New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-01-19

Washington, D. c.. Jan. 19.-In a
communication to the National Geo.
graphic society, Arthur Stanley Riggs
ascr1bes to Italys peculiar geographic
position one Of the chief sources Of
the oountry's remarkable individual
ity. In a war geography bulletin Is
sued by the society, Mr.. Riggs says:
From the beginning Nature st
Italy apart. livery boundary II per-
tsetly clear. The historic sea enfolds
It to the south. east ana west. On tho
north the terrific Alps sweep around
1t In q great semicircle from Mediter-
ranean to Adriatic closing tho circuit.
ITO be sure. from the time OF
Augustus tho boundary Of each side
of northern Italy has been tuBgled,
now to the east, now to the west, by
politics; but the physical boundary IL
still definitely there. So thoroughly
did the ancient chroniclers recognize
these natural limits that long before
the name Italy had any political sig
ntfioance or entity the writer's applied
it to the country thus inolosed. The
peninsula, with its tremendous Apen-
which thrusts out practically into the
center Of the great Midland Sea.
NECESSARILY. then, Italy was ex-
posed to attack and invasion from
three sides. Indeed, 1t was the invad-
Ing or rather colonizing Greek who
combined with the aborigine to form
the population that stocked tho penin-
sula. Taken in a smaller way. geo.
graphical site or position exercised no
less distinct an effect upon some Of the
foremost italian cities; and in shaping
their affairs and men it also influenced
the entire world.
Italy's Destiny Shaped by Geography.
Italy Is generally regarded as lying
in three parts-northern, central and
southern. Nature has set no boun-
dairy between central land southern
Italy; but from the southernmost
point Of the Alps. at the French
frontier, the Apennines swing across
to the eastward, leaving in the arc
they cut a huge U-shaped basin,
drained by the river Pc and its
tributaries open to the Adriatic.
After forming this basin-northern
Italy-the Apennines sweep south
ward in a rugged backbone which de-
termines the whole internal geograpy
Of the country as definitely as the Alps
do its outline northward. The Apen-
mines are not, however, merely
backbone, but a broad mass with sew
eral minor ranges and groups of
peaks, generally separated by high up-
land valleys. one Of whose plateaux,
the Plano di Cirque Miglia, at
height OF 4.3ss feet above the sea, is
the wintdest and bleakest spot in all
Italy.
This upland region Is bordered
everywhere by lowlands of lu1ur1ant-
~ fertile character prolific in fruit
ana verdure and of genially warm
ana sunny climate. In central Italy.
west of the mountains, the valleys Of
the Arno and the Tiber-the only
s'rearns OF mportance-g1ve the key
note to any geographic study of the
region. Over on the eastern coast no
rivers OF importance can exist, be-
cause the mountains there approach
TOO close to the sea, though the tor
tuous. mostly dry beds Of the tor
remit scar every height.
In this connection 1t Is Interesting
10 note that nowhere Is the peninsula
more than $50 miles wide, and ren-
orally not more than 100, while down
IN Calabria the width dwindles in
TWO places to 35 and 20 miles re-
spectlvely One of the most inspiring
views IN the whole length of the coun-
a DiQnif3e1