Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-19

1t is easy to understand why the grow
ing talk in Rome of Giolittl Ministry
rxctes diSapproval and apprehension N
Paris and with something less of intensity
i'm London as we'll Had Giolitti prevailed
lust five wears ago Italy would not nave
entered the world war and, SO far as II Is
humanity possible to calculate. France ana
Great Britain would have Eeen beaten.
We are in fact, just at the anniversary OF
those stirring days in Rome, when e'iolltu
came To the capital to prevent Italy en-
trance into the war and was compelled 10
tco the city to save his iIie
h was not a- a prot icrman that Cilohtu
acted. although he represents that irae-
tiaa oi the Italian public which has been
.te,dlly friendly To Germany and has
/ cen supporter of the old Triple Alliance;
still in 1913, when following the second
Balkan war. Austria sounded Italy on the
subject of attacking Serbia, Glohtu m
stantlv opposed the project, and q year
later. when the world war had broken,
made public the secret history oi Austria
policy in the previous year.
Friendly with the Germans (nollttl was,
influenced by and sympathetic WITH
Prince von Buclow's desperate effort 70
keep Italy neutral in the opening months
of 1918. But underneath all lay the con-
viction that for Italy the wiser course WAS
neutrality (iiohttl favored an lnSlstehcc
upon certain compcnsatIons from Austria
including the TrcntIno as lar rs 6o'@ch
and certain notifications along the lsonzo.
| nder German pressure Austria was IIC-
nsrinr TO make such concessions at the
moment when Italv entered the war i5ut
he knew that it would he impossible I"
persuade the Hapshurg monarchy 70 give
uu Trieste and without trieste, ltailah
public sentiment could not hc satisfied
Those who advocated Italian entrance
INTO the war. believed that thus assistance
would bring swift and decisive victory 70
the Allies. CiIoltti was better informed,
thanks 10 Buclow, he foresav that even
with ltalv enlisted the war was bound 70
10 long and the costs to Italy beyond any
ADEQUATE recompcnse, whatever new ter
rItory victory might give her
Moreover. his worst susplcions were
promptly realized because AT the moment
ltalv entered the war, Russia was defeated
~ the Dunajec and began the long rctrcaI
which lasted until autumn
Instead of that swift Italian advance 10
iavbach, which had hccn expected, Italy
was promptly checked III the lsonzo and
along the Adige She lacked All the S.
sentlalS uf modern warfare, she brought
manpower to her allies. hut more than
venr WAS to pass before She could acquire
gun power. heavy artillery and Shell stores
necessary for 4 real advance Meantime
Russian defeats released Austrian troops
for service on the lsonzo Russian 'ol-
lapse was postponed, hut Italian interests
were not achieved.
III 1916 Italy had to bear terrific At
tack. following close upon Ncrdun and ALI
most bringing the Austrlans 70 the piain,
north If Venice Successful n ropulsing
this. Sic undcrood heavy burden n hcr
own offensive 1T the Isonzo. Which ialled
ii produce a rupture because hcT gun
mower was still insufficient Onc Year later
the complete Russian collapse vas follow
,d hv German attack upon Italy ana ihe
loss oi most II Nenetla following the
Caporetto disaster
Ii was not until late IN 1918, after pre-
lninarv victory at the Pave. which
arrested the last Austrian offensive. that