The daily Alaskan., 1915-06-02
ITALY As \ WAR POWER

The oldest of the great nations cI Europe is so young as modern state that it has never been tested ill a European war. Rome was the chief seat of empire in all the world west of China when Ger many, the British Isles and France were the hOma of barbarous tribes, Tut Italy has never fought a battle cn European soil since Rome be ,ame the capital of the Italian Kingdom of today.
 The UuitsG States celebrated the centennial Of its national birthday when Italy, IS it stands on the maps now, WIS not six years old, and yet how young is America com pared with the city on the Tiber, which ruled all the shores of the Mediterranean 1,500 years before the first permanent settlement was made in this country! In 1870 the present boundaries of Italy, as Q kiugdOm, were established. In IS66 ic had gained much territory from Austria, including Venice. In 1859 it had taken a far-reaching step toward unity and greatness. Sixty years ago there was nothing but dream, feryently cherished and ardently toiled for, to stand for the single realm which is the Italy of this day.
 Sardinia fought with France against Austria in 1859, with Prus- sia. against Austria-Hungary in 1865, and both wars resulted in large gains Of territory. The Kingdom Of Italy was formed in 1861. under that title, and its first parliament met in February of that year. Rome was held apart as the seat of the temporal power of the Papal See, until 1870. Since then ralys wars have been fought in Africa, a disastrous defeat by the AbyssiniauS in 1876 contrast ing with the gradual conquest of TripUli from the small Turkish gar risons and the fierce desert tribes, :n 1911 and 1912.
 It will be seen that Italy as a modern political unit, is very youug and almost wholly untried in war The Italian kingdom has been made, for the most part, by the victories of allies-France first and later Prussia-acting with the most ,ital and promising Italian state, the kingdom of Sardinia. It is well known that Italy has found the burden of attempting to keep step with far richer nations in mill tary and naval armaments a crush ing burden and that in recent years there uas been no real effort to play more than a minor part in the triple alliance, with Germany and Austria-Huugary, which the Italian Kingdom entered in 1885.
 No well-iufOrned admirer of Italy will contend that the Italian army and navy have reached or ap- proacAed the German or French standards of efficiency in organiza- ton and preparation. It is ex- t7eme. doubtful whether the Italian forces, on land or sea, are equa. iu equipment and readiness to tAoae of AUstria-Hungary. Pos sibly .aey do not exceed the Rus sian average
 But Italy has gone into action ulter long special study of the newest military and naval eondi- tious nd It a time when her pro spective foes have used up a large part of their first-line troops. Her armies are fresh and her resources -u numbers are formidable, at this stage of a war which has looked to many outside students of ex- istiuc conditions like a huge dead lock.
 P cent reports from Italian sources place the number of men Under armS at 100000. It is highly improbable that so many, fairly trained and armed, can be found in Italy. More credible and more common estimates are 1,200,- OOC o9 even as moderate a figure IS 100000. The last total is larger than the maximum which could have been reached by the use of only the naaca establishment and