The New York herald., 1920-12-05


Thomas Nelson Page. Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons.
Americas Ambassador to Italy
throughout the war declares in his
preface that he has related what he
was able TO learn on the spot OF the
part played therein by the italian
people" He begins with review of
Italian history. so far as 1t leads into
the complications of the present.
There are chapters on the Triple ALI
ance, on Italy's relations with the Bal
kan States, on the annexation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The troubles that have persisted
since the armistice are closely related
to the early arrangements between
italy and the Allies centring in the
treaty of London. This is Mr.. Pages
view-or rather his somewhat imper-
sonal analysis of the situation in
1915:
''1t is understood that Baron Son.
nino's explanation of what has been
charged as an example Of Italy's wish
20 drive a hard bargain is that there
was no intention of bargaining at all;
but the proposal of terms laid down
30 far as they related to the Trentino
Trieste. Dalmatia and the Adriatic
WAS based on the necessity to remove
from the field Of uncertainty and of
future contention questions in which
Italy was vitally interested and
which, if left open. might create an
tagonism and clashes between Italy
and the other allies which might pre-
vent the peace for which so much sac
rifice was being incurred from being
established on permanent basis.
These questions concerned Italy's
most vital interests, as they related
to the redemption of her irredentist
elements. and to her securing from
tiers reasonably defensible against her
age-long foe and oppressor. AS to the
rest of the terms the Egean Islands
were, he contended. taken from Tur-
key and were held by Italy under the
treaty Of Lausanne, and Turkey had
failed to meet the conditions on which
they would have been restored to her.
The provisions regarding Italy's share
in Asia Minor and Africa were based
on Italy's right to be placed on par
ity with the other great Powers among
the Allies, and to have recognized her
equal right with them to the develop
ment of her economic interests. Fiume
was conceded to the Croatians because
Russia's consent to the treaty had to
be secured and Sazonoff demanded it
--ostensIbly as an outlet for the Slavs
of the South.
"Such, 1t is understood. are the rea-
sons assigned by the Italian Minister
f.r A cfosx zf kA tAt- ia
manded of the Allies. That he was
somewhat exacting can hardly be
gainsaid, but what he demanded was
mainly enemy territory, much of
which had been wrenched from Italy,
and that he had sound reason for his
apprehensions and for the position he
assumed. touching the frontier in the
Alps and the eastern Adriatic. subse-
quent events have fully established.
The charge which has done Italy so
much harm-that she bargained with
the two sides to see which of them
would give her most for the espousal
Of their cause-however 1t may ap-
pear to be sustained to those who
know only the surface, Is not justified
in the view OF those who knew the
Italian people at that time. These
know that they could not have been
led to espouse any cause but that of
the Allies, at least so long as the
Allies held out any recognition of
Italy's claim to the redemption of her
unredeemed co-nationals. The whole
body of the correspondence between
the Italian Government and Italy's
former allies under the treaty of the
Triple Alliance discloses the infiex-
ible resolution of Italy to wrest from
Austria Hungary the irredentist re-
gions which italy. at heart. has never
ceased to claim as her own. and which,
indeed, had never ceased to claim
Italy as their mother, save in so far
as Austria, by transposition and other
means, srnothered their voice. This
and the second but equally stringent
demand OF italy that Austria should
not, without previous Arrangement
with her. extend her power in the near
Balkans In any manner that would
change the status quo I'm the near
East were steadfastly maintained by
Baron Sonnino from the very first
step In his correspondence with the
Austro-H Hungarian Government.
"The steady enlargement OF Tta1y's
idea OF what the treaty of the Triple
Alliance referred to as 'compensa-
tion.' as that idea became defined,
the Austria-Hungary representatives
termed 'blackmail'; but nothing is
disclosed in the italian correspondence
to give reason TO believe that Italy
would have accepted any 'compensa-
tion' which Austria offered or would
have offered. Indeed. Baron Som
nino's correspondence is an interest
ing specimen of the old diplomacy In
which the opponent is steadily driven
from one position TO another without
securing anything tangible. Austria
was gradually forced TO yield little by
little concessions which she had
stoutly maintained she would never
Yield and when she had yielded she
was never any nearer attaining her
aim than when italy first laid her
complaint before her. reading Of
the italian Foreign Minister'S corro-
spondcncc discloses the fact that he
gradually unfolded to Austria's
cfart1ed & vision n nrogramnoo for Ttaiy