Evening star., 1918-01-29
TREASON Menace
CONSTANT IN ITALY
Pro-German Propaganda
Openly Carried on From Day
War Was Declared.
TAKES FORM PEACE TALK
BY HERBERT COREY.
VII.

PARIS, Decemper 1t.-1taly HAS peeh
honeycombed with treason from the
day that war was declared. Pro-Ger-
man propaganda has been carried on
as openly as though the article adver-
tised were a new brand of shaving
soap. The Official socialists" not only
talked peace on the floor of the cham
ber of deputies, but they preached
peace or revolution-or both-in the
columns of a string of papers said to
be over 100 in number. Even after the
collapse of October they held meet
ing at which 1t was resolved that "the
program Of the party eemains un-
changed"
Pacifsts have been crippling the ma
tional activities by the form of paci-
dsm which is even more mawkish and
old maidish than the sort favored in
the United States. Opposition to the
war, to the army and to the govern
ment which was responsible for the
proper conduct of both was not overt
or "half-concealed." The opposition
stood on the street corners and shout-
ed. Even in the army itself there was
a large body of officers who were
avowedly pro-peace. There was never
any pretense in italy that the war was
popular. although a few writer's have
tried to bring home the real meaning
Of the war to the Italian people.
Firing Squad Was Needed.
Traitors kept italy from exerting its
true strength" said an officer OF very
high rank to me. '"They were largely
not wholly-responsible for the debacle
Of October. Thirty lively days of fir
ing squad would have stopped them.
The conditions which have fourished
unchecked in Italy for the last two
people Of the United States. A certain
parallelism is to be found. Italy en-
barked upon the war because she could
no longer help herself-which Is pre-
cisely why the United States did. There
was a virulently pro-German element
in both countries. Events have shown
that this element was traitorous to the
heart in both Italy and the United
States. Pacifsts were permitted to
preach treason under the pretense that
Traitors have been eminently success
full in Italy. Will they be permitted to
get away with treason in the United
States?
It must be said, in all fairness. that
the Italian government, as distin-
Euished from the parliamentary ma
5ority controlled by Giolitti, has al
ways been warmly and loyalty for the
war. But 1t has felt itself on unsafe
ground in attempting to weed out trea-
son. Rightly or wrongly, 1T has felt
that any such attempt would be fol-
lowed by the triumph of the opposi-
tion. and the opposition has been no.
toriously against the war. The oppo-
chamber. too. It has only been pre-
vented from using them by a fear that
the country still had ropes and lamp
posts.
Before the Italian situation can be
understood 1t must be realized that be-
fore the war Italy was anti-Austrian,
but pro-German.
Italy Faced Starvation.
When the great war broke the ma
Sortty-the overwhelming majority-of
the italian people wanted to remain
neutral. It must be understood that
the Italian Is an intensely peaceful per-
son. He is proud and his temper is
hasty, and he is liberty loving and
democratic, but he is not warlike. He
only wanted to be let alone. Unfortu-
nately for him, conditions were against
him. Italy does not raise enough food
by three shiploads a day to feed her
people. and she produces no coal at all.
On one side was the Austrian frontier,
which was held by the eAustro-Germans.
and on the other the sea. which was
held by the allies. Neutrality was i'm
possible. Neither side would feed
neutral.
italy had to fight or starve," said
Signor Nitti, q member of the Italian
war cabinet.
ITALY was in the hands Of the allies"
said Dictator" Giolitti. who has al
ways been the political representative
Of Germany in Italy. 'They could have
starved her"
But that was a disingenuous way OF
stating the situation. 1t being grant,
cd that Italy was forced to fight or
starve-and no one will question that
statement-there was but one side on
which she could fight. That side was
sentiment, but an effort to make her
tight on the side Of Austria would have
brought about q revolution over night.
The Italian is peaceful. but he has a
grand memory. He remembers years,
generations. Of hostility and aggres-
sion by Austria Tho hatred Of Austria
IN as deeply implanted in every italian
heart as Is the love Of the sunshine.