The Italian Government is evidently not disposed to be for-
gotten in the settlement of the Eastern question, in which, as a Mediterranean Power, it is directly interested. According to a semi-official article in the Diritto, Italy has 340,000 men, drilled from, one to five years, in her first Army line, 300,000 of whom would be ready at a week's notice to take the field,
all provided with breech-loading rifles. Her field-artillery is completely provided with breech-loading field-pieces, and the cavalry has been "newly mounted." She has, moreover, six ironclads in the Mediterranean and eight in dock, nine wooden frigates, and a large number of smaller wooden vessels. All this means that Italy could now, if she felt the necessity, send out an army of 50,000 men, completely equipped, without any serious strain, except upon her finances,—a force quite sufficient to make the aid of Italy most important to any Power able to supply her with funds for the beginning of a campaign.
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