Omaha daily bee., 1915-06-04
Why Italy Went to War
ny Caesar RsgasEi.

n MAHA. June 2-To the Editor OF The Bee: lie,
" me present some facts regarding the entrances
OF Italy in the war. Austria holds Trent
and Trieste two districts geographically Italian. and
whose population is mainly italian. They are both
on the south side OF the Alps. and would easily give
command OF Yeneta. and Of the ncomparabiy fertile
Pc valley. to army. Austrian or otherwise. invad
ing Italy from the north Northern Italy used 20 be
the battlefield Of every contendng European nation
Poland IL today. and tho best TO prevent repe
titon OF ths. and to hold off any possible enemy,
for Italy 70 have It's natural frontier. the Alps.
no must lose sight OF the fact that the Italians
want the Alps as frontier much more than they
want 10 unite Italy the Italians subject TO Aus
tris. not to speak of Teutons in Trento and
some slsvs in Trieste. The Italian government Of
through the the schools and other agen
ces TO the people that the aim Of Italy -
TO unite to Italy the Italians subject TO Austria be-
cause in this way It is likely to arouse en-
thusiasm in the common people, who would hardly
appreciate the strategcsl importance Of the Alps for
the defense OF Italy Austria willing 10 give up
a very small slip OF territory between the Isonzo
river and the present frontier. but the Isonzo most
Of the year is either dry can be crossed without
bridges therefore its value to Italy for defensive
purposes would have been small
According to the Italian note TO neutral countries.
In the Trenno. Austria would have coded territory
to line running from west TO east. Bud passing
about seven miles TO the north OF Trento. thereby
excluding some parts inhabited by Italians" The
statement OF the German chancellor. part OF Trento
inhabited by Italians" tales with the foregoing
dairy Of strategica value. says the Italian note.
Also according to the in the In the
days IN which Italy decided for war, General Ca
dona. chief OF the italian general staff represented
to Premier Salandra that accepting the Austrian con-
cessions. Italy would sti have had its northern
frontier constant Another report said the
minimum demands of Italy Trieste, Capo
dIstria and Piramo TO be free cities the frontier In
the Gulf of Trieste TO be brought far Ma
bresira. some ten miles from Trieste; Italy to have
islands in the lower Dalmata, and In Trento to
set frontier the border OF the kingdom Of Italy in
1871 This border would close to the 46th parallel
and would give Botzen to Italy. leaving TO Austria
Meran and Buxen. together with the upper reaches
OF the Adlge valley Clearmnded people in Italy
that Austria cannot. and must not be made n land
locked country. and with this arrangement Austria
would have kept nearly all it's present seacoast
Tierte would still have been its commercial port and
many more Italians would have been left 10 Austria
than the Teutons in and around Botzen, who would
have come to Italy As for agriculture there is
much TO be had around the crags OF the Dolemites.
But the central empires evidently didn't want give
up the ststegioal part Of the Adige CStsch) valley
this huge Austrian wedge set into Italian territory
which would have enabled them to have the best Of
Italy in question arising by having 1t an
.whelming disadvantage.