Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-14
Italy Explains Claims
On Territory For
Peace Conference
n. De Ritis.

b. De Ritis.
BY the italian American News Bureau
Italy is the inheritor Of colonial
traditions from Rome, Venice, Genoa,
and Pisa, the sea kings of ancient his
tory and Of the Middle Ages. Love
of the sea is inherent in the italian
breast. Tradition, and sentiment will
back the legal arguments which will
demand a hearing at the peace con-
ference next year The controversy
between Italians and Jugo-Slavs e
the eastern shore of the Adriatic will
be threshed out before the treaty is
signed.
1t will depict the supremacy
Of Rome, and lay claim to the cities
where Venice built wallis = and
churches and set up the winged lion
Of St. Mark atop marble masts to re-
call her dominion to future ages.
Whatever opinion may be held Of
Italy's colonial policy, the facts Of
it's historical presidents and OF its
steady expansion toward The east are
irrefutable.
The new kingdom of Italy rose on
seven states and from them Inherited
the necessity and the aspirations to
push out beyond the national borde'H.
1t is noteworthy that of the old coun-
tries which more recently. disclosed
a desire and intention to establish
foreign colonies, the kingdom Of Sar-
DINA, and the kingdom of the Two
Sicilies are CONSPICUOUS.
EXPANSION Forced on Italy.
1t is noteworthy that on the other
hand that it was not the mere sug-
, gestion, due to classic memories, but
practical reasons, internal necessities
and inevitable laws of history and
ethnology which animated the adj
vance guard of navigators, Of explor-
ers and Of writer's who marked with
their blood and their illustrations ex-
ample the new roads Of Italy. beyond
the seas.
In the moment hat the Kingdom
was established as a tu1nultuous
political improvisation, with slight
chances of stability or fulfilling re-
semblance to the living traditions of
a poetic divergence Of ideas hnd OF
customs from the fatal daily en-
pyricism Of the national surround
ings, launched out->on the seas of adj
venture and of history and procured
the labor and the opportunities to the
growing population the country could
not supply.
Between 1866 and 1859, italy still
living on revolution. without borders
and without a capital, alHeady had
taken steps I O establish trading posts.
factories and ports Of call in distant
parts rallying the %undying maritime
marvellous feat Of ancient Venice
which upon a shifting base, with an
unarmed state and an aristrocracy
without a castle, rose to develope 1T
own genius on the e over which II
was called to rule with vast powers
and to witness the sunset Of the
Byzantine empires.
suez Canal Gives Opportunity.
Between 1855 and 1859. on the evt
Of opening the Suez canal! h sense
Of the new life in the Mediterranean
was spread among US like an appea'
in the rivalry Of the old and new
powers which descended on the Least
desirable lands Of Africa and Asia.
The treaties Of commerce with
Japan august rs, 1860 with chins
October 26, 1860 and with iSi4n
October 3, 1869 beginning the re.
lations Of the young kingdom witt
the world outside OF Europe, made
the people understand the necessity
Or at least the advantages OF having
outposts on the great trade routes o1
the world. From that sprang the pos
session Of Assaband as a result thu
quest OF real pOllIlcAI COlOHieS WIiCh
were realized on the Red Sea and thu
Indian Ocean.
It would, take d long time to en-
umerate the varied series Of attempts
which preceded Italy's inal estab'
lishment on the Red Sea; the first: re
searches the lakes Of Guinea and Abe
okuta 1859: toward the Nicobar 10
! lands. (1864-69): Ssumatra, (11S67);
the Andaman islands. l86o)! thu
Daklac islands. 1860; Bun, ltS69l;
Cabinda. Amera, Seek, 6aid, RAJ
Dumairah Bailul (I1e9);I Assat
Cuba $500.
Early Aspfred ~ I1sde 6upeesnacg.
Scattsred docunehts remain II