Trench and camp., 1919-01-09

the graveSt fears in France that
the Peninsular Kingdom should
JOIN the Teutonic Powers in their
war again France and Russia. i'm
accordance with the pact of the
Triple Alliance that bound italy
TO Germany and Austria-H Hun
gary. We say against France
and Russia, for Great Britain
did not enter the war until five
days after it had begun.
Article LII of the Treaty of
Alliance said textually::
IF one or two Of the contract
ing Powers, without provocation
on their part, are attacked by
two or more Powers and engage
in war with these, the 'casus
foederis' arises for all the con-
tracing parties"
The people and the Govern
ment of Italy did not hesitate to
discover the aggressive nature
OF the war that was initiated by
the Central Powers. Italy's dec
laration of neutrality came with
in twenty-four hours of the dec
laration of war. This declara-
tlon powerfully aided the Repub-
lie of France, permitting the
troops that were. guarding the
Alps to be withdrawn from. the
fontier of Italy with all their ar
tlllery. 1t also attested the char
acter of the war, showing to all
the world that Germany and.
Austria were the aggressors and
throwing, therefore, the guilt of
war on the Central Powers.
y y
In the, month of December, 1914,
the former German Imperial Cham
celior, Prince Won Buelow, arrived in
Rome as Extraordinary Ambassador
to- the Quirinal, for the purpose of
keeping Italy neutral.
Then began five months of armed.
alert neutrality" as Premier Salan-
dra- characterized Italy's attitde. Won.
BueIow tried to tempt Italy by the
offer of negotiating between Italy and
Austria what territorial compensa-
tions the latter would render the for
mef in order to perpetuate the neu-
tra1ity Of the peninsula. Italy was
also tempted by the offer of French
colonial possessions in North Africa
to be taken away from. France after
victory of the Central Powers.
BIit Italy was not to be bribed, nor
to be cowed. She had seen, and seen
clearly, and seen at once, that the act
OF the Central Powers was an act of
brutal aggression to which no decent
nation could be a part
Italy saw also that from the tur-
moil Of war, and siding with the pow
ers that represented justice and de-
mocracy, she could gain the realiza-
tfon of those national aspirations that
the political conditions OF Europe
from 1870 to 1914 had inexorably
prevented.
The long struggle for Italian unity
had not made the entire nation free
and united. 1t had not given to Italy
the salty of her Alpine boundary and
of her Adriatic shore Outside of the
political boundaries Of the kingdom.
there were provinces as clearly Ital-
ian as Lombardy and Venetia, where
ITALIAN was spoken, where Italian tra-
dition reigned supreme. where the
inhabitants longed to be united to
the Italian nation politically as they
were united to it racially and lingu-
istically.
The first months of 1915 passed in
Italy in turmoil of excitement.
Prince von Buelow, the. willy diplo-
mat that Germany had sent to ap-
pease Italy, organized in the penin-
sula net of propaganda not unlike
that which Count Won Bernstorff
spread in the United States. The
Italians were cajoled, threatened,
bribed in order to keep their neutral
ity, all to no avail. The impetuous
popular movement was forcing the
hands of the Italian Government, not
too unwilling itself to enter the fray.
On the 23rd Of May, 1915, the
Italian Ambassador at Vienna COM
municated to the Imperial Govern
ment of Austria-Hungary that Italy
proclaimed annulled and henceforth
without effect her treaty Of alliance
with Austria-Hungary." The mo-
mentous document terminated de-
cIaring that His Majesty the King
of Italy considered himself in a state
of war with Austria-Hungary."