Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-03-13
ITALY IS PREPARING TO TACKLE
BIG PROGRAM OF RECONSTRUCTION
Aims to Make the Most of Whatever Race the Sun the PEACE
Conference Gives Her-By the Time the Peace Treaty
h Signed 1t Is Expected Dawn of Greater
Italy Will Be Here.

Crespi declared.
The most optimistic statesman or
government official in Italy, however,
knows that electric power alone will
never adequately supply the Italian in
dustrial wants, and this factor in the
Italian problem is also appreciated by
the allied nations. Accordingly there
is well-defned movement on foot at
the peace conference to grant Italy
permission to mine a certain quantity
of coal in Asia MinOr-thc near East.
1t is admitted that the Italians
should not be forced to depend for
ever on the surplus coal from Amer
lean and English mines. The near East
coal, however, will not completely I'LL
the countrys needs, so that the greater
development of water power is expect
ed to continue al 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
shell fire during the war. 1t will take
some wears and considerable labor for
Italy to regain her peace-tme strength
in merchant ships.
Jobs for the Jobless.
To start creating jobs for joblcsS
men who will be demobilized from the
Italian army of three and Il half mil
lion, the government has appropriated
q sum of about one billion dollars, to
be used in public works and shipbuild-
ing, also in road repairing.
While the nation is getting bac'. to
the ways of peace the people will have
TO continue their war diet. There is
approximately two years of food con-
servatlon in sight for the nation.
Italy today is one of the most crowd
ed of all the European nations. Yet
the government is planning to main-f
tain a larger population on the farms
during the coming decades than before
the war. lntcnSiiication 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 will be open in
Italy. and to the shortage in ocean ton
mage.
Instead of moving to America, the
Italians will probably find 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 the factories building
railroad cars an industry that virtu-
ally stopped during the war, or get
Job in other of the industries.
Devastated by Enemy.
The plight of the people in the In
vaded sections has its only parallel In
the devastated areas of France.
Trees are smashed, houses demol-
ished, telegraph wires are down, roads
and bridges are more or less impasSa-
BILE through the whole section of north
Italy that was In the actual zone of
fire.
1t is expected that the government
will have to take hand at rehahili-
tating these lands rather than leave
the job to private enterprise. The
principal industry of the region is ag-
riculture.
The list of things needed on the
damaged farms as compiled by an Of
fetal American investigator, comprised
the following items: Cattle, agricul-
tural machinery, plows, food, galvan-
lied wire, shovels, cutters, horses, seed
wheat, corn and oats, hoes spades and
pruning scissors.
American Red Cross men, who We're
among the first in this district after
the Austrians left, said the retreating
enemy took even the faucets from the
water pipes, leaving the water flow
ing and flooding the wrecked homes.
Their verbal report on Austrian treat
ment of the women is unprintable.
Message to America.
One of Food Administrator Crespfs
aims in life is to create closer ties
of sentiment and better business rela-
tons between Italy and America.
When asked for a definite message to
send Americans, Crespi said:
Its rather amazing, the similarity
of thought and feeling that already ex-
list between America and Italy. Amer
lea as d nation is sentimental, and so
are We; America has no imperialist
aims in the war, and we do not feel
that our acquisition of essentially ltnl-
ian lands is imperialistlc. ] believe
both countries are most anxious to
face the future minus big arma-
ments."
By the time the peace treaty. is
signed Italian otiicialdom expects that
the dawn of Il greater Italy will be
here: With factories humming, and Il
busy population working ut near 100
per cent employment, which will mean
in plain American phraseology good
times for everybody"