The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-24
ITALY WAS UNWILLING
PARTNER OF AUSTRIA
Triple Alliance Was Entered Into When Young King
dom Had Need of Friends and Reactionary Gov
eminent in France Seemed Hostile.

When the italian Parliament. as
sembled on Thursday In the historic war
session. was Officially informed through
the Green Book that the Triple Alliance
was null and void 4, was as though
the findings NJ a divorce court referee
putting an end TO one OF the strangest
mesnliiances OF history were being made
public.
For thirty-two years and more the
partners to this political marriage lie
CONVEYANCE had been making the world
wonder how an open break had been
avoided. Every one Of the conditions
accepted as sufficient cause for divorce
was present. ~incompstibility OF tenn
permanent. desertion. unfaithfulness. but
still apparent harmony yelled the in
terror chickering's.
How was II then that ltaiN. the youns
and in many ways unwilling contracting
partner in the union with Austria. en-
dured for so many years the bonds OF
an alliance which had such a decided
influence on the formation or the
Franco Russian alliance, and later on
the bringing into being OF the Franco
British entente. and finally on the
Triple Entente. only To break away
when the other partner was face to
face with a struggle for life or death?
To answer this question adequately
4, IS necessary to understand clearly,
the conditions In which Italy and her
ancient foe became reconciled. out
wardly at least. and sealed the new
! friendship ny a political compact.
--a. IN. An ss nra
For ten wears after the unihcation
OF Italy. the last link I'm the chain being
forged by the fall OF Rome and the an
nexition OF the Papal states In 1870.
tho Young kingdom was like an i'm
migran, IN an unknown country. try
ing TO fnd his bearings and 20 make
! friends.
ON account OF racial ties and he
memoir Of hard fought battles when the
' blood Of italy and France was shed FOR
a common cause. IL was natural that the
new arrival in the family or great
Powers should turn her eyes 10 hef
Latin sister. And this was preclselE
what certain leaders Of ITALIAN rollticai
thought made their aim. The states
men ~ the Right G.auza, Minghettl'
ViscontI-Nenosta, Menabrea) desired a
p.rfect accord with France. For this
3 reason they refused to continue me
l;aIo- Prussian alliance which. in lseh'
had been the means Of taking Venice
from Austria. Those OF the Extreme
Left, however. looked askance AZ the
France Of those days, just AFTER the
downfall OF the Third Empire.
This powerful, party. known IN ipaiy
as the Historic Left. came into power
I'm 1876. Looking over the Alps they
saw the rr1ctionary repuhlicanism or
lie Rroglic trlumphing over the radi-
calism of Gambetta. France. thoug
a republic. was pro-Natican and anti
Italian.
II was owing 20 the dlscord between
he two great Italian parties that the
Itali4n representatives at the Congress
: Of Berlin IN 1873 returned home empty
handed, while Austria obtained Bosnia
and Herzegovina II the Sanlak OF
Novihazar. and Great Britain won 'ne
coveted Island Of cyprus
Austria's victory In that historic meet
lnr was due to tho political acumen ~
Bismarck. who had wou Austria 10 neu-
tralitv In the war which Car Alexander
II. was preparing against TURKEY h"
dangling the Balkan prize hc'nr" inc
ewes Of tho Dual Monarchy, and 30 'h'
promise made nv tho Russian monarch
tina, Austria should have Bosnia and
Herzegovina Austria, even then, was
giving Italy a lesson In IN" hcn"hts oil
neutrality.