New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-26
ITALY DECLARES
AUSTRIA BROKE
TREATY PLEDGE
Official Note to u. ). Tells
of Rome'S Withdrawal
from Alliance.
WAR UPON SERBIA
VIOLATION OF PACT
Italy Justified In Leaving ALI
anCe When Belgrade Reply
Was Rejected, She Says.

Prom The Tribune Bureau
Washington, May 20. Count Macchl
di Celere. the Italian Ambassador, to-
day presented TO the State Department
a ten-page memorandum reviewing the
circumstances which caused Italy to
withdraw from the Triple Alliance
which it asserts had ceased to pos
sess its essential quality Of being
purely defensive pact and designed
solely to preserve the status quo IN
Europe.
tia y declares that so long as these
were It's only purposes and ooJeclS,
established by the letter and spirit OF
the treaty as well AS in the acts OF the
ministries of the three component ma
tons acting under the treaty, 1t con
tributed greatly to the elimination and
settlement Of the causes OF conflict
But" the notification continues
Austria Hungary severed the treaty
By her own hands"
What in Italian official opinion con-
stituted Austria Hungary's breach OF
the relations which had existed De
tween the three powers was her regec
ton Of the response OF Serola last
July, when, IN the opinion OF the ItaI-
Ian statesmen. Serbia yielded aiI lhe
satisfaction which Austrla-HuhsaIy
could legItmately claim.
The Italian memorandum insists That
conciliatory proposals presented by me
Italjan government at this critical
iuncture OF European affairs were re
fused consideration by Austria Hun
cary. and that. further, AustTa-lioh-
rsry deliberately provoked the con-
f.ct. This was the breach IN the treaty
relation which Italy claims renewed
her OF further obligations 10 the high
contracting parties with which She mad
been SO intimately associated IN "oiIu
affairs for more than thirty-slE years.
In her opinion this was the breaking OF
faith on Article ! Of the basic couVcn-
tion Of the Triple Alliance. VIZ, the
pledge to exchange views upon any po-
lucal and economic questions OF
general nature that might arse luI-
suant 10 its terms none OF the contract
ing parties had the right TO undertaAe'
without previous agreement, any s'ep
the consequences Of which might IN
nose a duty upon the other slgnatoIles
arising out Of the alliance, or which
would in any way encroach upon their
vital interests. Here is ltaly's excuse
for renounc!ng the treaty Of the Triple
Alliance:
This article was violated by Austria
Hungary when she sent to Serbia her
note dated July %. 1914. an action
taken without the previous assent Of
Italy
The memorandum thereafter deals
with the negotiations which covered
the period Of the last nine months,
during which Italy stoutly protested
against Austria's known intention OF
aggressive war in Serbia with conquest
a. its suspected ultimate intention ana
the upsetting Of the present rather IN
stable Balkan balance as ITS certain
coroilary. II outlines the reason lor
ltaly's endeavoring to obtain from AUS
tria concessions OF territory lhcreaS-
ing the Italian boundaries IN the dlrcc-
tion Of the Trentino and the Italian IN
fuence in the Adriatc sea ana con-
tiguous territory. 1t points out tnat
Austria-Hungary grudgngly conceded a
small portion Of what Italy demanded'
hut failed 70 meet the Italian demands
half way Thereafter the memolan-
dunn recites in detail the negotla ~ MS
with Austria's gradually increased con-
cessions, which, 1t asserts, never IN
satisfactory way met the Italian de-
mapds until an WpHNSc had been
reached IN the negotiations, with the
consequent severance OF diplomatic Ie-
lations and the declaration OF war.
Austria's answer 70 the Italian mem
orandum will probably be fled with
the State Department tomorrow or the
Emil. IL
awaiting the arrival of Emperor Fran
els Joscph's menifesto, which viii be
made the basis for the memorandum
OF the Austrian view. ms memo
randum. 1t is understood. viii charge
Italy with having deliberately broken
the agreement because Austria would
not concede territory peopled by Aus
trims. 1t will also assert that 1t IS
strange that it took Italy nearly ten
months to discover that Austria had
violated the agreement, and that the
real volator IS Italy, because. mad IN
latter country not declared war, the
+ pact between the countries was un-
broken under international law.
To Preserve the Status Quo.
The text of the note issued by the
Italian Embassy is in part as follows:
THE Triple Alliance was essentially
defensive and designed solely to pre-
serve the status quo, In other words,
the equilibrium in Europe.
"The treaty, as long as its intents
and purposes had been Loyalty inter
preted and regarded, and as long as it
had not been used as preteXt for ag
erosion against others, greatly CON
trlbuted TO the elimination and settle
ment of causes Of conflict, and for
many years assured to Europe the IN
estimablc benefits Of peace.
But Austria Hungary severed the
treaty by her own hands. She rejected
the response Of Serbia which gave 70
her all the satisfaction she could legltI-
matelv claim. She refused 20 listen 10
the conciliatory proposals presented boy
Italy in conjunction with other powers
i'm the effort TO spare Europe from a
vast conflict certain to drench the con-
tinent with blood
Terms Of Triple Alliance.
article o. the treaty embodied the
usual and necessary obligation Of such
pacts the pledge TO exchange views