The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1919-01-04
Military. Financial and Industrial
Contributions Equal to
Allies.
ENLISTED $4,000 SOLDIERS
Created Huge Industries-War
Bill s12,ooo,o 1000, 900.
Bv DR.. FELIcE FERRERO,
Director Italian Bureau OF PUBIC
Information.

Information.
The blood and treasure of Italy were
freely spent in the successful EFFORT 10
put Austria-Hungary out OF the war.
While Italy's efforts were not connned
to the Austrian front, her contribution
to allied success was greater here thah
in the other places where her troops
fought the battle for civilization. Her
financial and Industrial efforts nave
peer equal to her military effort, ana
in all these directions Italy has not
Jagged behind her allies.
Italy's soldiers have gone far aneld.
They contributed largely to the glori-
Gus victory on the Balkan FROM A
large contingent in France first gave
powerful aid in the defense Of Rheims,
then took part in the advance OF the
allied forces.
Italy Had $500, 900 Under Arms.
Since the beginning of the war Italy
has called to the colors little less than
$500. 900 men and has suffered a loss
lof almost 1900, 900 of them. OF that loss
NEARLY $50, 1000 died in battle, and 1OO,-
900 from disease. Over $4,000 are
totally incapacitated, either by blind
ness, loss of limb or tuberculosis. At
the present moment the strength OF
the Italian army is 4,O25,000, including
the class Of men born In 1900, who
have been called to the colors recent
ly. 1t may be said, then, that he ma
tons man-power has suffered a per-
manent loss Of nearly q million.
But Italy has inflicted al even great
er punishment upon the foe. In Aus
TRAN prisoners alone she has taken
approximately a million. The Aus
TRAN loss in killed and wounded Is,
of course, unknown to us, but even
the most conservative estimates make
it far greater than ours. In the June
offensive on the Piave alone over
100000 Austrian dead were left on the
field.
Aside from their achievements In
other theatres of the war, 1taly's sol
diers have fought through fifteen flu.
rious offensives on the Isonzo and the
Piave, inflicting terrible losses on the
foe in each. These campaigns were
carried on in mountainous regions and
under rigorous weather conditions that
taxed to the utmost the genius OF the
military engineers and the endurance
of the troops.
Over $500 miles Of roads have been
constructed on the mountains OF Italy
and of Albania, and 1000 miles OF
aerial cable railroads (Teleferiche)
have been built to carry food, ammu-
milton and guns owe deep ravines.
Economic Difficulties.
The magnitude of his military effort
can be fully appreciated only when one
takes into consideration the economic
structure Of the nation and the nature
and number of it's population. One
- must remember that out OF $4,000, 600
inhabitants in Italy at the beginning
of the war only 100000 were male.
This seeming dis%proportion is caused
by emigration, which was largely COM
iposed of male adults. Out of those
1 1000, 900 only 100000 were adults
economically productive. Consequent
ly the subtraction Of the modified
forces has had an acute reaction on
the economic life Of the nation. 1t Is
estimated that on an average only 100
adults remained in each town or viii
.lage to provide in each case for some
800 children below the age of fifteen.
Furthermore, the traditions of Ital-
ian family life render the work OF their
women an economic factor of less inn
portance than in some other countries,
though it has been utilized to the ut
most and is becoming more available
as old traditions give way to wars ne
cessity.
Italy got NO help from colonial con-
tingents. On the contrary, the scarcity
of native troops in Italy's colonies
compelled the government to reinforce
them with troops from the mother
country. Nor has help come to Italy
through the cooperation of workmen
of neutral or allied countries. Italy,
ON the other hand, sent a large con.
.tingent Of skilled workmen to France,
thus allowing her to release valued
elements for war. Furthermore, near
.ly 100000 of our male adults residing
in America gave to this great nation
direct contribution to her economic
and military efforts.
And yet Italy, lacking labor and in
dustrial development, lacking almost
entirely coal and raw materials, has
by a miracle of energy been able to
create almost from nothing a power
full organization Of wal industries.
Financially Italy Responded Well.
Financially Italy also has respond.
nd En- thu doronAc - w. c,;%h 80