The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-13
Continued from First Page.

Italy. without considering her treaty
obligations or any moral scruples. was
sure that the opportunity had arrived.
both OF her allies being engaged in u
gigantic struggle against mighty adver-
saries. to force Austria to cede the
southern districts which are populated
BY Italians.
The first step IN this direction &C.
Cured on December II when the Roman
Cabinet. openly referring 10 the ma
tional aspirations. instructed the Am
bassador TO state that. as Il result of
our military operations In Serbia and
according to article seven OF the Triple
Alliance. II was entitled to demand COM
pensations. The military operations on
foreign territory do not mean the occu-
patton Of any Of that territory and give
no right to claim compensations. II is
evident that compensatlous are only to
he looked for where advantages are
won which must I've equal ized-that Is
In the Balkan peninsula. Nobody. when
the alliance was formed. thought Of the
possibility OF considering other districts
On February ? Austria made counter
demands because Italy had occupied
Egean islands and valona. italy de-
elared after long and frultless neRo-
tlations a; the end OF February that
she would consider the reopening OF ou'
operations against Serbia without agree
mont and compensation ms q breach -
the alliance treaty which must lead {,
most serious consequences. Such aCtion
orly could he compensated by the ccs-
sion OF Austro-Hunsarisn territories.
p The situation was now clear. Austria
found IL dihicult 10 accept the idea Of
q surrender without a night of districts
which for centuries have been under the
sceptre OF the Hapshurgs and have
formed n natural wall OF protection,
while the men of these districts have
given many proofs OF devotion AMI
loyalty to the Hungarian Gov
eminent.
This extraordinary situation demanded
an extraordinary decision. Baron Won
Burien wa. able. with the monarch
consent and the approval of both Gov
ernments. to inform the Italian Ambas-
sador that Austria-Hungary would &C.
cept In principle the cession OF part of
the territory which had formed the basis
of the negotiations. Before he had be-
eun his negotiations, however, the Roman
Cabinet demanded that the cession 81
into force Immediately. n demand which
In itself shed n grave light upon tho
sincerity Of I;aly's intention TO reaeh
4 friendly solution. Aside from the
practical difficulty. Austria could not be
expected to cede districts of the grea;-
est strategic Importance before the con
clu.lon Of peace and when Italy'r
counter obligation of neutrality should
have been fulfilled. There was truly
no reason for such extraordinary faith
In Italian loyalty and worthiness. Thus
Anstrii expressed the impossibi.ity OF
accepting these conditions. nut declared
herself ready to give strongest guaran-
tees tina; the ceded districts would bs
turned over Immediately after the con-
--eiusion of peace.
' An interruption OF negotiations would
have followed had both parties not
agreed to leave this question open tenn
porarily. In the course OF the dis
.eussion Of the main points n in out
lining the district to be ceded and ma M
ing the other concessions Austria pre-
scented her own suggestions. which on
March % were handed to IT., Italian
Ambas sAdor at Vienna These conces-
aions included in fact the cession OF
almost the entire italian speaking part
Of south Tyrol. while Italy was eN-
.-pected to guarantee the observance OF
an absolute and benevolent neutrality.
irving at the same time to Austria full
freedom Of action In The Balkans dur
ing the entire length OF the war.
The Italian Cabinet made objections
Of q general nature, but was apparently
not interested in the progress of the
negotiations, for II was only when
urgently requested that II brought for
ward counter propositions presented in
Vienna on April 10. These propositions
were so exorbitant that they conveyed
an impression that the Saiandra Csbi-
net had no earnest desire for a peace
full settlement with Austria,
1taly's demands were positively mon
strous. including the cession Of the
entire Italian speaking Tyrol, together
with the purely German district OF
Bozen in the lower part as well as The
0tat. dtasriNs "a thA tnnAr Al The
concessions also included the lsonzo
valley and the Goerz and GAGS dis
tricts 20 the Nahresina. with "A strip OF
Car!nthia and the Slsv Islands OF LISA
and Lessina and others. Trieste n
the surrounding dlstric: was to lie
made an independent state which would
Recognize the Italian sovereign. Aus
tria was TO express her absolute dis
interestedness in Albania. and the ces-
sions were to be carried into effect i'm
Mediately.
The structure of this programme
proves the ideas underlying II were no,
merely Of ation motive hut were
based on a desire for s~;rategical gains
OF an aggressive character. The out
line of the territories to he coded and
the fact that Italy made q series OF
demands vitality affecting the monarchy's
most vital interests give reason to sup
pose that Rome In any case was Sc
oretly determined 10 break with the CEN
trail Powers, whether the solution was
20 be peaceahle or not, and to toin the
Entente Powers. Although Il was ap-
parent that Italy's demands must lead
10 the breaking on OF negotiations. Aus
tria, inclined TO make concessions. vir-
tually succeeded in reaching "A cosmprO-
mise. Many OF the points, however.
postulated by Italy were so vitality on
posed TO the monarchy's interests that
compromise was impossible. This was
the more so because the Roman Cabinet
'characteristically upheld pa rticularly
those demands which II was practically
impossible for Austria to meet. although
the negotiations were GoI.iGvad with
Austria ready TO make all possible con-
cessions.
Then the Salandra Cabinet on May
4. without ever replying to the proposals
submitted by us, declared In Vienna that
II considered the Alliance treaty broken
by us and that therefore Italy was en-
titled to withdraw all OF her proposals.
Austria did not consider IL proper to
accept this surprising step Immediately
but continued her efforts to reach a
friendly understanding.
The last cfer which WAS submitted
In writing TO the Italian Government by
the imperial Ambassador as we'll as by
Prince Won Buelow included the follow
Ing essential points Cession of the
Italian speaking part of the southern
Tyrol, cession of the district west Of the
lsonzo inhabited by Italians. the found
ing Of a university at Trieste n the
city's freedom by revision OF its statutes
Rlging II autonomy, the qua ra nteeinR of