ITALY'S ARMY STRENGTH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 22, 26 May 1915, Page 8

ITALY'S ARMY STRENGTH.

3,200,000 MEN AVAILABLE. The New York World of .March 30 publishes an interesting article outlining Italy's lighting strength. It states that the Italian army, whose immediate trained lighting strength is estimated at .Kill.ooo men, counting the mobile militia, is organised under the system introduced in 1010 by General Spingardi, Minister for War. The war strength is L. 000,000, with 2.200.000 Territorials in reserve, making a total strength of 3,200,000. Service in the army, as in the navy, is universal and compulsory. Enlistment begins at 20. and the conscript is liable to the colors for 19 years.

The Italian Government, by adding to its estimate 2.200.000 of Territorial .Militia, who are practically raw recruits, figures a total war strength of about 3,200,000 men.

As compared with France and Germany, the Italian Territorials have little training. Italy's colonial army in its Red Sea possessions i Erythrea) consists of 750 whites and 3800 natives. The colonial force in Libya, North Africa,' totals 15,000 men in 14 battalions, six squadrons, and six batteries. THE DEFENCES, ETC. The Austro-Italian frontier is 481 miles long. The Italian coastline totals IlliO miles, of which 2002 are on the peninsula. Every Alpine pass on the Italian frontier is fortified, and in the basin of the I'o there are fortresses at t'asale, Pianeenza, Verona, Mantua, Venice, and Alessandria.

A circle of forts guards Rome. The fortresses on the coasts and islands are at Vado, Genoa, Spezia, Monte Argentaro, Gaeta, Taranta, and in the Straits of Messina. .

The standard weapon of the Italian infantry is the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, of the magazine type, with 6.5 mm. calibre. The old Vetteril rifle is still in use among the Territorial Militia. The held artillery now ues the do Port gun and carriage, 19T2 model, 7.5 cm calibre.

The Alpini are sharpshooters. The cavalrymen have taken prizes at the Olympia shows in London. • ftals has felt, no less than the other European nations, the effect of the general decline in the physical vigor of tile people. Two years ago only 193,000 out of 278,000 young men summoned for conscription stood the physical tests.

BATTALION OF AVIATORS. In aviation Italy has not taken the keen, practical interest shown in the last three years by Germany and France. This, too. in spite of the fact that Italy was the first country to use dirigible haloons and air machines in' actual warfare—that is to say, in the war with Turkey.

The Italian aeroplanes were scarcely used in that conflict, except in North Africa, in Tripoli, where they accomplished little.

Italy has now an active aeroplane fleet of 1-1 divisions, with seven aeroplanes in each division—9B in all. There are four reserve divisions,\- with seven in each, making a total of 126 ivar fliers. They are of four principal types—the Farman, the Sit, the Caproni, and the Nieuport. Each can carry about 5501bs of a load.

To man these heavier-than-air craft there are 105 military pilots and about 1000 civilian pilots.

Approximately 250 extra pilots are in training, and over 250 new machines were ordered two months ago, to bo ready by next month.

This would bring the aeroplane strength up to ,'{7s machines, with at least one licensed pilot for each. Of dirigible balloons Italy has 10, so far as is known. Four of them are semi-rigid, with 15,416 cubic feet of gas capacity and a speed of 35 miles an hour.

Tuo*are semi-rigid, with 40,000 cubic feet of gas capacity, and a speed of 42 miles an hour, with a range of 620 miles, to be covered in 21 hours. They carry two machine guns, one fore, one aft.

One is of the Y type, semi-rigid, with 50,000 cubic feet of gas capacity, and a speed of 55 miles an hour. ]t can carry 80001 b, and range for 15 hours.

One of the Milan type, semi-rigid, has 45,000 cubic feet capacity, sustains 80001 b, flies 45 miles an hour, ranges 30 hours.

One rigid has 152,000 cubic feet of gas space, with a speed of GO miles an hour, carries 28,0001 b, and has a compressed air gun as well as a torpedo tube, and several machine guns. Two riflemen are posted in look-outs on top of the baloon.

One is a Parseval. non-rigid, with 30,000 cubic feet capacity, and a speed of 35 miles an hour.

In addition there are building, to be ready in April, .10 semi-rigid scout balloons.

The scouts. a s well as all the other Italian army balloons, are boat-shap-ed, semi-hydroplanes, andean be used equally well under naval directions. PREPARED FOB WAR.

As to the preparedness of the Italian army, it lias boon published recently that the firm of contractors in the City of Turin that exclusively furnished the army with supplies, put out last January tentative contracts in the United States for 25,000,000d015, some of which, consisting of ammunition, have been tilled. Last month the Italian Government prohibited the exportation of pork and fowl, oil, fat, tallow, and chestnuts. This was in addition to an earlier decree conserving supplies for the army. Italy has been buying several million bushels of wheat and over 200,00(1 bags of American flour. Since King Emmanuel signed, on March 21, the decree promulgating the

National Defence Law. forbidding >•■■ pionage, tlit 1 movi'inoiit of the Italia army toward moliilisution liave bee carried on in secret. In February tin ■year ihe reservists abroad, in Britah 'America, and elsewhere, goi word froi Home to prepare lor a rail borne. | The effect or' the decree of March 2 lias been to establish zones thrmijjHou Italy, especially in tbe neigh bonrhoo of the frontiers, where no foreigner are permitted to sojourn or even visi on any plea or pretence. The publ cation of inilitarv news is lorbiddoi;