The New York herald., 1921-06-07
ITALY HAS AMBITION
TOLEAD MINDUSTRY
Plans Are Going Forward
to Control Many Sea and
Cable Lines.
NEW ROUTES OPENED
Union Seamen's Demands
Send Much Business to
British Ships.
WHITE COAL Is UTILIZED
HydrOelectric Plant Second
Only to Niagara's Is Being
Constructed.
WHITE COAL IS UTILIZED

: In this the third article on condi-
tions in Italy are detailed aspira-
tions of the country TO become
leading industrial and commercial
power. Independence from a trad
ing standpoint is among the central
ideas of the new activities centred
at Rome.
Special Correspondence to The New YORK
HERALD.
ROME, May 19.-Is Italy TO come to
the front as one Of the leading indus
trial and commercial powers of the
world? Is she. in fact, going to rank
as one OF the factors in the great new
ment?
At home all her leaders and the ma
jority of thinking people in the fac
tories and the fields have come to the
conclusion that Italy can, and must,
take her place not only as great
power but also as a world commercial
power.
AS she is and must be dependent on
the outside world for large portion Of
|
the raw materias necessary to make
her an Industrial power she must have
communication routes TO other coun-
tries under her own control. Owing to
her geographical conformation she
must have her interior lines of COM
munication so developed that raw
materials may be taken to the fac
tories as quickly as possible and at the
lowest possible cost. She must be in
free communication by cable and
otherwise with her clients and not
dependent, as she has been UP to now,
on the good will Of other countries.
Like every other country Italy has
been hit pretty hard by the slump in
shipping, and she has been hit even
harder than some countries because
lists, who through the Federazione del
Mare have imposed such stranglehold
conditions on the shipping companies
that many prefer to sail their ships
under the British or some other flag
than keep them under that of Italy.
The Federazione del Mare. headed by
the famous Captain Giutotta, lays
down certain rules that are impossible
for any ship owner to comply with.
Fined IL BEDS Don't Suit.
For instance, If he or his inspectors
object to the sleeping accommoda
tions on board a vessel the owners
have to add to the wages of the crew
an extra sum called "mal dormire,'
or bad sleeping quarters tax" In
addition every ship owner must pay
per cent. of the wage bill to the
Federazlone del Mare for its private
funds The average monthly wage
OF a sailor in Italy to-day is 700 lire
month, and. as a big owner at Ma
pies said to me. I'VE are getting to
the point at which we would sooner
tie up our ships than continue under
this persecution"
During the war Italian owners, the
same as In other countries. made huge
fortunes. What with the new taxes,
slump in freights, Increased cost OF raw
materials. socialist propaganda, &c.
shipping in Italy today is in a precari-
GUS position. AS in other countries, the
new rich, who had invested mildly dur
Ing the war In shipping shares and made
fortunes thereby, started new companies.
To-day they are doomed The older COM
panies. backed by the big banks, will
carry on.
It is difficult to say to-day what is
the exact amount of tonnage under the
Italian flag. The official figures for the
end OF the year tprobably six months
old) state 1.5s0.0e7 tons, but this prob
ably does not include the Austrian mer-
camille marine fleet, since largely taken
over. or ships under construction at
home and abroad
The Austrian boats were excellent: so
much so that am told the Italian Gov
ernment Is arranging that all Govern
ment grain, &C. shall be transported in
these ex-Austrian ships. The Austrian
fleet totalled 100000 tons. from Atlantic
liners to cabotage steamers. Last year
sixty-three routes in the Adriatic were
reopened from Trieste under the Italian
flag, while thirty-six new navigation
lines were Initiated TO take over the old
and new world routes once worked by
the Austrian Lloyd and sister companies
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