The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11
ny PAUL VAN DYKE.
Professor of History, Princeton
University.


attempt to explain why Italy
has begun war against her
former ally after ten months
Of neutrality must go behind the Off
cial explanation published In printed
documents and beyond considerations
Of military necessity.
The facts as they appear on the sur
face are as follows: The meeting of
the italian Parliament in December
last applauded TO the echo one phrase
In the Prime Minister'S address which
suggested that the time had come to
realize Italy's national aspirations. So
far as his somewhat vague speech
presented any definite programme, 1t
was a programme OF armed neutrality
Watchfully waiting for a good chance
to realize 1taly's national aspirations.
by which most Italians meant chiefly
the return to the Italian flag OF Italian
populations living south Of the Aus"
trian Alps. rectification OF their east.
ern frontier on better military and ma
tional lines, suc, positions on the east
ern shore of the Adriatic as would en-
uDlt lAdlN W NOiiAIpl II ~ At itdoA "
secure her long harborless eastern
coast from hostile attack and a re-
duction OF Austrian control over
Trieste, running all h way from
sharing II to destroying II.
Although the Parliament did not
take definite n explicit action, any
fair minded man would say that the
Ministry had received orders to spend
q thousand million lire in arming
Italy by land and sea and the COM
mission to act as in their judgment
seemed best for her interests. The
emphasized applause for certain
phrases of the speech plainly extended
that permission to action which might
possibly be equivalent to an ultimatum
to Austria
The Green Book laid before Parla-
ment on the Goth of May Is the Gov
ernment's report of the way 1t full
filled that commission. OF course a
complete historic judgment on the ne
gotiations between Austria and Italy
can only be formed by comparing the
Italian account of them with the Aus
TRAN and German accounts, which are
not yet published. On certain points
suggested by the documents in the
Green Book a judicial mind could not
fairly decide until after a comparison
with documents from other chancel-
leries. but so far as the following sum-
mary is concerned il is hard TO imagine
how 1t could be substantially changed
In its total positive effect by the Aus
TRAN or German reports.
The Green Book. shows that Austria
spent two months and a half of iscus
sion before she would consider Italy's
claim hat the only base for discussion
was the possibility OF ceding to Italy
lands already in the possession of Aus
tria. Finally on the 21st of February
the Italian Government served on
Austria through the medium Of Prince
Won Buelow. the German Ambassador
IN Rome, formal notice that IL Austria
refused longer to admit this base OF
discussion Italy would at once with
draw from the Triple Alliance. On the
9th Of March. three months after the
beginning OF negotiations. Prince Won
Buelow informed the italian Govern
ment that the Austrian Government
"was ready to enter into negotiations
with Italy on that basis.
Italy then laid down two further
conditions. first, that the negotiations
should be kept secret until a con-
clusion was reached; second, that
whatever conclusion was reached
should be Immediately put into effect.
The first was accepted by Austria, the
second refused. Austria stood firm OF
the proposition hat no cession of ter
ritory could take place until the end of
the war.
On the goth of March Prince Won
Buelow, in the name of the Emperor
William, said Germany would guaran-
tee that any agreement between Aus
tria and Italy would be Loyalty carried
out as soon as peace was declared. The
return for this cession of territory
mot yet defined) To be mad at the
end of the wal was the immediate as
surance that Italy would "observe to-
ward Austria and her allies until the
end Of the present war a benevolent
neutrality from a political and eco
monica point Of view and SHOULD
leave Austrla-Hungary full and entire
liberty of action in The Balkans ex
cept in Albania, where the existing ac-
cord should remain In force.
In return Austria was READY to
cede territory in south Tyrol, including
the city OF Trent" The boundaries OF
this coded territory We're to he fixed
after consideration Of the strategic
needs of a new frontier n the eco
monte needs of the population. Italy
replied that Austria's offer was toe
vague and did not meet one of he,
fundamental conditions.
on the 10th of April she proposed
20 Austria an accord of eleven ar
ticles. The more important ones ar,
the cesslon by Austria OF the Trentiuo
with the boundaries of the kingdom
OF Italy in 1911: a correction Of tn,
eastern border of Italy which should
include the cities of GradisCa ant
Gorilla; that Trieste should bcCOm,
o free city into which neither Aus,
train nor Italian soldiers could enter
hat certain islands which dominate
the northern part of the eastern shore
of the Adriatic should be coded t,
Italy, and that all Cesslons shoul,
be made Immediately. In return ltal,
agreed 'to maintain during all tn
present war entire neutrality as re
CARDS Austria and Germany"
On the 10Th of April Austria refuse,
all these propositions entirely. cXcep
ss regards the 1'rcntlno, whore ~,
offered a compromise boundary. |,
subsequent negotiations Austria pro