ITALIAN RED GROSS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 308, 17 September 1918, Page 9

ITALIAN RED GROSS

This week there is to be a patriotio effort on behalf of the Italian., Red 'Cross, and an exhibition of pictures for the blind soldiers eff Franca is an appropriate time to recall the fact that in another campaign Eglish, French, oind Italian. troops fought together sb allies. In 18S5 the PiedmontcHo, Army 17,767 men, with 4464 s horses and 36 guns, sailed for the, Crimea. The little army was well disciplined, and proved itself brave and efficient in. several actions, especially in that ,of "the Tchernaya. The participation in; •this campaign—in the faoe-.'of ftrong;. •opposition—was a bold and statesman?.like mov6 on tho part of "Victor Emanuel, and his Prime.'Minis-: ier, Cavour.' Piedmont had-not long recovered from a disastrous : war-with .Austria, whose grip on Lotribardy -and Venice had sooner or later to: 1)6 snaken •off, and who might take- advantage of ■the opportunity to renew 'the attack. 'The Crimean War was denounced' as anti-liberal, and opposed to Italian precedents,' and tho sending of the iforce called for sacrifices on tho part of the little Kingdo/u, which was-later on-to be the nucleus of tho * Kingdom. of United Italy. But. when the war had finded, at the Congress of . Paris, de-~ spite Austria's opposition, Piedmont ■was admitted as a full member of the .European concert, aiid Cavour called attention to the abnormal state or Italy, the oppression, of Lombardy ana Venice, arid the hojrible : mißgoyornmont of Naples and Sicily, thoreby putting Piedmont , as the cliam-, pion of Itiiliaii liberty and nationality. The present campaign, it is hoped, will Kjtrceas the'liberation from Austria of the • Italian territory .yet ' 'unredeemed," and the-final'union of all Italianspeaking peoples in the Kingdom of ■our gallant Ally.- ■ v •„ •