The Washington times., 1922-06-25
(Famous Italian Historian)

The Roman empire was perhaps
in the history OF our civilization
the most brilliant Of these victories
before the nineteenth century; but
how long did It remain During
two centuries men freely circulated
from the Rhine and the Danube
to the Euphrates--and afterward
there came again darkness. isola-
tion. defeat.
Ju6k the same. eventually defi-
mite result was obtained. After
heroic tentatives and ,superhsman
sacrifices. man succeeded in re-
discovering the earth: to know
how large 1t was; in what manner
its liquids and its continents were
distributed over the surface.
" But how short were his arms and
how slow his feet for 80 formid-
able an adversaryi The immensity
OF continents and seas was his first
ana most redoubtable enemy.
This 10 why for centuries people
lived In earth in isolated groups,
each other, knowing nothing Of
each others progress; always at
war with the immense spaces.
oceans and continents; only rarely.
and at terrible cost OF sacrifice
and fatigue. attaining each others
frontiers.
The exploration Of the world
which began in the fifteenth cen
tury by the first voyages on the
Atlantic and which is in manner
Of being completed by present ex.
plorations In Asia, Africa and the
Poles. is one Of the most glorious
exploits Of humanity.
How long is the list Of heroes OF
sea and land. from the first Scan
dinavian explorers Of the Atlantic.
from Vasco di Cana and Christie
pher Columbus, down to Brazza.
Sven Hedin. Nansen. Duke des-
Abruzzzes, Shackleton!
Toward the end Of the sisht-
eenth century man could with rcar
son believe that he knew the
planet on which he lived. To know
It only-not to possess It.
. What was the Mediterranean.
first school of our vessels. visa
Wis OF these greater oceans against
which man began to array his
forcesf ,.r.. 20 ...
What was Europe. little Europe.
in face Of the huge continents yet
remaining to be traversedf
SLOW, INVISIBLE CONQUEST.
without . supreme effort man
saw himself forever vanquished BY
Space. Then finally. from the
mystic union Of human imagine
ton with Fire. the Giant was born
the giant which today 10 30 III
ana weak. The dreamed-of ally
had at least appeared, Man could
. travel, conquer the earth. Space
was subdued.
This conquest, slow. invisible.
little understood even by those re-
sponsible for It, was in the midst
of revolutions and wars. at first
sight more important. the real
achievement Of the nineteenth CEN
tury. that which viii eternally sr,r.
vive with its ineffaceable results.
Built on. earth, yard by yard.
with infinite patience, steel rails
and the steam and fire animated
engines which rode them. the rail.
ways Of the nineteenth century not
only made Europe the factory Of
the world, over-peopled and COW
cred with great cities, but It COM
menced to people and exploit the
Americas. Siberia. Africa; opened
to Christ, to labor. to civilization.
to men, the most inaccessible I'm
mensities. r' ..,.
THEN CAME BIG BUSINESS.
The development of big business,
the increase and centering Of the
population in Europe. from italy
to Scandinavia, the prodigious de-
velopment Of the United States.
the prosperity Of the Argentine, Of
Brazil, and the other states Of Cen
tral and South America; the de,
velopment Of Russia. which before
the war seemed to cast her shadow
before the sun; the first ''whiten-
ing" Of Africa--sli these marveis
of our last years have been the
work Of the giant with steel
muscles and fiery breath.
What, in comparison, are the
,conquests of mankind by force Of
arms? Following the railroad.
modern civilization has been able
TO penetrate rapidly in the farthest
continents, to people them and to
make them worth something. all
In the course Of two or three gen
erations. .E.
Never had humanity won a more
far-reaching victory over its tradi-
tior,I opoy,nv Tho vfcfovv xUos m