The sun., 1916-10-01
MANY ITALIANS SAY
WAR Is A MISTAKE
Failure Of Negotiations With
Austria DeplOred by the
Pacifists.
TIszA A Y FOR TIME
Teutons Got Ready to Fight
While Farley Delayed
Their Neikhbor.
T1szA PLAYED FOR TIME

ROM. SEPT S.-Thers are stfl many
Italians. among them ex.Prsmier oio-
iitt. who think that the war was q
mistake. Itaiy. hey say. would have
gained more By remaining neutral.
Until quite recently the italian neu-
traiists. although now sufficiently pa
triotic not to oppose the war. continued
TO deplore tho failure Of Prince Won
Bulow's mission and regretted that no
many sacrifices had to be made and so
much blood shed during hfteen months
Of war with Austria. for the possession
Of less than one-third the extent OF
territory offered by Won Bulow In Aus
tria's name a. compensation for Italy's
neutrality.
No doubt but for Count Tissa's out
spoken declarations in b Hungarian
legislative assembly Italy'a supposed
mistake in preferrins the r1sks OF war
10 the certain com~pensations OF neu-
traiity would have passed down to MS
tory. Instead count Tisza, accused by
the opposition OF humlliating the coun-
try by prolonged offers OF territorial
compensations TO Italy. blurted out the
truth and declared that these oners
were mad simply to gain :.
w sdlt1cu III haSh S'SO ~
Count Tisza explained. two weeks less
than what We needed to prepare our
selves for Italy's attack"
In Good Faith AZ First.
Italy did not make a mistake In d.
claring war on Austria. since now II Is
known that the compensations offered
by Austria were not genuine. Of course
Count T!sza, realizing that he had SAID
100 much and tina the truth should be
withheld. afterward explained that the
negotiations with Italy were initiated
honestly and In good faith and that the
offered compensation AT first was genu'
inc. when. however, he added. I'VE
were convinced that the negotiations
were destined to fail We 'ried TO pro
long them in order to gain time"
S.gnor Barztlai. the former Minister II
the Salandra-Sonnino Cabinet. expose
as follows Austria's deceit during tn
negotiations with Italy etwee De
cember. 1914. and May. 1915: o..
THE frst phase OF such negotiations.
Signor Barzilai says. lasted from tn
beginning OF December to about Tn
middle OF March. Austria then admitte'
without any difficulty that she owe
Italy compensation according to Articl
Seventh Of the Triple Alliance. whic
: contemplated the status quo In the Bal
kans. As Italy n o cupied tho .Egea
Islands and Avlona, Austria claimed tina
these acquisitions were sufficient to coun
terbalance future territorial acquisition
made by Austria at Serhia's expense.
Possibly since the A%ustrians at thi
time were advancing In southern Buko
wilma and had reoccupied CZernowit
.Austrla's~ proposal 10 Italy was sincere
on March 9 Prince Won Bulow inform
the Italian Government that Austria wa
willing 10 enter into negotiations base
on tho cession Of Austrian territory.
Tried 20 Avert War.
The second phase OF the Italo' Aus
TRAN negotiations then started. tn
Austr!ans had been repulsed by the Run
SLAMS. who menaced to cross the Carps
thians. n consequently II was ind S
pensabie for Austria TO avert the ris
OF Italy's intervention. The cession
the Trentino was accordingly offered.
"A proof that Austria's orer was nc
sincere II afforded by the fact that III
cession was to be made after the Wa
and after II had been approved h
Parliament and the Austrian citizens {
the Trentino who were then under arms
Naturally Italy refused 10 acceI
such a conditional Offering. which beside
was insufficient. and on April 8 n
Italian Government demanded the ce!
sion OF the Trentino. Gorilla and Ora
isca. the autonomy Of Trieste and u
cession of some islands In the Adriati
Baron Burian replied hat he woul
have carefully examined ltaly's demand
After three weeks had passed Italy d.
bounced the Triple Alliance.
IT Is well known that toward y
end OF March Przemysl had fallen ar
the Russians were threatening to Il
wade Hungary n that until April
the situation OF the Austrians was crit
cal. Hence the necessity to gain tin
and delay Italy's intervention. Thr'
weeks were not sufficient, a. Coul
Tisza said, but Ave were needed.
Played for Time.
!, This explains why even after the n,
|, gotiations with Italy a been broke
= on and war was inevitable. despite q
? fact tina Austria had already refuse
I ltaly's demands. until the last mome'
| the Austrian Ambassador at Ron
, strived hard TO convince the italian Co
, eminent that an agreement was possibl
and he made counter proposals abo,
the cession OF the demanded territori,
within a month.
!, "rhese efforts failed. however. AZ