The Ocala evening star., 1919-03-19
ITALY is PREPARING TO TACKLE
. BIG PROGRAM OF RECONSTRUCTION
Aims Make the Most of Whatever Place in the Sun the Peace
Conference Gives HerBy the Time the Peace Treaty Is
Signed It Is Expected Dawn OF, Greater
Italy Win Be Here

accumuIates in the season OF rain and
snow. In the dry season the water
turns dynamos that produce white
coal
May Get Coal From East
It's perfectly true the mountain
streams are great producers OF power,
but unfortunately they flow in salts
factory quantities only during the
months Of january February and
March. During the summer. spring
and autumn months the slower flowing
rivers of the Iowlands must furnish
all. the hydro-electric power Italy uses,
Crespf declared.
The most optimistic statesman or
government official In Italy, however.
knows that electric power alone viii
never adequately supply the Italian In
dustrial wants, and this factor in the /
Italian problem is also appreciated by |
the allied nations. Accordingly there 1
is well-defined movement on foot at |
. the peace conference to grant Italy |
permission to mine certain quantity |
of coal in Asia Minor-the near East.
1t is admitted that the Italians |
should not be forced to depend for |
ever on the surplus coal from Amer
/ ican and English mines. The near East |
/ coal, however, will not completely hIl
the cOuntry's needs. so that the greater
! development of water power is expect
/, ed ito continue as one Of the leading
reconstruction activities.
Building a fair-sized mercantile ma
rine is another job Italy has before.
her, to replace as soon as possible the
ships that were torpedoed or sunk by
4 shell fire during the war II viii take
Italy to regain her peace-time strength
in merchant ships.
Jobs for the JobIess.
To start creating jobs for jobless
/ men who will be demobilized from the
Italian army of three and a half mil
lion. the government has appropriated
sum of about one billion dollars. to
be used in public works and shipbuild-
ing, also i'm road repairing.
While the nation is getting back to
the ways ofpeace the people Will have
to continue their war diet There Is
i approximately two years Of food con-
seryation in sight for the nation
IT, Italy today is one of the most crowd
ed of all the European nations. Yet
the government is planning to main
tain Iargerlpopulation on the farms
. during the coming decades than before
the war. Intensifieation methods Of
! farming are to be encouraged.
For some years hence the outflow OF
: immigration will be greatly con-
: stricted, due in part to the recon-
struction Jobs that win be open In
Italy, and to the shortage In ocean ton
; mage.
! Instead Of moving to America, the
Italians will probably ind employment
: in helping construct the thousands OF
huts that will be needed In the north
of Italy to house the refugee popula-
, ton; or go into ,uhe factories building
: railroad cars an industry that virtu-
ally stopped during the war. or get q
Job i'm other of the industries.
Devastated by Enemy.
The plight OF the people N the In
: vaded sections has its only parallel In
0 the devastated areas of France.
Z Trees are smashed, houses demol-
fshed. telegraph wires are down. roads
I and bridges are more or less impassa-
: Bile through the whole section OF north
e Italy. that was In the actual zone OF
fire.
$ 1t is expected that the government
will have to take a hand at rehabili-
d tating these lands rather than leave
v the job to private enterprise. The
principal industry of the region Is ag-
g riculture.
1, The list OF things needed on the
it damaged farms, as compiled by an Of
fetal American investigator. comprised
n the following items: Cattle. agricul
S tural machinery, ploVs. food, galvan-
'f ized wire, shovels, cutters, horses, seed
D wheat. corn and oats, hoes, spades and
u pruning scissors.
American Red Cross men, who were
among the first In this district aftei
rs the Austrians left. said the retreatinG
se enemy took even the faucets from ths
Is water pipes, leavink the water fiow
l. ing and flooding tie wrecked homes
he Their verbal report on Austrian treat
lie ment of the women is unprinfable-
le Message 70 America.
One of Food administrator Crespi''
d, sims i'm life IL to create closer tie
it Of sentiment and better business reIa
e tions between Italy and America
er when asked for a definite message 4
In send Americans. crespi said:
er cts rather amazing. the similarit,
= OF thought and feeling that already ez
W fst between America and Italy Amer
ln lea as a nation is sentimental, and o
90 are we; America has no imperialis
~ aims I'm the war. and we do not fee
n that our acquisition Of essentially Ital
ian lands Il imperiaIistic-s beliey
II, both countries are most anxious {
l. face the future minus big arIns
lc- ments.''
BY the time the peace treaty.
ac- signed Italian ofticiaIdom expects tha