New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-24


nave baptism of blood" "Our peo-
pie are sunk in sloth. To make them
respond to what is heroic we must
RAISE their spirit through deeds of val
OF. italy must fight. else her chances
OF national greatness are gone for
ever They get drunk themselves.
and OF course, they easily make a
crowd drunk with clap-trap of this
SOFT. And this, as FAR rs | can see.
IS what makes up the enthusiasm that
Is so diligently written up. for n gov
eminent who has not gagged the en-
thusiaSm Of It's people for war by a
referendum the only accurate way TO
measure enthusiasm. Demonstrations
DO not count could get mob any
where at any time TO scream for al
most anything. Any ward politician
Will tell YOU how that is done. And
the Italians, | think. particularly love
, TO demonstrate. If they see Marconi
or dAnnunzio cor somebody whom they
are able to hero Worship in the street
they give him an ovation, be the time
peace or war. They gather in crowds
at the slightest provocation If a boy
bumps into a motor car they foregather
and demonstrate against the owner of
the car, whether or not he was in the
wrong.
II the caption in moving picture
show is removed too soOn-before the
audience has had time to read it
there is a demonstration. If the actor
in play speaks his lines too fast, or
somebody applauds in the wrong place,
or gets up from his seat too noisily,
there is, in every case, a demonstra-
ton. SO | think such rushing hither
and thither of yelling crowds in the
street means less in Italy even than
elsewhere. They are delightfully."- re-
sponSive people. | wish there were
nobler issues to call for their re-
Spouse, for that quality is one of the
sweetest in life
Italy Did Not Want War"
Another explanation of enthusiasm
this from an official high in Rome
q non-party man. How" / said, "if
there was no enthusiasm for war. do
you account for the demonstrations
against Giolitti ?" Here is way to
| account for part Of them" he answered.
The Free Masons were given a holt
day. The sum Of seventy-fve centimes
per man was paid by the French En-
bassy TO those who would participate
in the demonstration. A paid nucleus
like this could easily whip up the
crowd, as you can see. No; Italy did
not want war. She was surprised
nation to find herself in the midst of il
and wishes she had these last few
months over again. Of course, now
that she is in it she must keep at it.
and therefore she keeps telling herself
/ how glad she is to be where she is.
/ The phrase has been so often repeated
that war was necessary TO keep the
nation intact and powerful that people
say II automatically now. not knowing
what it means. But their belief and
J enthusiasm grow in repetition. That
and a romantic appeal for the enSlaved
provinces of Trieste and Trentino. pct-
urcd as beautiful women, sets the Ital-
ian mind on fire. All their lingo passes
for enthusiasm. The only real test.
/ of course, is your appeal to the sober
judgmen Of all individual people"
| watched the faces OF some soldiers
I of TO the front. They were being
marched through the streets by an eX-
cited, cheering crowd. | noticed that
they did very little cheering them
selves. They looked bit dazed. They
each had tricycles and side by side
with each tramped friends and rela-
tives. The friends, of course, were
very jolly (oh, that jubilant business
of sending somebody else to fght!).
D ne UlOlUtlS ana SISTERS ana IllIle
children were not so jolly, though they
were swept along by feeling of pride
in him about whom everybody was
making such fuss | believe the in
tcrest and Importance that gathers
about the head of a departing soldier
is the only thing that makes a mother
or wife able to part with him. For
its effect upon her is 10 produce a feel
( ing of awe and SacredneSs which really
makes her forget her natural instincts
| for the moment, and even say She is
/ glad 10 have him 90. And, of course,
this situation is tremendously played
+ upon by cautious government, care
| full to supply all the Respondent para
/ phernalia OF war and throw an atmo-
/ sphere of glory about the whole ugly
+ process OF leading men to death. The
unnatural atmosphere lmpresses ev-
B erybody and for the time even drives
. nominal reactions into the background.
SO is drummed up the "heroic re-
I sponse" Of which d'AnnunZio speaks.
/ In reality it is bewilderment and SEN
. timcntality-th intoXication of mag
/ ming an emotion and yourself in the
/ grip.
Weary Months of Waiting and Want.
/ In spite Of the bit Of glory which
/ hung about them. | noticed tears and
/ fears on the faces of some; an old
! hump-backed mother, for example, who
marched beside her son; Of a young
I wife who was sending her sweetheart
. husband; Of here woman and there
a woman whom even the noise and
/ crowd anC etaltation could not sweep
! into the current of forCetfulness. |
wished that they might have a few
moments cSaltation 9efOre the many
weary months of waiting and want that
+ lay before them.
And then one night ! stumbled upon
a company Of soldiers in the darkcned
side street marching TO the trains for
the north. There was no band, there
was 10 crowd, there was no glory. And
/ the faces were dull and listless, or
/ tense and (once at least) quivering, or
/ hopeless, or troubled, or piteously be-
Z wildcred like a sheep that is led TO the
| slaughter
There was no enthusiasm there.
This is the tale have to tell. And
when tell it here in Rome people say
that ] am untrue and unjust. They as
/ sure me-these friends Of mine that
Italy is mad for war mad TO free Trl-
/ este and Trentino, mad for liberty
! That The people want war and are glad
/ 10 ro-glad to give. That they them
/ eelves are likewise glad TO give and
are giving daily. In fact, they talk so
! fast and so passionately that ! am
more than ever sure that this war
I shirt is a species of autO-lntONcauon.
/ The soberer folk. even in these same
/ circles. say gravely that war IS hell
| hut one must do ones duty. Appar-
/ emily all that anybody wants, then, IS
/ an alternative 70 war. VINO Will sup,