF course, were very jolly Ooh,
that jubllRnt business OF sending some
body else to fghtD. The mothers and
sisters and little children were not so
jolly. though they were swept aleng by
feeling OF pride In him about whom
everybody was making such fuss.