Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1919-01-10

This seeming disproportion is caused
by emigration, which was largely COM
posed of male adults. Out Of those
100000 only 9,000000 were adults
economically productive. Consequent
~ the subtraction of the modified
forces has had an acute reaction OH
the economic life of the nation. 1t is
estimated that on an average only 100
adults remained in each town or vii
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 i'm
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.
No Troops From Colonies.
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 worlzmen
of neutral or allied countries. Italy,
on the other hand, sent 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.
To meet their military obligations,
therefore, the Italian people have been
compelled to cut into the most urgent
needs of agriculture and industry. Her
continuous lack of labor has made the
task Of feeding the army and provid-
ing it with munitions most difficult
one.
Difficult to Obtain Goods.
The very act of&entering the war cut
off Italy from one of the sources Of
supply of manufa ctured products. 1t
is not necessary here to enlarge upon
the we'll known fact that Italian mar
of Germany and Austria.
Mr.. Francis H. Sisson, vice presI
dent of the Guaranty Trust Company.
in a recent article on the economic
situation of Italy points out that while
Germany before the war dominated
the foreign trade of Italy so far as
manufactures were concerned, that
country was one Of the best customers
Of the United States in raw materials
and foodstuffs. That writer also points
out that it was the adjustment Of her
industrial and commercial life to the
burdensome new conditions that has
created an entirely new economic fab
ric in Italy.
"1taly's devotion of her resources to
war purposes has been complete" says
Mr. Sisson. "Her pre-eminence in the
production of certain articles of COM
MERGE marked her as the chief source
of supply for similar products of a
warlike nature Her ordinary produc-
ton of automobiles, aeroplanes, tur-
bines and heavy oil engines has mere
ly been intensified and modified in the
direction of such Standardization as
would permit quantity production"
Financially Italy Responded Well.
Financially Italy also has responded
to the demands of war with an open
handedness that has surprised even her
self. From the first Of August, 1914, to
the end of 1917 the total expenditures
of the state were $685., 100000. Cal
cu1ating on the basis of a monthly aver
age expenditure for thewar of $240,OOO,-
600, the total cost of the war to Italy
would be more than $4,000, 100000.
The first national loan yielded about
5000, 100000. and it seemed great
struggle, but the one in October, 1917,
welded about 81 300 OO0.O 600