The Italian correspondent of the Times gives some interesting particulars
of the state of the Italian Army. It is now so organised, he says, under General Ricotti that it can place 300,000 men in
the first line, with endless half-trained reserves. The men are well disciplined, of an excellent temper, merry as schoolboys and devoted as monks, and as we can ourselves testify, on the very best of terms with the civil population, who knowing they will injure nothing, welcome them when they arrive even in armies for their camp manoeuvres. It is said, however, that they are underfed, getting meat only twice a week, and that boiled, and an insufficiency of wine. The reason of this is economy, and possibly the habits of the peasantry of mid-Italy, who in their extreme penuriousness half starve themselves, but it seems certain that it is injudicious. The wine is no matter, but soldiers worked as hardly as the Italian soldiers would be much the heavier for meat once a day always. The country lads of the Eastern Counties, who seldom see meat except on foot, gain inches in width of chest from the Queen's rations, and one reason at least why Mohammedans beat Hindoos in India is that they can eat meat, if only they can afford it.
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