cate her policy
in the Balkans and elsewhere. It was maintained by Italian publicists
that the Italian fleet had fought with the fleets of France and
England on several occasions against the Turks. It was pointed out
that that fleet was on continual patrol duty in the Mediterranean with
those of the Allies. Italian troops had also been landed with French
troops on the island of Corfu, and, according to report, had
cooperated to some extent with British troops in Egypt and North
Africa. Nevertheless, political and military reasons all combined to
make the Austro-Italian frontier the one battle ground where Italy
could hope for an enduring victory and fight for it with all her
strength.

In regard to the absence of a declaration of war between Germany and
Italy, the attitude of the Government of King Victor Emmanuel was thus
explained: First of all, the treaty of the Triple Alliance did not
consist of a single document, but of three separate agreements: one
between Germany and Austria, another between Germany and Italy, and
another between Austria and Italy. When Austria declared war on
Serbia, Italy registered her protest against the policy of Austria in
which she claimed to recognize a violation of that country's treaty
with herself. The pourparlers thus gradually turned for subject matter
to the time-honored grievances which Italy cherished against her
present ally, but old oppressor. In these negotiations Germany
rendered continued aid to Italy, who sought by peaceful means to
secure the return of the provinces to which she had an immemorial
claim. These negotiations failed, and Italy, denouncing her treaty
with Austria-Hungary, declared war against her. But except in so far
as she was the ally of Austria-Hungary, Italy had no grievance against
Germany. She broke off diplomatic relations with both empires, and she
expected that Germany would declare war against her. Germany did not
do so, and there the matter remained.

Italy had undoubted historic grounds for this procedure, which was
likewise in full agreement with the national feeling. For well over a
century feeling in Italy against Austria has been deep and widespread.
Toward Germany, on the other hand, the feeling is largely neutral,
tinged with a certain awe of German efficiency. German investments in
Italy are also said to total something like $3,000,000,000, and the
economic domination which that vast sum denotes was bound to be felt
through every channel