Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1067

 DEFENCE 1015

In the financial jreai 1917-18 th> revenue from State property was :— iaatical, 284,169 lire: from fiTr.l capital, 8,687,368 lire; from the r Canals, 3,614.5f.O lire; from riilwav*. 4,242 lire; various, 8,187,445 lire ; total, 20,777,775.

Defence. I. Fbontikr.

The extent of the land frontier of Italy is as follows : — French frontier 300 miles ; Swiss 418 ; Austrian 566 ; frontier of San Marino 24 : in all (exclusive of San Marino) 1,284 miles. The coast line of the peninsula measure i 2,052 miles ; of Sicily, 630 ; of Sardinia, 830 ; of Klha and the small islands, 648 ; the total length of coast is thus 4,160 miles.

On the Continental frontier of Italy the principal passes of the Alps are defended by fortifications. The ba*in 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, All Mandril On the coasts and islands are the following fortified places : — Vado, Genoa, Speaia, 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. Aemy.

Service in the aimy (or navy) is compulsory and universal. The total period is 19 years, beginning at the age of twenty 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 serrioe, to the territorial militia. The second category men form what is called the ' com- plementary force.'

The term of service in the ranks of the permanent army is 2 years for all arms. After passing through the ranks, the men are placed on 'unlimited leave,' i.e., they are transferred to the reserve, in which they remain until they have completed a total of 8 years' service. From the reserve the soldier passes to the mobile militia, the term of service in which is 4 years. After completing his time in the mobile militia he is trans- ferred to the territorial militia, in which he remains 7 years ; thus finishing his military service at the age of 39.

The second category recruits are regarded as belonging to the permanent army for the first 8 years of their service. During this period they receive from 2 to 6 months' training, which may be spread over several years. They then pass to the mobile militia, and afterwards to the territorial militia, the periods of service in each being the same as in the case of the first category soldiers. The men allotted to the third category, who are posted at once to the territorial militia, receive 80 days' training.

In Italy each rejgiment receives recruits from all parts of the country, and the tro>jw change their stations by brigades every four years. On mobilisation regiments would be filled up by reservists from the districts in which they are .juartered at the time. Reliefs are so arranged that at least half the reservists shall have previously served in the unit which they would join on mobilisation.