The Alaska daily empire., 1915-05-26
irALY IND THE WAR

ITALY AND THE WAR
 The entrance of Italy into the war, even though long expected together with the feryor Of Che Len en- thusasm Chat aroused. recalls ancther time when Italians went under the standard Of another Victor Emanuel of Che House of Savoy to do battle against Aussria-the land Of traditional Italian enmity lto- ans went to war for national ipdependence-and in his phase there remains similarity in the war Of a
 af century ago and that today for no matter what others may think of Che incidents and the negotiaons that lead to the present conflict. far the italian masses are concerned they are fighting for the nde' pendence of the men and of their race who re- side in territory that had been essentially Italian for ages but which was retained by Austria at Che time of .he treaty which recognized the last independence of Italy Nor do Italians forget that the diplomatic influence of Prussia in behalf of Austria was potent in deprivng them of the tu measure of the victory o Victor Emmanuel and GaribaldL
 It is unfortunate. as far as the Italian people are concerned that Italy was compelled appear at least ,o be repudatiug Che Triple Alliance agreement before entrance into war for recognition of the nationality o the people of Tyro Carnth Goritz stria and other provinces occupied in whole part by Italian people bu, held out by Austria when the treaty recognizing the independence of Italy was made.
 The Triple Alliance was natural combina- ton for Italy nor was 1t ever popular with the Italian peoDe It was an arrangement that was practically forced on that country of protection against Turkey and Turkish Adriatic influence. The strategic situation of Turkey in the Southeast and her yirty as long as she had the support of Great Britain who used her as buffet against Russian aggression for so many generations made her constant menace Co he independ- ence of Ialy The Triple Alliance at least offered Italians within tho boundaries Of the present Kingdom
 guarantee of national existence. Yet Italy entered the alliance with aching heart and over the protest o those of her race in the Italian provinces of Austria The Alliance seemed to be the abandonment of hope ol realizing the dream of united Italy
 Bu. developments in Europe took strange turn during the last years of the 18th century. and Che first of the 20th The growth of Germany as military power and as a commercial entity became the great central European fact All things in the politics O, the continent were adjusted to it. In the face of it Eng lands diplomats who from the date the iall of Ma poieon and che disappearance of the French menace for threeouarters of century had been fighting Rus sian agrradzement. sought understanding and friend ship in St Petersburg and found it. With the witt drawal of srtains good offices disntegration set in in Turkey Meanwhile independent nationality brought growth and strength to Italy and good many years she has had naught fear ofhe Sultan Finally she de- feated the fleets and arms of Turkey and took Trlpo Greece and the Balkan States whipped the sick man o' Europe again. and dispoued him O; the most of his European territory.
 These conditions caused the Triple Alliance to fall of it's own weight There was no reason for 1t as lar as f,aly was concerned There was every cause to make t distastefui It served no Italian purpose It only stood between Italy and possible intuition of ma rl racial ambition lt fitted so M into the European situation that Germany and Austria did not seriously ask more than neutrality from Italy when war burst forth les. August.
 Therefore if we but get down to the natural causes that. in the end. almost invariably prevail in d' recting human activities and national action Italy has gone to war with Victor Emmanuel and cadorna as naturally as she did with the other Victor Emmanuel and GaribaldL It was mevitble from Che beginning. k was as natural as water seeking it's level