The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-05-25
BIsMARcK,s WORK

If the shade of Bismarck could re-
visit Europe, it might stand aghast at
the wreck of the elaborate structure
the man of blood and iron built up
for, as he doubtless believed, the
good of his country.
Bismarck's greatest work was the
unification of Germany. That stands,
and probably will; foreign assault is
likely to weld the German states more
closely together than shatter them.
His second greatest work was the
triple alliance-that compact and
powerful arch of nations built across
Europe, and fully able to protect its
three members, Germany, Austria
and Italy from any combination that
could be. brought against them.
1t has often been said, with much
truth, that in an alliance of which
Austria was a member, Italy had no
business. For almost 200 years, Aus
tria was Italy's most cruel oppressor,
holding her richest provinces and
fostering in the others a dissension
that prevented their union.
Coming to the aid of Italy, France,
ever the most chivalric and unselfish
of European nations, in 1859 first
broke the strangle hold of Austria
and made an united Italy possible.
Unfortunately, France was ruled by
Louis Napoleon, who was guided
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for humanity or the glory of his
country. Under his malignant in
fiuence, France took for her services
Nice and Savoy, about half as much
as the French enabled the Italians to
gain in Lombardy. Venice was left
in the hands of Austria. Meantime
French troops garrisoned Rome
against the Italian people. And SO
France lost most of the gratitude and
future help that Italy would doubt
less have gladly given.
Bismarck took advantage of this
and joined hands with Italy in the
war of 1866, when he compelled Aus
tria to surrender Venice to the Ital-
ians. 1t would have been well for
Germany had Bismarck also COMPEL
ed Austria to give up Istria and the
Trentino, the "Italy unredeemed'
that has been a fostering sore for
forty-nine years, and has now gaped
into an open wound.
However, not even Bismarck could
foresee everything, and perhaps ut
ally irredentia" alone would not have
brought about war.
Later on, France, reviving from the
Franco russian war, annexed to her
already great African province of
Algeria, Tunis, which Italy from the
day of unifcation, had looked upon
as her own. This added further to
the ill-feeling between two nations
which would seem to be naturally in
tended to be friends.
It was about this time that Bis
marck soothed Austria and placated
Italy, and bound them m the triple
alliance that might have lasted yet
many years had all Bismarck's ideals
been worked out.
But Austria is the Bourbon of Eu-
rope-can't learn anything and can't
forget anything. A policy of repres-
sion was steadily pursued toward the
Italians in Latin provinces-the idea
of the government was to transform
them into machine-made Austrians-
they could have no schools nor Off
cial papers in their own language,
and in a thousand petty ways they
were given to understand they were
subject race, making their kindred
across the line more and more angry.
Then Italy, with more or less jus
tice, went after Tripoli, which she
undoubtedly needed. But since the
days of Bismarck Wilhelm had be-
come protector of the poor" for the
Turk; Italy was given to understand
that her course was displeasing to
the august friend of herself, and the
Paynirn, at Berlin, when she tried to
re-establsh the white mans rule in