The sun., 1915-06-20

been following day by day the greatest
war IN history. They knew what II
meant and how much Il cost IN human
! lives and money. They had been feel
! Ing the effects OF the war. scarcity OF
( food and Unemployment. and knew that
hardships and sacrifices would follow
J ltaly's Intervention. Yet they all
wanted war. their national war. and
they urged Il and demanded Il, deter
mined to resort to violence until war
was declared
Never perhaps since the days of an
Client Rome. when the people had The
right to declare war. was the peoples
Will imposed As II was In Italy from the
Alps TO Sicily a century after the down
fall Of Napoleon. II !s now known that
the King and his Ministers were NJ de-
'ermined on war az the people. During
the long period OF neutrality II was
thought by many that the King was
nesltating whether to accept Austria's
insufficient compensations In order 20
avert war or to refuse the little that
was offered and draw the sword The
Ministers. especially Premier Sa!andra
and Baron Sonnlno. were accused of
losing precious time In bargaining with
IN" central empires and II was said that
they waited In silence until they could
s"H ItalN's Intervention or neutrality at
tie best terms TO the highest bidder.
King Never Hesitated.
II IL now known tina, Victor EN-
mhnurl never hesltated between hum,li-
ating neutrality and a glorious war, and
that he not only approved hut also en-.
couraged the policy followed by his
Ministers, who decided on neutrality In
order to better prepare for war.
Time Will show how admirably pre-
pared was Italy for the war The ten
months OF neutrality were not spent IN
idieness. but in silent and hard work.
The Government undertook the dtf-
hcult tasks OF both military and civil
preparation for war and while the
army and navy were being modified
and trained and equipped. stores and
war materials accumulated defences
strengthened lines of communications
laid out. troops concentrated In strateg-
ical positions. and all details carefully
looked after and organized. special laws
were passed by Parliament or pro-
mulgated by royal decree
Italy. when her Intervention was still
doubted. had a national defence law
which assured the utmost secrecy,
thanks TO which the mobilization OF
The army was possible long before the
decree ordering II was issued A first
'''c tHo SlTeuEtn OF thlf
provided In the cadres was formed and
despatched to the front fully a month
before general mobiliza ton was ordered
Instead OF seven days after mobili2a-
tion as would have been the case ~ I
war had not been prepared before
hand
Duplicate corps which should have
been formed three or four weeks after
had been ready for weeks !
80 that Italy was not compelled to call |
Dut all her available war resources ana |
several classes of reservists have not /
vet been summoned to the colors Gen ,
Iupelli. the Minister OF War, a modest /
man and not inclined to talk much. .
said recently that the Italian army ,
now In the field Is the best equipped
and trained In Europe. and that the
!, 100000 men who form the first line !
'rmy are all men In the prime OF life.
between 20 and 26 years old
When war was declared every Italian
heaved sigh OF relief that at last
neutrality was over, The pro- war dem.
'nstrations were changed into national
'ejoicnK. There was cheering In every
'ity. town and village, flags were nut
'ut In every window. national and pa
riotic hymns were sung. and fun vent
Was given to wild enthusiasm.
Italians are supposed TO he Light
,earted and easygoing. ready TO shout
md sing. but not capable of oalm de-
ermination and so-called civic disci-