Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-11-15
WHY ITALY ENTERED
WORLD CONFLICT
OF GREAT NATIONS
Italy's Declaration OF War
Against Germany, A Serious
And Difficult Matter
INDUSTRIAL AND
FINANCIAL WORRY
Heroic Move On Part OF Italy
Which Paralyzed It's In
stitutions

4
Marchese di San Guiliano, whose en-
ergetic and prompt action prevented
the outbreak of this great and terrible
war in 1918, is now a matter of COM
mon knowledge; though at the time
the public at large had no idea that
ii had been on the very brink of world
wide hostilities.
Disastrous as were the early months
of the war in 1914, they would have
been a great deal more so year earl
Ter, when for obvious reasons the
allies were less prepared to cope with
German treachery.
Austria's attack on Serbia. in 1914,
was not prompted by the Sara jevo
assassination, but was the outcome of
long premeditated plan, connived at
by Germany. which only the opposi-
ton of Italy in 1913 prevented her
carrying out sooner-a step which was
to bring Germany nearer the realiza-
ton of her long cherished dream of
world dominion.
! In 1913 Italy, who sincerely believed
in peace, was approached by her part
ners in the triple alliance, from whom
hey endeavored to obtain a promise
that she would stand by Austria in
case of an attack on Serbia by Austria.
Italy at that time. speaking through
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mar
cheese di San Guiliano, stated in the
plainest and most emphatic terms that
she would not join Austria in any az
tack on Serbia, and added that under
the Treaty of the Triple Alliance, she
did not consider herself bound TO
stand by any offensive warfare such
as Germany and. Austria were plan
ming TO bring about.
The central empires, having learned
this lesson from Italy's action in 1913,
decided not to consult her any further,
fearing that their plans would again
be frustrated, and thinking that 1t
would be easy to force her to march
beside them once war was actually de-
| clared
Here again they showed their ignor-
ance of the national Italian character,
just as they showed their ignorance
of the British character when they
thought that Great Britain would not
defend the neutrality of Belgium.
In their blind infatuation for world
dominion and their ignorance of the
psychology of other people, they fail
ed to reckon on Belgium's heroic re-
sistance, on Britain's defense of the
weaker and smaller nations, and on
Italy's daring to join t he cause OF
right in preference to the cause of
might.
A large majority of Italians were
very quick to realize which side was
in the right, and where Italy's inter-
ests lay. The instructive good sense
of the Italians made them realize that
sooner or later, these larger views
would prevail, and therefore they did
not rest content until Italy signed the
pact of London and declared war on
Germany from whom she had no un-
redeemed lands to claim, and against
whom she had no specific grievance
other than Germany's ruthless dis
regard for justice and humanity on
earth. sea and in the air. Thus Italy's
declaration of neutrality, and then of
war, proved to the world once more
that her people were not unmindful OF
the three great principles--freedom,
democracy and nationality-of which
she had been the cradle in the pas.
and to which she now owes her re-
birth in modern Europe.
On Sunday, August Is. 1914, three
orators belonging to advance political
parties addressed meeting held in
the Teatro Garibaldi, which is located
in the densely populated center of the
poorer quarter of Rome. It was the
first interventionalists meeting held
in the capital The three speakers all
agreed that the policy of neutrality
could not last long, and they called
upon the Italian government to de-
clare war upon the Central Powers,
emphasizing that there was no other
possible course open.
The violation of Belgian neutrality,
the unspeakable atrocities of the Ger
mans, the injustice of the world war
which the speakers told the people
had been engineered by Germany to
crafty her craving for world domin-
ion-all contributed in producing a
very hostile attitude against the Cen
trail Powers among the masses.
Though the thirty-year-iong effort
of Germany to effect peaceful con-
quest Of Italy has not been without
| influence on the Latin tendencies of
the nation, the soul Of the people has
no. become Germanized. Italian
finance was dominated by Germany
and Italian commerce strane 4 and
controlled by Germany. mans
made themselves thoroughly at home
in Italy. and behaved as if the coun-
try belonged to them; and the Italians
were not in position to say them
nay.
/ Only since war was declared have
the eyes of the Italians been opened
fo xho nvSouf IN which tho national