New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-12

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Ny Italian interlocutor Is not boot
black, nor is he . prince; bu. as he claims
friendly relations with at least three kings
those Of Italy, Serbia and Montenegro
must not embsrrass him By revealing MS
identity IN connection with what he said
Italy has been called the only Stacker
among the Allies" quoth he Tho fact 49,
she Is the wissst and steadiest OF them an
and tho Others would do we'll to follow her
advice and her example. Az you have made
q slogan OF Safety First so have We OF
Border Defence First We were opposed 70
the Gallipoli expedition, tho only object OF
which was to get to Constantinopis oeiore
the Russisns did, because we deemed ~ Wiser
to concentrate all efforts on border detenco
than to weaken tho reserves behind the lines
Of defence by sending troops on side e1-
petition. Gallipol WAS failure. Tho an
swer to Galipoli is Verdun.'
Rather cryptic, that; but an explanation
was forthcoming.
"If Yerdun holds ont, tho German attack
there will bs the frat Of furious series, not
only on the Franco German front, but on the
Austro italian front as we'll. Tho Teutons
cannot afford to stay in their trenches any
longer; they must now win or be beaten
The very factor which makes time valuable
asset TO the Allies, namely, their command OF
the worlds markets, lays them open, now
that approaches the end OF the second year
Of a war intended by Germany to last but
a few months, to attacks delivered with
violence born OF what the Germans call 'Not
'N.eessity1. Neither France nor England
foresaw that, and Russia Is tho only one OF
N. Allie, who can afford TO lose more land
than what the enemy already occupies
Itaiy foresaw il even before she Joined the
Entente Powers. That ia why she opposed
the Gall,poli campaign; that is why she pos
sessed herself, in that first grand dash last
summer, OF those positions IN tho Alps
whence an Austrian invasion OF Italy WAS
long planned and would have been possible;
that is why she has since devoted all her
efforts to terrifying those positions so as
TO reduce the danger of invasion to mini
mum. foregoing the satisfactions OF spectacu-
lar fcats OF arms for the more important
purpose; that IS why Italy. supposedly the
most hotheaded of the Allied nations, is in
reality the wisest
However, at a certain moment Italy did
contemplate Balkan campaign, because for
years past she has realized how greatly the
interests Of the Western Powers were men
aced IL the Balkans. and because she was
the only one who did not undervslue those
interests. She it was who first proposed the
Allied expedition through saonica, at time
when It had every chance Of success-for rea-
sons Of self-interest, II you like, more than
for the sake OF the Serbians. The Serbisns
are better off anywhere, under any conditions,
than they are in their own country. know,
because have been in Serbia, on my own
behalf and on behalf Of my government. Be-
sides. we had our well-founded suspicious
that Serbia was playing into the hands of the
Teutons. in exchange Of promises for the fut-
ure. when after her initial victory over Aus
tria she withdrew her troops south and west