ITALY'S WARNING.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1918, Page 8

ITALY'S WARNING.

' JVHY TEE FLEET WAS READY. William Potter, an. American-ex-Ambas-sador to Italy, revealed a startling bit of secret history to the Eotwy Club (states the Philadelphia Public Ledger in a recent issue). While summarising what Italy has done for the Allies he related that lie had learned through Government channels when in England at the tragi- 1 time of the smiting of the I/usitania (May, 1915) that Italy had in July, WU, after the assassination of the Austrian heir, appealed to Britain not to disperse her fleet, then asifemhled in Home waters for review. So far-reaching and full of significance was this fragment of hidden history that the seal of secrecy was placed upon his lips. But now in the days of Italy's supreme testing Ambassador Cellere has removed the seal and this unsuspected record leap to light, throwing into high relief a whole succession of vitaily important events us a lightning flash snatches a landscape from darkness. It has always been one of the mysteries of diplomacy why the British Navy did not demobilise after it: parade review in the somnolent summer of 191-1 In the natural course of events it would have been demobilised and dispersed. The Germans dou'btless calculated on this course of action why they timed their surprise attack upon the life of Franco and the liberties of mankind. They thought that the formidable British fleets, assembled ft 3 a spectacle for overseas Statesmen, would have been reduced to a peace states and scattered over the seven seas before the German battering ram plunged on its brutal erraud towards Paris. In a word, the naval shield of [Britannia would not have heen buckled on her arm, and Germany hoped that she might hesitate to rush to the rescue of France and Belgium.

But the shield was ctill in place when Germany struck. It was generally thought e, happy chance. Winston Churchill has always got much of the credit for this act of miraculous foresight But the miracle worker was Italy. Let that never bo forgotten. When we aTO talking about who should have the credit for parrying that firstdeadly, dastard blow at France, and the world's freedom, let us always remember that Italy contributed two factors without which disaster might have come; first she warned Britain to keep her battle fleet in being, and, second, she immediately relieved France of all anxiety .".bout her Italian frontier, and so released 400,000 men to fight at the immortal Marne. Could we have won—could wo hare saved ourselves alive—without Italy?

Catagorical negatives are dangerous But surely one seems to be justified here. Surely we can say-that the modern Italian nation, after a mediaeval midnight of feebleness and division, has revived the traditions of splendid Home, and stood as an indispensable bulwark for the choicest civilisation of its age. Surely wa can say thai Italy averted a German victory.

Now we know iliat it kept the British Navy ready to take instant command of the sea, ihus strengthening the war partv in (Britain and swiftly smothering German commerce. We have long known that it sent several vitally necessary French army corps to stop the Germans at the Marne. flow necessary they were w? can iudge by askin? the simple question: How many could France have spared at the Marne?