"ITALY IS POOR"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 306, 14 September 1918, Page 2

"ITALY IS POOR"

HOW THIS COMES ABOUT ' TP INFLUENCE OF ENEMIES An'interesting account, of tlio cause and effect of war in Itfl)y " given by 51. Raoul Bigatoi, who, with M. Willy Rbgers-ft. by tlie way—id showing the . French Jropagnnda Pictures at the Academy of Jima Arts in Wellington. 4 . "In the , firet plane," said nlffigazzi, "Italy has 110 money—no , 'money fy alt. She-is not an industrial country in the senso that your people understand it. It is only in tlio last twenty-fivo years tliat Northern ttay has-become industrial; and tlie M>uti» has not started• yet. 'They are very different people, youf 6ee, the northern-' .el's and the southerners. The northern" ers afe quick and practical., tho pponus of tlie soutli arc dreamy. , ■■ "But even in tile north the indus«tries aro not-flourishing now. That is , because they were nearly all financed I rind managed by Germans. \Vhen Italy joiriCd the war these principals wera interned t}t left tlie country, and there was no nianagomciit and no money to carry on the worifs. The workers who aro not in the Army or employed- in-, munition factories- ara having- a bard tii'ub to-day,. : ,' 'Another reason, why Italy has no money is , the Turkish war , of 1911. That was a costly war,' and there was no chance for any benefit to be felt before tho big war came in Europe in 1914. '- "I hftve heard it freely said during ;my travels that Italy should liavo joined' the Allies <at the -outset). Otlie*' , : people have suggested that the reason 'was that Italy was, not ready;- / But) : Italy was not ready when she did declare war 1 on the Central Powers. S?rt tliat was', not the reason that Italy did , not -follow lisr heart's wish at the beginning. Tlie-reason was. pro-Germatt influence' in the Cabinet.' Giolitti was, : Premier at the time. He was friendly 1 towards the Austrians and , Germans. 'Not; only did lie .prevent Italy front' "joining, in, but he also prevented her from getting, ready to do so later on. :It was d'Annuuzio, \t\\a writer ■' and! orator, wlio opened tlie eyes of the ■ Italian people as to where their'duty ,lay. The result was the fall of Gio~ 'litti's party,, and Soniuo became Pro* 'mier. Then Italy declared war, though . sfie was less prepared than any of the, Allied Powers were when they: stepped!' into the arena. But the Italian hearts were happy to be standing shoulder to ; shoulder with " tho British, Italy S ! friend' of old. ' . , u ; "Of tho war: organisations,, one that) was tlie least j-eady in the financial sense was., the- Italian Red; Cross. _lt. was a' very old and able organisation! and very fashionable, and it had dono '.'good! work in times of .peace. Italy baa suffered much from earthquake, vol'canic eruptions, and floods,, and the lied Cross has always been to the fore in giving aid. The organisation was ia tlie hands of tho nobles, many ok whom arc Wends of the Church,, winch is friendly with Austria. So, while- !■ there was , always'plenty of money for I-peace , work, no funds for use , in was litime were accumulated. It was un« derstood that Italy would-never go to wai\with Austria. And the Red Cross as a fashionablo means of dispensings - philanthropy to the poor and suffering; was a- sort,of: social gcai, to belong to it was to bear the ball-mark. Every year there was a Red- Gross Day, when a gay gathering, was .held and. collections taken in the; streets— just as its ■ 'was..in' England and- other toglisli " "The war has changed all that. Now the Italian lied Cross is a very uidereachiiig, Jiusy- organisation; , It has hospitals , ' everywhere. -Italy,, as you know, was a tourist resort before tne war The large hotels were managed iand owned by- Germans or Russians. 'All these places have been made.into I'Bed Cross hospitals, for the wounded soldiers who have survived the rough ■and tedious journeys, over the mountains, where only the 'crudest hospital arrangements can bo made. Oh! yes, the , wounded Italian soldier has a rough passage to the' base hospitals. It is unavoidable that-these .should bo many . ■mil<?s-40 orinore-from the firing-line. ' "To get supplies is the present problem of the. Italian lied Cross. : Everybody rives .what he or she can.. Jiu6 onr people are poor and our corns n> bo small. Consider; it takes 100 cen, times to make one lire. More the war twenty-five lire made_ one polludthe English sovereign. But to-day ib requires 40 lire to make one pound. So when each poor person gives, one centimes-all they can afford maybe-it wild require 4000 such- donations to make one pound.- . , Ali; res. all supplies of every kind ■are difficult to obtain, u> Italy J andthey are dear, everything! >ou see, ' tliere is no trade with Austria, none with Switzerland, very little witb These countries have been very good toTtolv-' their goodness has heartened our &-&&%"&% , nnr »ie_i V on call it so, also: , ies, fct tirfnfc that friends afar off are .tlioughtful, is Very comfort ing'" - ■ :