Evening star., 1918-01-28

papers and statesmen of Italy for
| talking plain common sense instead or
| the rainbow platitudes which poll
| ticians-and editors-love. Since then
| the same statesmen and editors have
| recognized that he told the truth. To-
| day some one may arise in Italy to tell
| his countrymen that the formula may
| be added to:
Italy must fght-and organize-or
starve."
Shortly before the military collapse
| of october Gen. Cadorna, in despair
| ing effort to bring the Rome govern
| ment to a realization of the truth, is
j said to have written to Signor Sonino
a concise summary of the political and
| military chaos which his country was
approaching
our great need he said then, lis
of national discipline
That national discipline implies en-
tering upon the war in the wholly new
national spirit, born of resentment Of
the invasion, and which only needs to
be properly directed to make Italy d
great force in the war. Her man.
force should be mobilized: her fields
next year should be titled; her army
should be trained along the modern
methods of warfare. These three sug-
gestions are the result Of no flash of
inspiration on my part.
Italy has been warned of this triple
need by the men of the allies who have
the right to warn.
This war has passed beyond the stage
when too much consideration may be
shown for the feelings of the man who
does not do his part. Every ounce of
support the allies have is needed for
the fighting line. Not an ounce may
be safely diverted. The situation may
be restated in Signor Nitts blunt,
crude. repellant but everlastingly
truthful words:
Italy must fight-or starve.''
On Verge of Starvation.
Italy is today on the verge of
starvation because a government that
forever catered to political elements
and it was no doubt compelled to do
so, because if it had fallen those poll
teal elements each had stop the war"
in their mouths-has failed to make
full use of it's agricultural potenti-
alities. The eaters We're almost left
untouched in town. The producers, the
peasants, were taken for the army. The
farming land. was permitted to leave it
in grass. 1t should have been broken
up and seeded to wheat.
In normal times Italy produces
vastly less food than she consumes.
This is not a consumption of luxuries
that I refer to. for the Italian is a
frugal spender and the Italian wife
careful and economical cook. Nor is
the sort of food she needs at all ex-
pensive. About all she must have
-four and cornmeal and rice. The
Italian is a greater eater of paste"
Given a pleasant feeling OF fullness, he
is satisfied. and he is best satisfied
to get that feeling by a combination
Of flour and cheese. But he must have
it.
s.Thero is ou1,- ona 1o.S;h;1;%,, -
revolution ~ih Italy" said an observer
Of years of diplomatic training. "That
is il the -four falls
Need for Food Intensified.
The need for food is intensified now.
of course, by the flood Of refugees
filing Italian towns from the invaded
districts. France and the United
States supply that needed difference
between the food Italy produces and
supplies the coal. No reader of the
newspapers need be tolG with what
difficulty both voids are being filled
just now, nor that every ounce of food
saved and every ounce Of coal unship-
ped would lessen the burdens of the
allies.
Italy has it within her power to be-
come a tremendous aid to the allies in
this hour OF greatest need. She can
not change sides-even if that dishon-
orable expedient were to be considered
by a people thrilling with mas gnifi-
cent new national spirit = because
Germany and Austria have no food to
give her, and because the allies could
blocade her ports. Nor would any
one who knows the pride of the Ital-
ians suggest that they would be con-
tent to lie mere dead burden on the
allied arms. But the world is being
gradually forced to that point at
which generous sentiment must give
way to practicalities.
,Signor Nitti, a member of the Ital-
ian cabinet, stated the case most ac-
curately when he told his people that:
Italy must Fighter starve"