The sun., 1915-05-25
NEW YORK ITALIANS
AWAIT CALL TO WAR
Crowds Bcsiegc Consulate, but
No Summons Comes
None Likely Now.
LABOR MARKET FIRM

Although up 10 late yesterday after
noon they had received no of'icial in
timatlon that their services would he
required the inhabitants Of Little Italy
showed themselves very much alive 20
the latest turn OF the kaleidoscope
European situation. From earliest morn
they lined up before the Italian con-
sulate. at 22s Lafayette street. waiting
the word. and at one time II was esti-
mated that more than thousand were
in the queue, beribhoned and befiaeged.
which was kept In line--not in order, for
|, was above all things orderly-by
policemen.
The general tendency OF Little italy
is still one OF expectancy There have
been occasional clashes between indi-
v!dual Italians and "Tedeschi,' nota bly,
in Hoboken and Mulberry street. but FOR
the most part the patriotic Italian, lack
ing any official imprimatur. does not
know exactly how he stands. II he
10 expected 10 go he is very w!llng-but
he does not yet know what is expected
OF MIN.
At the Offices of the italian steamship
companies. the Navigazione 1taliana.
La Veloce and the Italia. In Whitehall
street. the general attitude yesterday
was again one OF expectancy. So far
nothing has been heard OF any intention
on the part OF the Government to take
over any part OF the transatlantic fleet
for transport purposes AS one Of the
officials put It. speaking purely per-
sonally:
No Immediate Coll Expected.
The Italian Government is scarcely
likely TO fnd Il necessary to take
any of It's mercantile feet OF the seas.
seeing that. II the newspapers are to
be believed. It has already seized a
very large number OF German and
Austrian vessels. which with those al
ready chartered will he ample for all
It's requirements In transporting troops
across the Adriatic. II such be its in
tention. With regard 10 reservists over
here 80 many have already sailed that
Il is unlikely there will be greater de-
mand for transport than can be crap
pied with through the regular chan
nes'
Very much the same feeling is oS-
pressed by officials Of the various com
panies which employ foreign-and moro
particularly I,illan--manual labor IN
contracting and building works. The
secretary OF the DcGuon Company. for
instance. which employs large numbers
Of Italians on It's subway contracts.
expressed little fear Of any shortage
o. labor on It's subway works, despit"
the fact that from 60 to 20 per cent
Of the foreign workmen are OF Italian
origin,
"I can OF course only give my per-
sonal opinion" he said and even that
at second hand but the man in charge
tells me that he anticipates no difficulty
in finding all the labor required. II Is
fairly certain, also, that the majority
OF the Italian workmen, especially those
who are not In their first youth. Will
remain over here. Broadly speaking.
perhaps half OF them are already Amer
lean citizens \ large number also have
already taken out their first papers and
may be counted uron 10 remain here.
Authorities Not Informed.
"Of course We do not know what de-
velopments the next few weeks may
bring forth hut do not personally an
ticipate any very stringent shortage OF
labor in the near future
Similar views were expressed by rep
resentatives of other contracting COM
panies employed upon the subway ana
similar works, always with the proviso
that II is as vet too early TO speak with
any real authority. II Is even doubted
in some quarters whether the Italian
Government will. at least for the pres
ent. do moro In the direction of calling
M It's reserves from foreign countries
than by the proclamation already pub
lished at the Consulate Of an amnesty
for reserv,s,s who have hitherto neg
lected their military obligations. hut
who report themselves at their local
Consulate nj once
Officially the Italian authorities in
New York know nothirg-always with
the proviso that they cannot say how
long their state of ignorance may lax