The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1912. THE TURCO-ITALIAN WAR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1548, 18 September 1912, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1912. THE TURCO-ITALIAN WAR.

Most people at this end of the world, upon reading yesimlity tu.io the peace negotiations between Italy and Turkey have been broken off, must have felt a little surprised to have forgotten that tho war is still going on. Italy is a European Power, if not a first-rate world Power, and it is astonishing therefore that the world should for so long have paid so littlo attention to the conflict, now in its twelfth month. The weight of success has fallen to the Italians, who have not only occupied Tripoli (even though the Turkish opposition there is strong and harassing), but have captured tho Aegean Islands and firmly locked up the Turkish fleet. Turkey, however, is able to carry on the land campaign and to_ busy itself with a new internal crisis and its well-established work of making the Balkans problem a sore one for Europe. The peace negotiations now broken off have been proceeding in an irregular and desultory manner for two or three months, and it would appear that peace would have been arranged long ago but for Turkey's reluctance to part with her rights over Tripoli, and Italy's strong insistence upon, not the Italian annexation' of Tripoli and Cyrenaica, but the recognition of her sovereign rights over those provinces. The Italian claim was clearly put by Signor Giohtti, the Prime Minister, at the beginning of June._ He does not desire that the provinces shall become integral parts of the Kingdom of Italy. "Thedistinction,"he said, "between outright annexation and the proclaiming of sovereign rights over Tripoli is of especial importance to the Moslem inhabitants to whom we have guaranteed inviolable liberty, justice, and certain special rights and privileges. These latter include the free, unhampered exercise of their religion and _ tho continuance of their old established laws and customs." He wants Turkey formally to acquiesce in the transference of the overlgrdship of the territory in question from the Sultan to the King of Italy.

The position to-day is that a condition of stalemate has been reached. The Turks will not agree to the_ surrender of Tripoli, and the Italians, having taken tho Aegean islands, cannot get much further. It'is difficult to understand why Turkey refuses to accept the broad lines of the settlement suggested long ago by Italy. This was that Italian sovereignty over the provinces should ■ be, not*"expressly," but "implicitly" recognised, and that Italy should amongst other filings recognise the '. religious authority of the Caliph, grant immunity to the Turks and Arabs, guarantee to the creditors of ': the Ottoman Public Debt a sum equal ■ to the customs of Tripoli and Cy- : renaica, and make full'payment for Turkish property in the two new provinces. Turkey cannot, as has been pointed out by many foreign , critics, expect to make better terms [ than these, but apparently she is pre- > pared to go on fighting despite her > internal disorders. So far as Italy • is concerned, there has never been any doubt that the nation is keenly in favour of the war. In the statement to which we have already referred 'Signor' , GiOLirrr said that Italy could and would go on indefi- . nitely. "Am I not right," he asked . Mr. *M. H. Donohue, the Chronicle's correspondent and one of the most . careful and astute of British journal- |. ists, "in saying that in the present war Italy speaks with but one voice?" and Mr. Donohue "felt , bound to give an emphatic assent." , The Prime Minister spoko then of the j prospect that Italy would strike ! harder and harder. The only course [ open to Italy, if Turkey stands firm, I is to press on with the huge task of completely subduing the two _ provinces. "It , would be much easier for the Porte," tho London Times says, "to yield to the argument from ac--5 complished facts, after the accom- - plishment has become indisputable." . But will this costly and difficult ' finale to what seems to be a singularly futile war be worth while 1 The . Italians think it will, and for a reason as interesting as it is important. A well-informed writer lately reminded the British public of the "nationalist" instinct of Italy: The one thing which all Italians, advanced llndiculs no less than Conservatives, Clericals as well as Liberals, feel with one accord is, that these times are 7 not ordinary. The war has made them f one nation as they never were before. J ... The democrats—and the standard - of Italian democracy is very thorough— r are to tho full as warlike as tho nrisc tocracy. Tho sort of sentimentality which impels a certain kind of politicians here j [in Great Britain] and in Franco to range J themselves on the side of their country's i enemies is unknown and unintelligible to 0 the practical mind of the Italian patriot. \ The writer goes on .to recall that a. Crispi ussd to believe that a war would do more than anything else to win for Italy the place she feels to be hers among the nations, and he says that the Italians of to-day believe that this war is now winning it for her. Every student of history knows that at times in the past there i- have been small, obscure, or appar--1 ently exhausted and submerged na- ,. tion's for whom nobody could predict s the greatness that was soon to come e to them. Who knows but that Italy, ,] with Tripoli and Cyrcnaica as an >• Italian India, may not rise to a " greater estate than a humble mem,s. bership of the Triple Alliance? .