ITALY'S PROMISE TO FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 155, 26 March 1919, Page 7

ITALY'S PROMISE TO FRANCE

President and Mme. Poincare gave a reception recently at the Elysee in honour of the King of'ltaly and the Prince of Piedmont.

President Poincare, in proposiug the toast of King Victor Emmanuel, the Queen, and the rest of tho Italian Royal Family, after referring to the liberation of t'he Trentino, Trieste, and the coast of Istria, said:— "Italy sees flocking round her those of her sous who up to the present had found no place by her fireside, and with them she will i.ehieve that nationalunity to whose glorious edifice tho illustrious House of Savoy, which laid the foundations, will to-morrow set the cop-ing-stone. iThe greatness of Italy is largely due to the direct and personal intervention of Your Majesty in events." King Victor Emmanuel, in his reply, said:—"ltaly' has lonquered her natural rampart the Alps, and in the Adriatic, having regained her children who for so long had struggled to preserve their nationality, she will be able to ensure those conditions which are indispensable For tho security, of her existence. In tho' spontaneous impulse which drove Italy into tho war, n6 in every other manifestation of my country's policy, you will doubtless.recognise that sentiment innate in the Italian soul which is derived from ancient sources of right and justice, and by virtue of which we were and will always be opposed to any plan of supremacy and violent domination such as bur' enemies endeavoured to impose on the world. Henceforward an era of peaceful co-operation, founded on mutual respect and a trusty, and loyal friendship, is opening for our peoples. Prance and Italy have a great and common mission of civilisation to accomplish. No individual interest should impede it. We shall find in the just harmonising of our 'individual interests the indestructiblebund, of union formed by friendship and by the work of drawing together our two countries, consecrated by a fresh brotherhood in arms. Our two countries will thus be able mutually to offer each other valuable and steadfast support iu the difficult march of humanity towards a future ensured by liberty and justice."