Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-26

ARTS, Dec 17-(By Mail Italy has been
- honeycombed with treason from the day that
declared. Pro-German propaganda
has been carried on openly as though the article
advertised brand of shaving soap The
Official Socialists not only talked peace on the
floor of the chamber of deputies, but they preached
peace or revouton-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
meeting at which it resolved that the program
of the party remains unchanged"
Pacifists have been Gripping the national activ-
tiles by the form of pacifism which Is even more
mawkish and old maid1sh than the sort favored III
the United States Opposition to the war, to the
army, and to the government which was response
he for the proper conduct of both was not covert"
or 'half-concealed." The opposition stood on the
street corners and shouted. Even In the army
itself there large body of officers VINO were
avowedly pro-peace There was never any pre- pre-,
tence in Italy that the 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
ORATORS kept Italy from exerting its true
strength" said an officer of very high rank to me.
''Tney were largely-not wholly-responsble for
the debacle of October. Thirty lively days OF
firing squad would have stopped them.
The conditions which have fourished I'M
checked in Italy for the last two years are worth
rejecting upon by the people of the United States
A certain parallelism is to be found. Italy
barked upon the because she could no longer
help herself-which is percisely why the United
States did There virulently pro-German ee-
ment in both countries. Events have shown that
this element traitorous to the heart in both
italy and the United States PacifiSts were per-
mitted to preach treason under the pretense that
it free speech.
Traitors have been eminently successful in Italy.
Will they be permitted to get away with treason
in the United States?
1t be said, in all fairness, that the Italian
government, as distinguished from the parliament
ary majority controlled by Gialiti, has always been
warmly and Loyalty for the war. But it has felt
itself on unsafe ground in attempting to weed out
treason. Rightly wrongly, it has felt that any
such attempt would be followed by the triumph OF
the opposition, and the opposition has been noto-
riuosly against the war The opposition has always
had the votes in the chamber, too. 1t has only
been prevented from using them by fear that the
country still had ropes and lamposts.
Before the Italian situation can be understood it
must be realized that before the Italy anti
Austrian, but pro-German.
ITALY FACED STARVATION
When the great broke the majority-the
overwhelming majority-of the Italian people want
ed to remain neutral 1t must be understood that
the Italian is an intensely peaceful person. He is
proud and his temper is hasty, and he is liberty
loving and democratic, but he is not warlike. He
only wanted be let alone. Unfortunately for him.
conditions were against him. Italy does not raise
enough food by three shiploads day to feed her
people and she produces coal at all. On one
side was the Austrian frontier which was held by
the Austro-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 fighter starve" said Signor
Nitti a member of the italian war cabinet.
Italy was in the hands Of the allies" said
Dictator Giotti, who has always been the potl-