Valdez daily prospector., 1915-04-10
ITALY'S DEMANDS.

That Italy will soon send her fleets and forces to the aid of the Allies in their war against Germany, Austria and Trukey becomes every day more probable. But up to the time when the war broke out Italy was bound to Germany acd Asutria by treaty ties. There was an alliance. The question of national morality, therefore, is in volved. It will be said that Italy, if she could not fight side by side with her Allies, is at least not free to take up arms against them, that she is bound to adhere steadfastly to her earlier policy of neutrality. But the Triple Alliance was formed to preserve the peace of Europe. Austria and Germany by their action destroyed the peace of Europe. They went to war for purposes in which Italy had no interest; they either did not ask or failed to secure her ap- proval of their procedures. The treaty relation was broken off by their ac- tion, it's binding force was destroyed since Italy could have been called up- on to come to the support of her al lies if they were attacked. Moreover, alliances are based on interest, not on sentiment. Italy not only has, as we have said, no interest in the ob- jects for which Germany and Aus tria are fighting, but she has large and recognizable interests of her own which would not be promoted by the success of Austria and Germany. She has long cherished national ambitions which would be altogether cheated of their object by the triumph of the powers with which she was lately in alliance.
 Sero venientibus ossa was the old saying at university commons. Though late conner to the feast of war, Italy will not be satisfied with bones. She demands of Austria ces sions of territory that would round out her national domain by including within her frontiers territory which she has always felt to be legitimately her own and which beacuse it's popu- htion is chiefly Italian should on very high grounds of right and jus tice be restored to her. Her de- mands include not only Trent and Trieste not only the wedge of Aus. trian territory lying between Venetia and Lombardy, but Goritz and Istria on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, including the Austrian naval base al Pola. Austria is by no means willing to grant all this territory to secure the continued neutrality of Italy, and Vienna dispatches indicate that Ger many will not be able to prevail ov. CT the traditional Hapsbrug disincli- nation to surrender what has once been Austria's. Germany's anxiety to deprive the Allies of such an import ant accession of force as Italy could bring to them is naturally very great, but even if Austria under pressure from Berlin should consent to en- large her concessions to Italy, there could be no certainty that the allies at the end of the war would ratify an arrangement of that kind made during it's progress. There will be many changes in the map when peace is made and Italy can make sure of the changes she desires only by talk ing part in the conflict.
 That evidently is the reasoning of the Italian government, certainly that is the view taken by the Italian peo- pie. From the moment that the French and British fleets began their serious assault upon the defenses of the Dardanelles the reports of Italy's intention to join forces with the AL lies became much more positive. That brought the war nearer to her and made very plain to what an extent her interests would be involved in the conditions of peace.-Ex.