The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-03-21
Thousands of Emigrants
May Be Brought Back from
America for Service
HALF MILLION HERE
OF MILITARY AGE
Medical Standard Lowered in Effort to
Gain Other Men-Age Limit of As
Cannot Be Raised on Account Of Emf
grafton.

cannot Be RAISED on Account OF Enl-
grafton.
ROME, Feb. -, correspondence-lta
is striving to utilize to the full her man
power and every effort IS being made to
comb out" all the men OF military age
who are not engaged on essential war
work. Since Italy joined the allies, nearly
three years ago, twenty-siX classes, in
Guiding all men between the ages OF IS
and Il, have been modified, and roughly
speaking 100000 men have been called
to arms. But large reeniorcemcnts are
necessary to maintain the strength OF the
Italian army, which, besides the losses
in killed and prisoners during the first
| period of the war, suffered heavy losses
in the retreat to the Piave.
The age limit for military service can
not be raised as, mainly owing TO emigra-
! ton, the contingent OF men over As years
of age has been reduced considerably. In
! fact, while the 1899 class, composed Of
men who just reached military age, yielded
over 100000, it is estimated that had the
| 1910 tldSN DtcIl llOUIlILtN II Npulu Hal We
yielded fewer than one-third that number
| The necessary reenforcements are be
! ing obtained to certain extent by low
! ering the medical standard required for
military service and thus mobilHing men
Fwho heretofore We're exempted. rs, how
ever, the men Of military age available
! in Italy are not sufficient to meet all re-
! quircments, the question OF Italian emf
/
| which so far was left in allegiance, must
be regulated without further delay
/ Out OF five million and a half Italians
who were abroad in 1910 fully four million
and half We're emigrants IN North and
South America, namely, the United States
Brazil and Argentina. As emigration to
these three countries considerably in
creased during the past eight years, il
may be assumed safely that Italian trans
oceanic emigration totals 5000 000 citizen,
of all ages and both sexes, or roughly one
eighth OF ltalys entire population,
To ascertain more or less approximate
how many Of these Italians could be- util
iiged toriucrease the strength Of the -Ital
ian army, Prof Colctti Of Milan recent,
made a study OF the question and discov
cred that in the United States alone ther,
dit 1T ltttSl ldil q IllillhH itilldtlN Oh NM
tary age and liable to serve in the army
Excluding Italians born in America anC
those natulalized American citizens. Prof
} Coetti found that over a million Italian
citizens in America are between the age
, OF Is and 43
It Is estimated that 60 per cent of tn,
Italian cmigrants who returned to Italr
since the outbreak OF the war were calleC
[ .ly Il,
or else came Of their own accord as vol
untcers
As the proportion of men unfit 70
military service in Italy is about % pc
cent, the total number available is 70
duced still further to so goo 1t mus
be borne in mind, however, that Italian
emigrants are as a rule vely healthy an
! robust
There are serious difficulties to be cor
sidered before the Italian government
a., decides to compel these men to serve j
the army In the first place, as the
, failed to report when summoned to tn
;, colors they may he considered as d.
y serters and unless an amnesty is granite
. they would hesitate to return to Italy f.
!. fear of being punished. But even If the
= are pardoned beforehand it is essentig
j. that adequate provision should be mad
for their families left in America. whc
+ they join the colors, The subsidy give
L to soldiers families in Italy, consistin
4 OF few cents day, would not he 81
ticicnt in America Another difficult
is connected with their transportation {
= Italy. Their safety on the journey aero,
the Atlantic must be assured, as Will
men do not hesitate risking death
battle. the fear Of being torpedoed b
Il submarine on the way to italy is III
questionably a great deterrent again.
repatriation. Prof Coletti proposes tn;
the men should be brought over frol
America III stransports conveyed by Unite
States memo war, as in the case
American troops.