The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-29
ITALY'S COURSE IN CRISIS WINS
 PRAISE OF POLL
Theatrical Magnate says Coun- try Can Be Big Factor in
 Bringing Peace

Why Italy is acting for her best in terest and how she will be an inn portant factor in establishing peace in Europe by maintaining her posi- ton of armed. neutrality, is explained in a statement given out today by s. z. Poli, the theatrical ma gnate, who has just returned from a trip to the Pacific coast during which he has talked with men of Italian birth rep resenting all shades of opinion.
 In his statement, MT. Poli says:
 'Italy is unquestionably the strong est of the European powers not en- gagged in the war; and in whatever dt- rectien she may decide at the psy- chologiea1 moment to throw her strength she will have in my judg- ment, a decisive influence. For the present, therefore, it is my view that Italy is doing the best thing for her self and for the rest. of Europe in maintaining her position of armed neutrality. know that much pulling and hauling is going on to bring Italy into the conflict on one side or the other, but I believe she should stand out against it all and insist on keep in herself free for the adjustment that must come when the warning forces are brought to the point of ex- haustion. ItaIy's military and naval strength cannot be questioned for her armies are made up largely of vet erans who have had their baptism of fire, and her navy is in equally effec- tive condition. Their strength, how ever, in my Judgment, ought not to be wasted in any effort to regain ter ritory that she may believe Austria wrongly deprived her of, but should be conserved so that it may be a de- cisive influence in determining what the conditions a peace shall be and in insuring a peace that will be per
 manent and secure.
 t',The course for Italy to follow, in
 my judgment, is to seize the psycho- logical moment to intervene and say to all the warning powers that the time has come for adjustment. Then, in arranging matters of arbitration, let Italy present her claims side by side with the claims of the warning nations, and let the arbitrators take cognizance5 of and pass judgment on all claims as a whole and in the in terest of an adjustment that will seem most equitable to all the nations. But above all Italy should insist that a. covenant be signed by all the Euro pean powers not to engage in war for at least 15O years under penalty of all fthe other powers turning against any power violating the pact and talk ing away it's national entity. With such an agreement in force, and backed by the united sentiment of the various nations of Europe, including Turkey [ believe peace would be in sured during the life of>the covenant.
 'tAnd see the wonderful blessings that would come from such an agree ment. No longer would it be neces- sary for the various nations to keep huge standing armies and monster navies; no longer would the common people be crushed beneath the weight of taxes to maintain these vast arm Eies and naVies; no longer, would the ghast1y spectre of war grin in, the closet of the nations and bring sor- row. to every family and to. every home; no longer would the passions of men and nations make a, moclSery of civilization and graveyard of high human ideals. There is no ad- vantage that can come from war that even remotely approaches the advan- tages of peace; there is no territory that comes to a nation as the price of conquest that can compensate for the horrors and heart-burnings and de- structiorl and degradation that are the inevitable accompaniment of war. Surely the wonderful growth and prosperity of America as I saw it in my tour of the, country from coast to coast, offers the greatest incentive to a nation to shun the expense and the grinding destructiveness of war and l to dwell amid the blessings and the sunshine of peaee.''