New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1915-05-29
WHY ITALY WENT TO WAR.

p" IL ALI " LIN " w SA-e
The eleventh nation to shy it.
hat into the ring, Italy, is the only
one that has not tried to convince
the world that it was pushed int
the war. Every other bellie
ent has protested that it is fight
ing reluctantly, being forced 10y
the criminal aggression Of its op
ponens. Italy makes no defense
for going to war. The Italian
government may later attempt to
Justify its course and declare
that it could not avoid war. but
the Italian people are frankly il
favor of war. And that is not all
They want war for what there
is in it." In other words, Italy
is going to war, according to the
declare! ion of some Of her own
people, for territorial aggrandize-
ment, and she is making no bones
about it.
The Idea Nazionale. a leading
italian newspaper, published at
Rome, declared a few days ago:
Italy desires war!
First: In order to obtain
Trent, Trieste and Dalmantia.
The country desires it. A nation
which has the opportunity to free
its land ought to do SO as a mat
ter of imperative necessity.
Second: We desire war in or
der to conquer for ourselves good
strategic frontier in the north and
east in place Of the threatening
frontier which we now have.
When a nation can assure the
protection Of it's domain it ought
to do so, otherwise it will amount
to less in it's future. 1t is a nee
essary duty.
Third: We desire war because
in the Adriatic, the Balkan penin-
sula, the Mediterranean and Asia,
Italy should have all the interests
which are possible for her to have
today, and without which her po-
litical, economic and moral power
would diminish in proportion to
the augmentation of that, of 9TH
ers. If we world be a great
power we must accept certain OBJ
legations one of them is war. i'll
order to keep us a great power.
If we do not want to be a great
power any longer, we deliberately
and vilely betry ourselves.
Italy was member Of the
ripple alliance. the other two
of which for upwards of
forty years We're Austria and
Germany. When the war broke
'ut Italy refused to join her al
les, and for ten months she re-
used to take sides, It is gene
ally believed that she could have
safely avoided war. 1t is gen
rally understood that Austria
nd Germany offered Italy terri
orial inducements to keep out Of
he war, but they did not offer
nough. Italy believed that she
ould make more by throwing in
With the allies.
At first blush the frankness of
he Italians in declaring the
round on which they desire war
5 almost brutal. but it certainly
, at least honest. Perhaps
taly's motives are no more mer-
enary than those Of England,
iermany, Russia. Turkey or ia
an. Thus far. France and Bel
uim appear to be the only vic
inns of the great struggle that
ould not honorably have avoided
!. They are the only ones
gainst whom there is no chance
D ascribe mercenary motives.
tut it is impossible to avoid the
nought that in entering the war
5 she has Italy is undertaking a
in which she must win,
,r if she loses. Germany and
.ustria will drive her away from I
le northern shores of the Adria- !
c, take from her the Italian col
nies in Africa and exact from
er a tremendous war indemnity.
Beaumont Enterprise.