The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JUNE 13 1915. ITALY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 27, 1 June 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JUNE 1 3 1915. ITALY.

I 01" the new nations of Europe that haw arisen during the past century; Italy, tlio united Italy of to-day, may 1 claim the most striking history perhaps of all, and it is predicted that she will exercise the greatest influence in the near future. After tlio great struggles which brought the States together in one Kingdom the nation struggled for years against great poverty. For twenty-five years

—until 1895—the Government was compelled to sell property for the nonpayment of taxes. Every Italian paid about 1 per.cent. of his income in different imposes, whereas at the same time Frenchmen paid 1.8 and Englishmen 1.7 per cent. Nearly 6 per cent. of the national income was spent for the first twenty years of nationality on the army and navy. Since the nineties, however, according to one writer, there has been an enormous development in production, manufactures and trade. In 1860 there were only 1125 miles of railways and .'50,000 miles of made roads. Now there are 12.000 miles of railways, 4000 miles of electric and steam trams, 2000 miles of motor services, and 90,000 miles of roads. It was not an uncommon thing in the 'seventies for the national expenditure to be double the income, now the balance-sheet is squared. During the last twelve months between £80,000,000 and £90,000,000 has been spent upon the army and navy, which are believed to be very efficient. In times of peace 250,000 men are kept under arms; in time of war the effective forces are said to number 3,500,000. The Italian private soldier used to he paid a penny per day, or slightly more than the soldier of Austria. During the Tripoli war he was granted an increase of 50 per cent, making his pay lid per day. It is well-known that Italian aspirations, apart from the neighbouring provinces of Austria and the Adriatic coast, have always been directed towards a controlling influence along the Mediterranean coasts. The patriots of 184 S and 1850 prophesied that some day the whole of North Africa would belong to Italy. And now having thrown her lot in with the Allies to help crush the inhumanity of a brutal German militarism there is great possibility of a portion at least of this virile young nation's dream becoming reality.