The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-01

TALY'S future place in the concert
OF the Powers of the Entente az
well as her economic and political
destinies will be very largely deter
mined this month. Within the next
three or four weeks the general Par
liamentary elections are to take place
throughout the dominions of King Vic
tor Emmanuel, and upon the returns
at the polls will depend whether Italy
will remain our associate in times of
peace as in the great war her people
have been our brothers in arms.
In the impending general election
the issue will centre to a great extent
upon Baron Sidney Sonnino, who
throughout the last five years has
proved an obstacle to ltaly's complete
understanding with the Powers OF the
Entente. Long ago he had become an
object of distrust TO the Governments
OF France. of Great Britain and more
recently of the United States. He has
been at variance with most Of his COL
leagues in the Cabinet at Rome in
matters of foreign policy, which he
scarcely condescended to discuss with
them. Some of them resigned sooner
than tolerate his methods of playing a
lone hand and Of confronting them
every now and again with a fait ac-
conpli. He has been openly at odds
with Premier Orlando, cordially dis
liked by his countrymen, and without
one vestige of personal popularity or
following.
Fiume Changed .situa tiou.
So his early downfall and delegation
TO private life seemed assured until
President Wilson's action on the sub
1ect OF Fiume. If Prime Minister Or
lando resented so bitterly the appeal
or the Chief Magistrate OF the United
states, II was because he realized that
IL would increase a hundredfold his
difficulties In getting rid of Sonnino,
and that ii had converted the latter
into the factor of paramount impor-
lance in his administration.
Orlando, who was as much liked by
Georges Clemenceau, by Lloyd George
and Arthur Balfour and by the leading
American delegates as SonninQ was
obnoxious to them ALL was in a fair
way toward reaching an understanding
with them in the difficulties which had
arisen in reconciling with the pro-
visions of the Treaty OF London the
new conditions on the shores OF the
Adriatic, resulting from the Jugo- Slav
Federation with Serbia.
Orlando was as sympathetically in
clined toward the Jugo- Slavs and the
Serbians as Sonnino was averse to
them. He appreciated the importance
Of ltaly's being assured OF the friend
ship OF her neighbors on the shores OF
the Adriatic rather than Of their en-
nifty Sonnino would not give way.
Like Shylock OF old, he insisted upon
having every pound of Austrian flesh
promised to him by the 1915 Treaty of
London. when the ,Jugo-Slav state and
independent Bohemia were not even
dreamt OF by the great Powers OF the
Entente and at the time when Russia
was invading the Dual Empire and
also penetrating far into the eastern
provinces OF Germany.
sonnino Becomes a Hero.
= When, however. the President an.
pealed to the Italian people, not
against Sonnino, who was the ohstac,.
TO an understanding. but against the
entire Orlando Government ana
against its plenipotentiates al the
Paris Peace Conference, declaring ,ba,
he could not consent to the ItalIsrIzo-
ton OF Fiume nor TO the fulfilment =,
the provisions Of the Treaty OF London
the Italian nation rose as ono r,an
against him, eXasperated at what va,