The Washington herald., 1920-01-07

was waited on a few weeks before
the armistice by a representative Of
the Italian military intelligence office.
He pressed me to find out from Amer
lean sources at Paris whether Pasich
had conferred in Switzerland with an
agent of Boroevic. the Austrian MILL
tary leader. Italian and YuSoslav in
triSuers had seized upon this general
as being possibly "approachable." He
had just employed the language. not
of the Germans. but of the Slavs. in
an official address at Vienna and had
been denoted for his crime"
Besides. the star of Austria was al
ready setting. and the star of Yugo-
slavia was in its ascendency. Again.
Boroevic racially was a Slav and ra-
cial blood is often thicker than i'm
perial water. The Austrian command
er could be persuaded to manipulate
his ranks on the Piave and permit
the Italians to cause an Austrian Ca
poretto, it was secretly hoped. Intel
ligence of the plot was kept from
Sonnino, but just what and how many
wires were laid. do not know. There
is not sufficient reason for believing
the whispered rumor that the fuse
was ready. IL not lighted. when the
italian offensive opened a week or two
before the armistice.
With the armistice the bottom fell
out of allied idealism. and realism
became the very visible god OF the
AnGlo-French machine. When Eng
land and France openly appeared as
realistic politicians. all immediate
possibility for n large-minded and
| friendly Italo-Yugoslav agreement was
lest. Influenced partly by example
but more by self-defense. Italy began
to time her dance to Anglo French
music. She abandoned idealism's hes
itation waltz for the realistic jazz.
Even Yugoslavia could not make her
feet and figure entirely behave.
d'Annunzio rs n DipIomaniae.
The American government enters
into Europe's economic rather than
into its political considerations. AL
though very realistic politician. eco
nomfcally dAnnunzio is a poet. Be
sides. the poet-warrior and his fol-
lowers honestly believe that the
American people are with them, even
If the American President is against
them.
Notwithstanding d'Annunzio's direct
or Indirect service TO the Italian Cabi-
net. he is large, jagged thorn in its
side. Nitti. the present Premier, is
italian and realistic politician enough
to have thrilled in the dramatic cap
ture Of Fiume and to rejoice in its
retention. He has been too we'll
schooled in the ways and wiles of
Old World diplomacy not to realize
that possession is nine points of the
law"-the diplomatic law. Neverthe-
less, the italian Premier is politically
afraid Of the poet and Is suspicious
OF possible new adventures on his
part. Eventually, Gabriel might wish
to be not merely a herald of the King
but the King himself
Moreover. Nitti is probably the only
practical intelligence in Italy's mod
ern statesmanship. The bulk of ItaIy's
food. coal steel and other raw ma
terial. not to mention money. must be
imported, now mostly from the Unit
ed States. AS the Italian Premier
knows, better than anyone else, Italy
is in essential and immediate need
Of all these things. Such materialism
may not disturb temperamental art
ist like d'Annunzio, but such material
ism does disturb a diplomatic econo-
mist like Nitti.
Poet Believes In Kings.
D'Annunzio not only sings of kings
but believes in them. He is a mon
archist through and through and has
probably reconverted many n Repub
lican soldier to the monarchial ideal.
But with him as with the average
Italian Italy comes first and the form
of government afterward. Recently,