Evening star., 1919-03-28
italy Paid in Blood.


Austria's breakup was not foreseen.
and an outlet for her was considered
necessary. 1t must be remembered
that Italy paid dearly with her blood
for the failure of Russia, when the
military assistance Russia should have
given her was denied, and Italy had
ito face alone a formidable foe COM
ported largely of the very people who
now oppose her national aspirations
and wish her to amputate herself for
their sakes. What the Italian govern
ment received by the treaty of London
as any part of Italy. Both this and
Eiume were iniquitously held back by
the Austrians when they were forced
to hand Venice back to its motherland
In 1866. Under these circumstances
1t is only natural that Italy should
now respond to Fumes earnest re-
quest to be reunited to her.
AS to the population of Dalmatia. it
is very difficult to obtain the exact
figures. l have frequently seen the
Inhabitants of Dalmatia placed by
Jugoslav writer's at 100000 Slavs and
$4,000 Italians. Gen. Gordon-Smith
sticks to the Italian figures. but in
creases the Slav element to $50, 900 I'm
partial estimates place the Italian
population Of Dalmatia at 100000. and
these do not take into account the de-
liberate falsifcations of the Austrian
census. nor the fact that systematic
persecution has obliged many Italians
to conceal their Italian identity as a
measure Of self-preservation.
Institutions Are italian.
US put aside for the moment what
he is pleased to call the Immoral
document" which the four great al
lies signed. and examine Italy's right
so.riis 70 nsr unsedeemed iI lands GA its
He says the people of Fiume and
the Dalmatian coast are not Italian
because they have never seen Italy.
born in Alaska is not American be-
cause he has never seen the states
The language, the literature, ali the
monuments and Institutes OF civili-
his aoea not are fa
district, I do not know what does
Tne people here have unswervingly
elected men OF Italian race snd srm-
sentatives to the Austrian parlia-
ment through all these ,ong years of
persecution. If this does not I,roye
them Italian, / do not know what
does.
Fought Against Barbarians.
Gen. Gordon Smith argues that be-
cause italy ola not exist sixty years
ago she has no claim to unite Italian
populated lands to her today On
this basis We might question Italy's
right to Rome. Sixty years ago it
was the capital of the papa1 states
under the military protection of the
French. What right had Italy then
to rise and form that part of her ma
tion she was at that time able to
consolidate? From Roman days. Italy
has struggled to guard herself and
civilization, our civilization, from the
barbarians. 1t is only in these last
days that the rest of the free peo-
pies have rallied to her support.
Garibaldi. Mazzini, Cavour. whose
names our friend invokes, were
strongest advocates of the political
fulhllment of Italy's destiny-expan-
sion to her natural boundaries. Eu
ropean diplomacy halted Garibaldi
midway in his victorious progress as
redeemer Of the very provinces Italy
Justly claims to have liberated with
her blood. Her effort to free her
land from the barbarians has given
her history a continuity of ideals that
Gen. Gordon-Smith is the first to
question. No wthat Italy's age-old
hope for unity within her natural
boundaries shines forth again, this
"friend of Italy is pleased to char
acterise it as imperialism" and a
career Of unjust conquest"
GUIDO MARIOTTI.