Page:Cesare Battisti and the Trentino.djvu/24

 neutral, the joy in Trentino was great. A little digression here, by your leave, is timely; it is justified by some unwarranted reflections we find these days (December, 1918) in some papers regarding Italy's participation in the war. It is rather emphatically asserted that Italy entered the war on the conclusion of a bargain, having first carefully weighed the inducements and the sacrifices, just as a business man would show some unwillingness to enter a deal if not satisfied beforehand that he is to reap more profit than loss from the enterprise.

Now, we ask, what bargain could Italy have made in 1914? None. She did not have even the time necessary to that end. She was not warned of her allies' intentions until the very eve of the war. How could she have bargained her neutrality so suddenly in favor of France, England and Russia? And still Italy's self-determined neutrality was quite sudden. Did not that move smack of a declaration of war with opening of hostilities more or less deferred? Nobody, either in Italy or abroad, was blind to the fact that the Central Empires would only bide their time for taking their revenge. Even at that time their papers called Italy's neutrality the "treason of their ally."

Moreover, Italy was then absolutely unprepared for war — England had no army, and the Central Group was beyond a doubt the stronger of the contending parties. Italy faced this storm, defiantly crossing her arms and making it known to France that she had nothing to fear from her, Italy. Did not this attitude of Italy strongly help to make possible the, in September, 1914? And, pray, what deal did Italy close at that time? None. Bright with the light of her enthusiasm, she risked her entire future. She was roused by those very principles that led the United States into the war — liberty and democracy.

If, later on, after nine months, and before entering the field of battle, Italy clearly set down her demands, what is there to wonder at? She simply asked that her rights be acknowledged to those lands which nature, culture, and ethnography point out to be her own. France, too, asserted that no peace be concluded Page twenty-two