The Washington herald., 1920-03-28
euos Of the World Flashed to National CAPITAL bu Gable and Wireless
Italy Still Clinging to Hope
of Dnuing. Hun tromAdnalic,
And Annexing Buluarks


Italians look at the matter differ
emily. To them. the Croats have
been the spearhead of the Dual
Monarchy. the advance guard of the
Hapsburg armies. It was the Jugo-
Slav regiments In the imperial
service who were the first to de-
scend upon the Italian plains and
the last to leave. The fact is still
impressed upon the popular speech.
when 1 was with Cadorna's armies.
In 1915, ! noticed that the soldiers.
particularly those of the northern
oattalions, referred to the enemy As
Croati;" the croats more often as
Germans. 1t was the southern
Siays who were specially identified
In the Italian mind with the past
cruelties and expressions Of Austria
and Hungary. 1t would seem Bit
ter irony to turn the defeat of Ger
mans and Magyars into q triumph
for 1taly's old and inveterate foes
and assailants, Il Croati."
The Pact.
To secure herself against such a
result Italy concluded the Pact of
London before she Joined the West
ern Alliance. In Difference to Presi-
oent Wilson's objections she has en-
deaVored to arrange a new under
standing with Serbia II this is re-
Jected, Italy Is entitled to hold her
French and English partners to the
strict letter of their London bond
1t Is all very well to say that this
instrunnt is just a fragrant exam
pie Of these secret bargains and
compacts which we want to abolish,
substituting for them open and
equitable decisions framed by the
| league of nations. Italy might re-
ply that she is quite willing to adopt
the new system for the future.
But when the Treaty of London
| was made there was no league of
nations. and America was not In
the war. The Western belligerents
wanted Italy's help, and they were
willing to pay the price asked for
II. They have admitted, and can
not logically deny, Italy's right to
| demand the fulhlment of the con-
tract, unless an acceptable alterna-
/ tive can be found.
Not Limited to Dalmatia.
The aspirations of Italy are not
limited to the Dalmatian coast and
the Alpine border-lands. She seeks
I opportunities and privileges in the
Levant and Asia Minor. and ii Is
| understood that the terms of the
peace with Turkey will go some
way toward granting her what she
wants. If, to avert friction with
Greece, she valves her claims on
, Smyrna and the Turkish islands,
she will probably be allowed a
! sphere of economic and political in
fuence in Anatolia- In particular
she will be enabled to utilize, for
her industrial purposes. the great
Heraklea coal basin, which she will
develop to its fullest capacity, and
thereby make good one OF her grav-
est deficiencies. Italy, alone among
the great progressive and industrial
nations, has no coal-field. -
Economics at Root.
| Economic considerations lie at the
root of the matter. and account fol
these manifestations of Latin "im-
/ perialism'' which some foreign
critics observe with disfavor. Italy
is reaching out in order to over
come the handicap of the situation
and her too limited natural re-
sources.
Italian statesmen and financia
lorganizers know we'll that theil
country. though beautiful. is als'
very poor. Nature has given sun
shine and color, but not many o.
those things which make for riches
and prosperity, such as the immens'
local measures of Britain. the grea
iron deposits of France and Poland
1.-THE tin. copper, iron and sulphur o.
ISpain, or even the wide grain fields
and pasture lands of Hungary ant
lRumania and the timber forests o.
Scandinavia
On the other hand. they have Il
maintain, within a limited area,
population already of some 10000.
900. and growing rapidly; for ltal!
IFS the only one of the more highl,
lcivilized nations in which the birth
lrate will bear comparison with tha
of the peoples of Eastern Europe
land Asia France is stationary
lGreat Britain. Germany and SPAN
and the "Anglo-Saxon" element II
America advancing at decreasing
rate: but Italy is still prolific, ant
lin the course of a few decades may
see herself with 5o.ooo.o0o inhaoi
tants.
fCopyrieht, 1870. by Cross-Atlantic News
paper Service. Inc.)