Italy has reached her present position through the development
of a policy the steps of which have been brightly illuminated
by the press of the Peninsula. The most important of these
steps may be designated as follows:
First, the declaration of the Government to the German
Ambassador at Rome on Aug. 1, 1914, that it did not regard the
conflict begun by Austria-Hungary and Germany as a defensive
war and hence not binding on it as a member of the Triple
Alliance, and its subsequent declarations of "neutrality," of
"armed neutrality," and of "a neutrality which is likely to be
broken if the interests of the country demanded it."
Second, Premier Salandra's speech of Dec. 3 for "armed, alert
neutrality," and the declaration in Parliament on Dec. 5 by
Signor Giolitti showing that the declaration of Aug. 1 was
merely a repetition of one conveyed to Austria in the Summer
of 1913, when Austria had suggested that she aid Bulgaria in
subduing Serbia.
Third, the arrival in Rome in December of the former German
Imperial Chancellor, Prince von Bülow, as Extraordinary
Ambassador to the Quirinal, for the purpose of keeping Italy
neutral, and, when this seemed doubtful, to negotiate between
Italy and Austria what territorial compensation the latter
would render the former in order to perpetuate the neutrality
of the Peninsula.
Aside from the influence of these official acts, which invited
press comments, the Italian papers have paid keen attention to
the conduct of the war, concerning which the Government could
not, on account of its neutrality, offer an opinion. Among
such incidents of conduct have been the British declaration of
a protectorate over Egypt and the bombardment of the
Dardanelles by the Franco-British fleet.
In order to weigh the full significance of the comments of the
Italian papers on these subjects a word may be said concerning
the status of the journals themselves:
The most conspicuous is the Idea Nazionale, a paper of Rome
practically dedicated to intervention. Then comes the
conservative and solid Corriere della Sera of Milan, whose
Rome correspondent, Signor Torre, has peculiar facilities for
learning the intentions of the Ministry. Both the Tribuna and
the Giornale d'Italia are considered Government organs, but,
while the former rarely comments with authority except on
accomplished facts, the latter, although often voicing the
unofficial and personal opinions of Premier Salandra, who is
known to be privately in favor of intervention, also voices
the sentiment of former Premier Giolitti, who is known to be
for continued neutrality. The Stampa of Turin is a Giolitti
organ.
The Osservatore Romano is the well-known Vatican organ, which
naturally supports Austria, a Catholic country, where such
support does not conflict too pointedly with the sentiments of
Catholics in neutral countries. Other clerical papers with
strong pro-German opinions and with German industrial backing
are the Corriere d'Italia and the Popolo Romano. The
Messaggero of Rome and the Secolo of Milan, influenced by
important British and French interests, are for intervention
at all costs. The Avanti is the Socialist organ.