Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-07-31
Italy Suffers Total Eclipse
As Military Power in Treaty

H4tAO, July o. bHl"-1Ldly OIlCe-
boosted war machine would be
slashed to almost comic opera size
and the Mussolini empire that
threatened to rival Caesars would
be trimmed to be thin boot by the
draft of the proposed italian peace
treaty.
On these and other penalties for
making war-notably the payment
of s100,OO0,00o in reparations to Rus
sia-the United States, Great Brit
ain, Russia and France were agreed
in the recommended treaty to be
submitted to the 21-nation European
Peace Conference.
But other disputed questions, such
as the boundaries of the suggested
free territory of Trieste, and repara-
tions due to France, Yugoslavia,
Greece and other victims of Italy's
participation in the war were left
open, although the United States Of
ferer its own solution to the Trieste
question.
Despite Italy's service as an 11th-
hour co-belligerent against Ger
many, she suffered total eclipse as
military power under the terms of
the proposed treaty, and would sal
wage little more of its preWar pres
tige than the promise of a water
power supply from territory lost to
France.
May Have Two Battleships.
The treaty would limit Italy to an
Army of 10000 men and IS, 900 cara
binieri military police. Her 1899
Army had 2,240,000 men and 5,175,000
trained reservists.
In place of her Mare NoStrum''
Navy of TIT, 400 tons, Italy may have
two battleships, four cruisers, four
destroyers, 16 torpedo boats, 20 cor
vettes and minor war and auxiliary
vessels, and no submarines.
Italy's air force would be slashed
to 200 fighter and reconnaissance
planes and $50 transport and train
ing craft.
the treaty provides also that Italy
give up title to her African terri
torial possessions, whose future con-
troll will be decided by the four
nations represented on the Foreign
Ministers Council within a year
after the proposed treaty comes into
force.
France would get five thin slices
OF territory now on the Italian side
Of the two nations border, but
Italy is guaranteed acces to hydro
electric power sources in the lost
Alpine areas.
Yugoslavia would get "all territory
east of a line known as the French
line" in Italy-the line France pro-
posed after an Allied commission
surveyed the area-"as well as the
commune of cara" and a group of
islands in the Trieste area of the
Adriatic Sea.
Greece Gets Dodecanese.
Greece would acquire the Dode-
canese islands, which British troops
are to vacate within 80 days after
the ratification of the treaty Italy
valves all claims against Albania
and Ethiopia, as we'll as her COM
mercial interests in China.
Like other former enemy nations
for which draft treaties were pre-
pared, Italy may seek membership
in the United Nations on signing
the treaty.
OF Italy's disputed northeastern
boundary, the 78-article treaty draft
says:
The Council of Foreign Ministers
agreed that all territory east of
the line known as the French line
shall be coded by Italy to Yugoslavia
and the Free Territory of Trieste
shall be constituted within the
French line, bounded on the north
by line drawn from Dunno to the
French line"
Although the United States sug-
gested boundary limited in great
est detail, the treaty draft does not
contain it, but proposes instead that
an exact line of the new frontiers"
be drawn by boundary commissions
responsible to the four major
powers.
BY contrast, the territory France
would acquire is defined to the last
kilometer-little ST. Bernard Pass
Mont Gems Plateau, Mont Thabor
Chaberton and an area Jumped as
upper Tinee Vesubie and Roya
Valleys
The draft provides that Italy
shall take all measures necessary
to secure to all persons under italian
jurisdiction, without distinction as
to race, sex, language or religion