South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-26

ing among them an assurance OF en-
tire liberty OF action in the Balkans.
We replied that the offer was not ac-
ceptable and then presented the mimi
mum concessions which could meet m
part our national aspirations These
demands comprised. The extension
OF the boundary IN Trentino, new
boundary on the Isonzo; special provi-
sion for Trieste. the cessiOn OF GER
tain islands OF the CurzOlari archi-
pelago. the abandonment Of Austrian
claims in Albania. and the recognition
Of our possession Of AvalOna and the
islands Of the Aegean sea which we
occupied during our war with Turkey
AT first our demands were cate
gOrically rejected. II was until an
other month Of conversation that
Austria Hungary was induced 10 in
crease the zone OF territory she was
prepared to cede in the TrentinO and
then only as far as Mezzo-Lombardo
thereby excluding the territory IN
habited 10y people OF the Italian race
such as the Vale Del Niece. Val ID
FassO and Val Di AmpeZzO. In addi-
ton. the Austro- Hungarian govern
ment maintained its determination not
TO make the cessiOn effective before
the end Of the war While admitting
the possibility Of recognizing some Of
our interests in AvalOna and granting
the above mentioned territorial ces-
sion in the TrentinO, the AustrO-Hu
garian government persisted in its Op-
position to all our other demands
especially those regarding the bound
airy of the IsOnzO, Trieste and the
islands.
Austria TcmpOriZing.
THE attitude assumed by Austria
Hungary from beginning Of December
until the end Of April made it evident
that she was attempting to tempOrize
without coming to a conclusion. Un-
der such circumstances. Italy was con
frOnted by the danger of losing for
ever the opportunity of realizing her
aspirations based upon tradition, ma
tionality, and her desire for = safe po-
sitiOn I'm the Adriatic. while other con-
tingencies in the European conflict
menaced her principal interests in
other seas. Hence. Italy faced the
necessity and duty of recovering that
liberty of action 20 which she was en-
titled and of seeking protection OF her
interests apart from the negotiations
which had been dragging uselessly
along for five months and without ref
erence to the treaty of alliance which
had virtually failed as a result of its
annulment by the action of Austria
Hungary in July. 1914.
1T would not be out of place to OBJ
serve that the alliance having term
mated and there existing no longer
any reason for the Italian people TO
be bound by it. though they had 10y
ally stood by it for SO many years be
cause OF their desire for peace. there
naturally revived in the public mind
the grievances against Austria-Hun-
gary which for SO many years had
been voluntarily repressed.'
While the treaty of alliance con-
tanned no formal agreement for the
use Of the Italian language or the
maintenance of Italian tradition and
Italian civilization in the Italian pro-
vinces of Austria. nevertheless If the
alliance was TO be effective in pre-
serving peace and harmony it was in
disDutably clear that Austria Hun
gary. as our ally. should have taken
into account the moral obligation of
respecting what constituted some of
the most vital interests of Italy. In
stead the constant policy of the Aus
Hungarian government was to
destroy Italian nationality and Italian
civilization all along the coast of the
Adriatic.
"A brief statement of the facts and
of the tendencies, well known to all
will suffice; substitution of officials of
the Italian race by officials of other
natiOnalities; artificial immigration of
hundreds OF families of a different
nationality; replacement of Italian by
other labor: exclusion from Trieste
by the DEGREES Of Prince HOhenlOhe
OF employees who were subjects of
Italy; Standardization of the juGici
al administration; refusal of Austria
TO permit an italian university in
Trieste which formed the subject of
diplomatic negotiations; denatiOnah-
ZatiOn of navigation companies; en-
couragement of other nationalities to
the detriment of the Italian and -
naIly the methodical and unjustifable
expulsion of Italians in ever increas-
ing numbers"