The sun., 1919-06-29
Tittoni's Return to
Public Life as For
eignMinister Adds
Powerful Force to
Premier n atti's
Administration
By F. cuNLIFFE-oWEN.

past six years the dominant figure In |
the various administrations that have |
succeeded one another at Rome-and |
the advent to ONCE OF a Nitti Cabinet. |
But I confess that did not foresee |
the return to public life of Senator |
Tommaso Tttoni as Foreign Minister
Of Italy. Nor yet did anticipate
that he would be- called upon as her |
chief plenipotentiary at the Peace
Congress Of Paris to affix his signature |
in the name of his country to the
Treaty OF Peace which after many |
months we have succeeded in impos-
Ing on the Germans.
What bearing will these new devel- |
opments at Rome have upon the En-
tente and upon the Peace Congress?
In what manner will they affect the
United States? These are questions
that Just at present engage the atten-
ton not alone Of American statesmen
and students of contemporary history
but also OF those to whom the people
of this great republic look for the di-
rection and protection OF their bust
ness interests.
Our Best Friend In Italy.
With regard to Francesca Nitti, the
new Premier, the United States has
every reason to congratulate itself
upon the change. He is, OF all the
statesmen Of Italy, the one most
friendly to America, as we'll as the
most keenly alive to the advantages
which his country would derive from
the development of closer commercial
and industrial relations with the
United States. He has made it abun-
dainty clear that the most urgent and
vital problem by which Italy Is to-day
confronted is her economic resurrec-
ton and her extrication from the alto
gether appalling difficulties in which
she has become involved as the result
Of the war. With all her industries
and trade save the production of mill
tary supplies suspended during the
past four years or more and the con-
sequent impoverishment of the people;
with the difficulty OF obtaining from
abroad either raw material for manu-
features or coal for the production Of
electrical or mechanical power-a diff
ficulty which still continues; with the
unemployment situation so acute that
the Government has not dared until
now to proceed with the rehabilitation
Of the army, realizing that II the war
worn soldiers were to be sent home to
their towns and villages where food
and means Of livelihood are both lack
ing disturbances would become gen.
eral throughout the land-Nitti appre-
ciates the necessity OF adopting meas
ures without delay to avert national
bankruptcy and revolution.
Italy can escape from these perils
only by means OF assistance from
abroad in the shape OF money. long
credits, coal. raw material for her tex
tile and other industries. foodstuffs
and shipping facilities. There is but
one Power to which she can look now
and in the near future for such help
the United States. That Is why the
cultivation Of closer relations with this
country will be the keynote of Premier
Nitti's policy. Everything else will be
subordinated thereto and over ambi-
tious schemes for territorial aggran-
dizement will be either sidetracked or
entirely jettisoned by the new Cabinet
wherever they stand in the way Of
Italy's economic reconstruction.
Won President's Good VIII.
Francesca Nitti will be remembered
as one Of the chief members OF the
Special italian War Mission that WIS.,
tied America in the summer OF 1917
beaded by the Royal Prince of Udini
Indeed, Nitti was the one man of the
party who created here a lasting i'm
preston and who commanded sympa-
thetic interest. Moreover. he sue
ceeded in winning in n very marked
degree the good will of President Will
son, and II he resigned from the Or
lando Cabinet some months ago 1t was
because he did not consider the imme-
date possession of Fiume and of GER
tain contested points OF territory on
the eastern coast of the Adriatic which
Sonnino endeavored in vain to extort
from the other Powers OF the Entente
were worth the cost of. the friendship
Of President Wilson and of his Govern
ment Sonnino was so aggressively
imperialistic in his aims that he
showed openly that he was prepared
10 sacrifice all prospects OF assistance
from the United States as we'll as its
amity with italy to his schemes of ter
ritorial aggrandizement
He made no attempt to conciliate
either the President or the Premiers of
France and Great Britain. His char
acterisucally tricky and huckstering
methods, his readiness to carry on sep
erate negotiations behind the backs OF
the Allies. especially with Turkey, and
to bring them face to face with a fait
accompli were source Of constant ir-
r!tation to the Big Three at the Con-
gress Of Paris. particularly to the Chief
Magistrate OF the United States.
Open Break Resulted.
Quarrels were frequent, and finally
personal relations became so strained
that some weeks ago we were treated
to the extraordinary spectacle OF WI
SON and Sonnino appealing agains
one another to the Italian people, A
FIRST the latter failed to understan,
the true import OF the issue ana in
dorsed Sonnino. But the italians
though trifie hotheaded at first. ar
endowed with vast amount of SCUM
common sense. They are a thrift,
race, with a keen sense OF business
and as soon after sober reflection the
comprehended what was at stake the
proceeded TO act in the manner hes
for their material interests. with IN