ITALY'S PART.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 82, 5 August 1915, Page 5

ITALY'S PART.

GERMAN DESIGNS ON TRIESTE. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. ■ Signor Kmillo Maroni. an Italian »> ll neer. who is at present on a visit to Sydney, had sometulug interesting to say last week rn a representative of “The Daily Telegraph” concerning . Italy’s part in the war. Signor Maroni did not leave Italy until three or four weeks after hostilities had broken out. and for some time previously had held an official position in the 1 service of the country.

j The declaration of war upon Austria, die said, was delayed for several reasons. One was that the War Office was not ready with its artillery, supplies of which were being maulactured in France. The principal weapon was the 73 in.in. mountain gun invented by the French officer. Colonel I)i port, and improved by the Italian artillery director. Another reason for the delay was that the mountains were heavily covered with snow, while a third reason was the necessity to prepare public opinion. Once war was declared the utmost enthusiasm prevailed, and the rush of volunteers was so great that the Government had to call a “halt.” Of course, compulsory service was in operation in Italy; but there were certain exceptions, such as, ior instance, where a son was the sole support of a family; and it was from the

.ranks ol' these exempted persons, ns well ns from nion who-were ovor tlio age limit in various parts of the* world. Ins well ns Italy, that the volunteers came. Italy had profited hy the experience of the other nations in the war. and. instead of putting only her host men in the field first, she mixed the troops, so that all lines would he of uniform standard. For a fortnight before the declaration, proceeded Signor Maroni. troops were being hurried to I he* Irontier. and. because of this, on the actual day of declaration, the plan of General CiVdorna was accomplished by the injvasion of Austria over a Irontier of about .’!()() miles. In some places the Italians penetrated only *2OO to 000 [yards, but in other places they, peneItrated as far as four miles. Ibis was very important, because In in the Austrian side the Italian side was dominated by heights. Excellent work was done by the Alpine soldiers and by the artillery, and, principally at night time, the guns were landed up by ropes to places where it was never suspected a gun could be accommodated. The result was that important Austrian positions were dominated, and to-day Italy held about 1-5.000 or 20.000 square miles of Austrian territory. Rapid progress was now being made in the direction ol Trieste, which was tiie immediate objective, (fori/.ia bad yet to fall, and the biggest difficulty after that was to negotiate' t'm bigwood of Ternova. Once that was successfully accomplished, however. the Italians would come to the bill of Sesauo. which dominated Trieste. They were determined to take Trieste at all costs, because the moral effect of its fall would be tremendous. It was Austria’s only commercial port, as distinct from Pohi, which was almost entirely a military harbor, and once it was lost, Austria would have no commercial port.

Germany, it would appear, said Signor Marini, would have pushed Austria to cede any part of the 'lreatino as the price of Italian neutrality, hut was against the cession of Trieste. The reason for tins was that Germany had designs upon Trieste herself, and was determined that if it was not to he Italian it would never again,he Austrian. hut German. In the event ol the defeat of the Allies. Germany would take Trieste herself, and. with an Adriatic fleet, would he mistress of the Adriatic and dom nate Kgypt and other places in the vicinity. Italy, however, was out to frustrate Germany, and to make Trieste a naval base, with I’ola and Flume. Great Britain. France. and Russia had agreed that Italy should have the Trentino and the Dalmatian coast, and the neighboring islands, with a portion of the coast to he available as an outlet for Servia.

Signor .Moroni went on to say that the manufacture of munitions had been going on in Italy for a long time, and surplus stocks of powder and explosives had been made available to France in exchange tor mountain guns. All tlu> arsenals were in lull swing, and private factories, employing 1.1,0(11) persons, were also busily engaged. Italy also had a plentiful supply of rice and corn, some of which had been made available to England and France in exchange for coal and petrol, and there was a two years’

|)ri‘p;i ill contract with America lor

supplies of food. so t hat increases in prices would lie avoided.