Evening star., 1919-04-23
OUT OF THE GAME.
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.


Leading politicians of italy. Premier
Orlando and Baron Sonnino, foreign
minister, are bitterly fighting Tor
Fiume and Dalmatia, carrying their
battle to a point where they may
prejudice Italy as a whole in the
eyes of the larger powers of the
world, seeking readjustment of world
relations along the broadest unselfish
lines.
Though territories demanded by the
Italian statesmen are desirable in the
eyes Of all Italian peoples, who sin
cersly believe them essential to tho
future protection Of italy against un-
friendly peoples, Baron sonnino. and
Premier Orlando are fighting for more
than lands and ports-they are strug-
Cling against republican revolution
aries and bolshevists of their own
country.
After having created through the
instrumentality Of clever propaganda
fictitious, but nevertheless sweeping
demands thatfFiume and Dalmatia go
to Italy, the Italian statesmen in
Paris today find themselves about to
be swept away by the food tides of
public opinion, unless they achieve
the goal which they have led their
people to believe realizable.
Sparks OF Revolution.
If Fiume and Dalmatia or even a
large section of it should go to Italy,
the present form Of government may
maintain itself for an indefinite pc
Yin 1rna
lille sparks of revolution in Italy will
sweep up into an ingulfinK fame.
The true situation in Italy may be
gauged by the statements of sew
eral prominent men in Rome, with
whom had recent conversations. who
sensing the perils ahead of the pres
ent form Of government, perils large
ly brought on by the mishandling Of
the peoples interests by government
tai officials, had declared his keen de-
sire to be the first president of an
Italian republic. he, with all his won-
derful popularity, having intimated
that the day of kings was passing.
Politics Makes Strange Allies.
Politics in Italy is an affair of
groups personal followings compro-
mises and arrangements. The two
leading parties are the socialists and
the government. the latter being usu-
ally backed and sustained in power
through arrangements effected by diff
ferent smaller POLITICAL groups Of
Italy. A Catholic party has been or
ganized to embrace the many politi-
cal factions and is growing rapidly,
but as yet has not grown to sufficient
strength to be dominent in the life of
the nation and as. a result the lines
still are definitely drawn by the party,
rather, union of elements in power
and the socialists. The republicans
are working in rather close harmony
with the socialists and as conse-
quence the socialist balance may at
any time overcome the government
regime.
But, as the result of the complex
political situation in Italy. the abso-
Lutte necessity of throwing men of
different schools of thought into the
government by meaps of compromise,
there to preserve a working balance
against the socialists. Baron Sonnino
and Premier Orlando have been placed
together under the same roof. They
are strange bedfellows. They are
permental differences are great.
Baron Sonnino, Jingoist.
Premier Orlando is a statesman and
gentleman Of the old school. Baron
Sonnino, though no less a gentle
man, nevertheless is the lingo
list" Of the italian cabinet. who,
through shrewd guessing and politi-
cal maneuvoring. has become really
stronger in the Italian cabinet tban
Orlando himself.
Sonnino has builded up a large fol-
lowing and knows no appreciation
whatever of the new school of
thought. which desires to subordi-
nate in limited measure national to
well being. He has not
forsaken the old balance Of power idea
of government. He is not ready to
move one whit or jot either to right
or left from the old treaty which led
Italy into the war and which is now
proving so embarrassing to the peace
conference and particularly, to Eng
land and France. who would like to
see the old pre-war ARA" cement come
to an end. as Preside. Wilson in
sists it must.
England is not wholly reconcilable
to the old order and is stanchly
backing President Wilson in the
abandonment of old arrangements for
the new. Frances desire to see the
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