Evening star., 1919-04-25

as International interests and abolish
the tremendous cost of armaments.
After having been fed upon the political
fat of Baron Sonnino with extensive
propaganda since the armistice. all de-
signed to impress the view that Fiume
and Dalmatia were absolutely essential
! to Italy, the peoples naturally have be-
| lieved. They have had no other means
Of determining the truth. If Fiume ard
Dalraat!a are essential to the interests
of Italy and President Wilson and his
policies betray the interests of Italy,
then can Italy accept the President s
principles in preference TO the old order.
which is undesirable. for a new which
may be even less efiicacious, as proven
| by events in Paris? These are the
things that undoubtedly are passing
through the italian mind today. These
are the beliefs which will continue to be
| fostered by certain political cli4ues In
Rome, which will cause the present sit
| ua ton to grow worse before 1t grows
better
1 try to emphasize. the Italians be-
lieve these things. Since they believe.
though possibly wrongly, their pres
ent excitability is natural. Until the
day of disillusionment comes. until
the peoples of Italy are made to know
that they have been fooled and that
their politicians in Paris have bar
and Italy's good name in the deiiber-
atio,is there merely for the sake Of
perpetuating their own selfish ends
! then the reaction against America,
against President Wilson and all
| things American will continue.
When the Italian peoples awaken to
! the fact that in the new era of things
| international wellbeing is the first
! consideration. for all peoples. if the
horrors of the past four years are
forever precluded, they will respond.
They will react when they see the
practical workings of the new inter-
national brotherhood as eXemplif1ed
in the actions of the league of nations
to be effected.
Confidence Felt Here.
There is confident belief in official
circles in Washington that when the
new order has proven itself and
shown after all that it is acting in
the interests of all people. then the
Italians, who possibly have been misled
for the moment. will look upon Amer
ica as they once did
Socialism in Europe is powerful
factor in the civil as well as economic
affairs of the nations. Already the Will
son policy is being hailed by the So
c1alists of other nations, particularly
England and France. as one of "inspi-
ration, ability and vigor" One paper
declares "the President has applied the
surgeons knife to a painful wound; the
Patient will cry out. but the wound will
heal and the surgeon in the end will be
thanked" This but indicates what the
socialists are thinking. The socialists
of Italy are constantly increasing in
power and inasmuch as the socialist or
ganizations of Europe are working in
close unison for the realization of their
general policies undoubtedly the opin-
ions Of party leaders Of allied nations
which are backing President Wilson in
his present contention. will go far in
swinging the Italian socialists into right
paths. Through this, eventually, the
! people Of the country as whole, who
are largely socialistic in their tendeh-
c;es. will be converted to support Of the
Wilsonian program.
Whether this change of front will
come in the immediate future. in time
to prevent the present governmental
regime from taking steps that will fur
ther embarrass the world at large, is a
question.