BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 28, 27 October 1917, Page 13

BOOKS OF THE DAY

Italy and the War. "Italy and tho War" is the title oi a volume of essays (published bv Ueovi 1101 l and Sons; Wellington, AVhitoombi and Tombs), all dealing with Italy's shan in the Great War, and more imrticularlj with tho exact reasons which led her t'e join tho Entente. Each, of tho ten es says is written l>y a distinguished Itali.ii professor. The essays were originally published in Italian, and have. been trans lated by Mrs. G. \V. Hamilton, wh< states that in publishing the volume, foi the benefit of the Italian lted Cross Funds, the National Association of tin University Professors of Italy has beer actuated by the desire to place before tho public "an expression ot tho justici and sanctity of tho cause for which Ital.i is now fighting, and to which the Italian University, proud of the gloriout pages inscribed by it in tho history oi the Bisorginiento, has consecrated.its entire ardour and faith." A French trans -ration of the essays has already been published, the French Press devoting much attention .'to the various facts anc documents so cogently set forth therein Amongst the various aspects of Italy's participation in the war, hero dealt with we the rights of Italy over tho Alps and the Adriatic; Italy's past struggles foi liberty in the "unredeemed" provinces the denunciation of tho Treaty of tlu Triple Alliance, and "the, necessity and reason for the present war with Turkey.' The essayists are mainly professors ol law, history, and political economy, am their contributions carry with them (hi woight of authority and expert knowledge. The opening essay, "The Jlora' Seasons for the War," by Professor Giorgio del Yecchio, of the University o! Bologna, is a remarkably eloquent and forceful exposition of tho justice of (hi Italian cause. The importance of Dalmatin.to Italy is very ably set forth l;j Professor Errero, whose essay, on "Th( Bights of Italy over the Alps and the Adriatic" is one of the most importanl and valuable in the book. After discussing, the racial aspects of the Dalmatian question, Professor Errerr contends that the Italian claims are based upon "the supreme right that be longs to the Italian State of assnrinc its own existence, placed on the mari time side absolutely at the mercv ol ,every caprice of others." In what nil unenviable, nay, permanently dangerous, position Italy must find herself se long as Austrian power is paramount in Istria and Dalmatia is explained b.v Professor Errern as follows:— What our Adriatic coast is, and whal pur maritime frontier towards Austria Hungary ;s, I.say, too well known 10 be recatiei:' at length here. In the northerr parts a low level coast of lagoon-like banks and delta-like protections, impass able to vessels of heavy tonnage excepi within the Venetian lagoon difficult ol access-a monotonous, rectilinear coast smooth, almost levelled, exposed beyond belief to invasion . . . without a. maritlnc platform of strategic value, without c harbour capable of containing a, fleet, t( say nothing of. protecting a Hcet; a proy m short, open and defenceless to auy at tacit-such is the Adriatic coast ot the Kingdom. On the contrary, intersected bj mountains and rocks, by iifcts, and projections, all dotted with islands which' give the appearance of dykes-against an ap .proach of tortuous and deep chamieU which seem made for every kind of snare, o: creeks where any-fleet might hide out ol fight either lor defence or olfencc; snef is the coast where Austria, her forces col locted in the magnificent ravines of Pola. Sebonico, or Cattaro or hidden in one oi t-he innumerable windings of the channel! on the coast, might nwoop noun unexpect edly with;.forces in three hour's, or any point.or our shore! Italy, on the con trary, -scarcely able-to.-arm:-in defonce of.-her poor coast the : two- extreme end*\cnice and,:Brindlsi-must keep- her ves sels-the only garrison to which she could entrust the safety or her Adriatic coastmust keep Uveal. I Bay, at Taranto, several hours distant rrrnn the very entrance to th» Adriatic, if she docs not wish tc expose them to hostile snares with onVj Hi" bare coast to tho rear mid the formidaWe enemy to the front. . . . Fvcn foi our Adriatic claims we muni., therefore Fpce.lt forcibly ol our supreme right, since brides the voice summsnin- ns to the JMlmatian const- in tho na-ms of our civilration and the language of our nation, a still stroncer v>,j- v proclaims the unfair lug necessity nf tre-in- r-e from the fetters which hold 1501) kilcmctrei of i-« coast, and choke the entire life of Italv on one of the two seas. . . The book is one which must be regirded as a permanently valuable contribution to the history of tho war. N Z price, 3s. Bd.)

"The Conscientious Objector." ■""I Appeal Unto Caesar': The Case of tho "CWiiiuliouij Oi;jecuur," is tne uiw ot a booklet written and edited by Airs Jlenrj Jioblioiise and iiubhshed by Messrs. Allen, Umvin, Ltd. TJio objeec i)l llio iintUor io to briji s under tile attention ul the "Lords and Cominons, (he Lioverinnent offices concerned, tho War Übinot, tho liing in his capacity as granter of pardons," and tho public' generally the case of those conscientious objectors who tiro extremists or "absolutists, men. who refuse all "alternative service whatever. These are about a thousand in number. Mam- of them are highly -educated men, some of whom have been conspicuous in various furms ef piplsinthropic and social reform work. Airs. Hobhou.se ]ile.id.s for the release of these men, many of whom have been sentenced to repeated terms cf imprisonment, ami lmvo suffered gravely in health as a consequence. The author tells as she herself has "sons in Franco who are daily risking their lives, subjected to the horrors and discomforts of the trenches, fighting as they are (heir country's battles, with the approval of their fellows," but that she feels "less, distress nt their fate" than she does for

"that other son undergoing for his faith a disgraceful sentence in a felon's cell," truly "rejected ami despised of men." Grave charges are brought by (he author against Iho prison aiUhoriticv, charges of neglect, petty persecution, and downright cruelly, and a number of selected eases of alleged special hardships ami harsh treatment are duly set forth. Sirs, flobhousu's own chapters are preceded by an introduction by Professor Gilbert Murray, and notes by the Earl of Selbornc, Lord Parmoor, Lord Hugh Cecil, 31.1'., aad Lord Henry lientinc!;, ll.]'. Professor Murray attaches great importance to what he alleges is the reason why these men "refuse to accept exemption on the condition of performing work of national importance'.' at the order of the tribunal. He continue?:

It is not because i.hev are unwilling to help their country or their' fellow-men. Most of them are men who before the war spout a great part of their lives in social service Nor is it; in the main, tjiat they arguo, willi' more logic than commonsense, thai when a country is using all its powers for war. any help given to that country is help to the war. tt is chiefly that thev will not accept freedom at the price of recognising and oheyiuj the oixlirs of a tribunal which in its very essence iheir whole conscience condemns.

Lord Selbornc holds the view thai, the present "cast-iron way of dealing with these eases is idiotic, and that each case should be dealt with on its merits, e.g., a man who is yuito obviously a conscientious objector according In 'tho meaning of the Act or Parliament should be treated as such, however much toehnicallv he may have put himself in the wrong." Lord Parmoor contends that: inlliction of successive terms of imprisonment on eonscienliou'i objectors is "controry to the express declarations of itsponsible Ministers when the Military Service Act was under debute m Parliament." whilst Lord Hugh Cecil argues that "if there be practical difficulties in the way of distinguishing ease from case, tho Home Office should be allowed to discriminate according to its discretion, and give, such relief as might seem in the circumstances possible," a somewhat similar opinion being expressed -by Lord Henry Bentinck, M.l\

I make no detailed comment upon I he nlinvi; slatcmcnl.s, nor upon those of "Mrs. ilohhuusi- hrradf. To do so would probiilily involvo nic in a ronfrovM'sy which would bo qiijtc out

of plnce in a literary column. I cannot help remarking, however, that it seems to mo at least that it a country be worth living in it is worth fighting for, and that if everyone who desired to u.-,cape military service were allowed to do eo, on the plea that he had conscientious scruples ugninst obeying the law of the land, gravo peril wouid speedily ensue to the nation and'the Empire.