Italy and the World War. By Thomas Nelson Page. (Chap-
man and Hall. 25s. net.)—The late American Ambassador to Italy has written an interesting book about Italy's reasons for entering the war and her difficulties in carrying it on. He is, however, extremely discreet and tells us little or nothing that has not appeared in print. Unhappily, he has not verified all his references, and his book has mistakes of fact which cannot be set down to the printer. He says that the Italian Government, by refusing facilities to American journalists early in the war, offended the American Press and lost the opportunity of gaining the sympathy of the American people. His account of Caporetto is worth reading ; he says that only a few regiments were infected with Socialist treachery and that some regiments of the Second Army fought desperately, before panic set in and reduced that army to a mob. Mr. Page thinks that the Allies ought to have helped Italy in June, 1918, to take advantage of her victory on the Piave ; he forgets that the Allies had no troops to spare, for they were hard pressed in France. He writes cautiously about President Wilson's Adriatic proposals of April, 1919, but he shows why those proposals infuriated the Italian public. Mr. Page understands Italy's traditional dislike of the Croats, who foughi for Austria till the last, and then,
posing as " Southern Slays," tried to save the Austrian fleet from falling into the victor's hands.
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