The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1928. A DANGER SPOT.

Evening Star, Issue 19802, 28 February 1928, Page 4

The Evening Star TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1928. A DANGER SPOT.

There have been more threatening dangers to the peace of Europe in the last twelve mouths than the tension that has arisen botwocn Italy and Austria. When Italy and Jugo-Slavia were glowering at each other across the possible Naboth’s vineyard of Albania the diplomatists had reason to be perturbed, because both those Rowers have armies, and no one could say how soon they might unslip the dogs of war. When France and Italy had their differences, causing troops to ho increased along the frontier, there was equal cause lor alarm, hot blood on both sides being an clement to be feared. It was a rebel when Signor Mussolini made lbs pronouncement that he had no more mind than France for that conflict. The strained relations that have caused Italy to recall her ambassador from Austria do not involve, happily, any direct danger of war, because Austria has no army. She was disarmed most effectually after tho peace treaty, which reduced her from a Great Power to ono of tho smallest and most Helpless States of Europe. But if the Germau-Aus-trians of the Trentino, handed over to Italy by the same treaty, go on complaining as piteously and loudly as they have been doing of their treatment by their new masters they may rouso resentment among neighboring countries that will have its own peril for peace at no distant time.

The TreUtino was formerly a part of the Austrian province of Tyrol. It was transferred to Italy by the peace treaty, largely for tho sake of securing her northern frontier. Unfortunately it includes some 200,000 German-Aus-trians. Tho exact figures showing the proportion of populations seem to be in dispute. An historian has spoken of “ the Southern Tyrol, which has been Gorman in speech and thought for a thousand years.” Before and during the war we heard a great deal about “Italia irredenta,” Italian communities, on a soil that had traditionally belonged to Rome, groaning under a foreign yoke. The result of the peace treaty in the Trentino was to transfer that irredentist problem and grievance from Italy to Austria. The Austrians of the Southern Tyrol do not wish to be Italians. And Signor Mussolini would not be the special brand of patriot that he is' if lie did not wish to Italianise

them in every way. When he calls upon his countrymen to bo proud of

their nationality it is impossible lor him to be content to see largo minorities in Italy proud of not belonging to it. .The measures taken for-the italianisation of the Trentino, according to most accounts, have been far-reaching and complete. Within a year of the transfer of the territory the Italian Minister of the Interior did indeed declare: “Peoples of other nationalities now united with us are to know that wo have no intention whatever of oppressing or denationalising them. Their language and their cultural institutions will be respected.” The King also made u speech from the Throne, in which those promises were reiterated. But it is complained that, in actual practice, the Italian Government has given no evidence of its intention to fulfil those covenants.

The llalianisation process has boon most resented when it lias trenched upon the religious life of the people. It is not long since many German pastors were forbidden to enter the schools, while several, acting as teachers, were expelled. .Nursing sisters, thoroughly familiar with the Italian tongue, were forbidden to serve in hospitals. Four hundred German elementary schools were automatically destroyed by an edict making the Italian language compulsory for the first three grades, and, following the attempts made on the- life of Mussolini, the language of the schools was made exclusively Italian. It was even made an offence against the law to give private lessons in German. It was an offence, or so it was reported, to have Christmas trees. The Fascist! are very thorough, and Fascist agents, it is alleged, have tended to bo even more thorough and coercive than their central government. A year or so ago indignation at these repressions provoked boycotts against Italians and Italian trade among the neighboring Germans of Bavaria, causing counter-resentment on the part of Italy. Now some Tyrol members of the Austrian Parliament have been declaiming against the oppression of their countrymen, alleging ill-treatment of German women as well as men, the breaking up of homes, and the denial of free speech. There is not much free speech allowed to Italians in Italy. The Austrian Foreign Minister (Dr Soipel) has declared his grief at such oppression, along with Austria’s powerlessncss to prevent it, and Italian deputies have been retorting with complaints of the “ campaign of impudence and falsehood,” which they say is being officially cncouragfcd in Austria, while the newspapers warn the League of Nations and “other foreigners” not to interfere. The Trentino, they infer, is a domestic matter. It is Italy’s own Germans whom she is ruling there. It is a question, however, whether a more tactful and considerate rule would not have the effect of making them carlici “ good Italians,” and if over Germany and Austria become united the grievance may be more dangerous than it is to-day. At present, as the Loudon ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ has been pointing out, it has indirect, but not direct, dangers for the world’s peace.