ITALY AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2303, 10 November 1914, Page 5

ITALY AND THE WAR

HER INTERESTS OM/ANRANB SEA - i -T V... ** MR, Tha'Press Bureau recently ■■ißsued th'o < following text of the interview accord- i ed by Mr. Churchill (First Lord of tliej Admiralty) to i Signar Calza-Bedolo for. publication in She "Giornalo d'ltalia."-j [t is given here question and answer :f Question. —What impression was', mado in England and upon the British. 1 Government by the Italian declaration of neutrality? i Mr. Churchill. —Wo always though# it was impossible for Italy to fight* with Austria or to fight against Eng-1 land, and in all tho Admiralty arrange-: mc-nts for the Mediterranean since I J . have bean here we have always acted, on the certainty that Italy would bej uoutral, and measured our naval force! only against Austria. - j Question. —There has been a great ' deal of talk in Italy of the possibility! of active intervention by Italy in theP war in case of a change in the Adriatic* situation. _ Is there any probability, or a change in the Adriatio situation inl. consequence of the " Franco-British? operations ? , Mr: Churchill.—You see, the naval' 1 ] situation in the. Adriatio is rather like/ that hi tho North Sea-. Tho Austrian; Fleet is hiding,_ It lies hidden in itaj hole, and until it is convenient to dip; tliem out it is difficult to get a decision. I do jiot see how any change inl the Adriatic situation would result! from the ' naval operations, but the? great changes that, yrill come will re-j suit from the collapse of Austria oni , land. Tho greatest feature yet appar-i ent in the course of tho war is tha' collapse of Austria as a military factor.] That collapse appears to be irreparable,) and that is a tremendous event in the history of the world. ■ 1 •• Question, —Do you think it probable that there will bo the possibility of' such an arrangement as will give a! guarantee to the position of Italy and) leave her free from .any fears of hostile' predominance? ' ' : Mr. Churchill.—l think the great ovents of this war that will affect Italy] are taking place on the land rather' than on the sea. Italy would have no-' thing to apprehend navally from tho' victory of England and France.' She.' would always he strong enough to deaf with Austria on tho sea, unless, ory. course, a victorious -Germany came tortile aid of Austria. If Germany suc-j ceeded in the war and the English power! was broken, Germany could ( of course,] send as many ships as she liked to join i the Austrian Fleet and could send 1 thorn! much quicker than Italy could Build!;' them. But still I repeat that for Italy] this is primarily an affair, of the lan<?\ rather than the/sea. . '

■ No Danger from Afrloa. v j Question.—There appears to. bei 'at-j 1 this moment a danger of an_ Iskmia! , movement in the north of Africa,' pro-l moted by Germany, that would eventu-( j ally menace the' British, Italian, andi French interest's alqually.,on the north-! ern shore of the Mediterranean. . Dot j you think it possible that on this basis' there would be room for an agreement "j between the three chief Mediterranean; .-; Powers? ~.. "j , Mr. Churchill.—The great issues bfii' i the hour are in Europe, not in -Africa,! J and if they can bo satisfactorily'regu-j j lated so far as Europe 'is concerned* j Africa is an easy matter. ■ ' \ > Question—The argument is put for-.' ! ward by a few that there hag hitherto'- j been no decisive engagement between the German, and British Fleets and ' consequently they; regard this as a sue- ' cess. I>o you think there is any foun- 1 dation for this belief, and whether tho fact > that tho German Fleet' still re- , mains in being is in any. .way likely to affect the outcome of the warp . I Mr. Churchill. —The great battle or; ! sea -has no't yet been fought, but although it has nqt yet been fought, we j enjoy as great:, a command of tho sea ' and as free a use of sea power'as wo., should have after a decisive engage*-, i ment. What is thero. for instance..] , that we could do then that we.are '> doing now? German trade has ceased;. German supplies have been largely,' j strangled. British trade in all. essen-j "ii tials is going on uninterruptedly. Thei j] materials of industry, the food, of thai ■] people, are' entering the country daily, ] in vast quantities at commercial prices. ) j We are moving scores of .thousands of. j men across all the oceans of the world.-; J Our submarines are blockading the veryj j throat of -the Elbe. We started with j a substantial naval preponderance mucUj 1 more like 2 to .1 than 16 to 10. lay;] the next twelve months we shall have; twice as many battleships .completing:' ; and three or ■ four .times as many j. j cruisers as Germany. If losses, werej even equal, our position this time nest \ ! year would be far stronger than it ir : to-day. You must remember 1 that nono ! of the ships built in my tenure..of officeJ except the small cruiser ATethiisa, havo , ; been commissioned yet. These_ are theij; 1 most powerful and most expensive ships: j that have ever been built. They are thai j fruits of the greatest naval offort Eng- j land has ever made. They are all com-;,."j bg along tho road. Wo always regarded:' j tho first month of the war as our most'; | difficult and critical month from a naval' j point of view, and we have nothing to- j complain of in the way that month has* ] gone. • ' S Italy's Mediterranean Position. ■ *

Question.—Ono argument constantly,! ! employed, especially by German diplo- ! ] mats dealing with Italy, is that i£i j Italy remains alone in tie Meditcrran-j ■ can slie will bo exposed to Anglo-* I French dictation. I should be glad >f| j you could give me any reassurance oa i that point. ' :1 Mr. Churchill. —I cannot think ofl ] any danger that a friendly Italy would ; rim from English and French naval' strength. Wo are both great Mcdit«r-\ ranean Powers. We do not- seek es« pansion. Wo have got all tlio terri*' ; tory in the Mediterranean, that woj j want. Wo only want to live a quiet; ; life, enjoying our possessions, and ro-j ■ spoct those of others. Therefore, how->i i ever, strong we are, I cannot see how,' . there could bo any danger to Italy. On. i tlie contrary, if Italy had been our allyi , in the war our naval interests would 1 j ■be hers, and our views about her island j possessions and naval bases would tree from the slightest jealousy or sus* j picion. ; . • ) Leicester boot manufacturers hard : beon approached by agents of the Gree&f | Government with the vie,w of placing* j heavy contraots for army boots. Thej j English manufacturers, however, are,- j busily engaged day and night on Eug-I! lisli and French army contracts, aaid! j are not able to accept orders from the' i Greek Government. ; The Hon. Windsor Clivo, second soffi J of the Earl, of Plymouth, a lieutenant ? in Coldstream Guards, who was wound*. j ed in battle, has since died. J Mr. Asquitli was oho of. the fifst; j persons to visit the wounded : soldiers*; on their arrival in London. Ho had j long chats with several of. the men. Brewers in Surrey have informed 1 their customers that if tliov want beer / llioy must fetcli the barrels from the.j brewery, horses and motor-lorries hav- i rag been, commandeered. i William Thaw—a cousin of Harry K. 1 Thaw, who killed Stanford White—is 1 among tho American volunteers - who j have joined tho French Foreign Legion ' for service at the front Vice-Admiral Sir George Warreuder-i has the distinction-of. commanding-they most powerful British battle squadron—- a tho Second; for its eight ships are all '] -una«d with 13.5in'. cuns. / V >