Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1112

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ITALY

The capital (nominal) of the consolidated and redeemable debt amounted to 13,041,422,577 lire on July 1, 1911, or 521,656,903^. sterling, and the interest to 459,234,203 lire, or 18,369, 368Z. sterling. The debt per head of population was 15Z. Os. 8d., and the interest ISs. Od.

On June 30, 1911, the property of the State was as follows : —

Financial assets (Treasury) ....

Property, immovable, movable, loans, and various titles ........

Property of industrial nature ....

Material in use in army and navy ....

Property used in the service of the State

Scientific and artistic material ....

Gold in depot .......

Total.

Estimated Value, Lire

1,664,131,407

1,565,339,197

1,871,130,473

1,503,792,777

644,620,628

252,958,763

18,704,675

7,520,677,920

In the financial year 1910-11 the revenue from State property was : — Railways, 39,260,938 lire; ecclesiastical, 573,994 lire; from fixed capital, 8,393,874 lire; from the Cavour Canals, 3,901,103 lire; various, 4,784,208 lire ; total, 56,914,117.

Defence.

I. Frontier.

The extent of the land frontier of Italy is as follows : — French frontier 300 miles ; Swiss 418 ; Austro- Hungarian 484 ; frontier of San Marino 24 ; in all (exclusive of San Marino) 1202 miles. The coast line of the peninsula measures 2,052 miles ; of Sicily, 630 ; of Sardinia, 830 ; of Elba and the small islands, 648 ; the total length of coast is thus 4160 miles.

On the Continental frontier of Italy the principal passes of the Alps are defended by fortifications. The basin of the Po is also studded with fortified places, the chief strong places in the region are the following ; — Casale, Piacenza, Verona, Mantua (these two belong to the old Austrian Quadrilateral), Venice, Alessandria. On the coasts and islands are the folloAving fortified places: — Vado, Genoa, Spezia, Monte Argentaro, Gaeta ; works in the Straits of Messina^ Taranto. To the north of Sardinia a group of fortified islands form the naval station of Maddalena. Rome is protected by a circle of forts.

II. Army.

Service in the aimy (or navy) is compulsoiy and universal. The total period is 19 years, beginning at the age of twenty and the young men of the year are divided into 3 categories ; the first being posted to the per- manent army ; the second also to the permanent army but with ' unlimited leave ' ; and the third, that is those exempted from active service, to tlie