OURSELVES AND ITALY [To the Editor of THE . SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Mr.
J. B. Jones seems to have rather strange ideas of the part played by Italy in the Great War. Before entering the War, Italy carefully tested the direction of the wind and with true Latin logic and sagacity came to the conclusion that it would take England and France safely to port. Italy obtained finance from London and Paris, and munitions in great quanti- ties from our ever-growing series of arsenals At the famous battle of Caporetto, Italy (faced by the tired Austrian armies backed up by a few Germans) lost over 200,000 prisoners and Practically all its guns and transport, thus holding up the Allies' carefully prepared offensives for something like a year. Further by the War Italy gained South Tyrol (largely inhabited by Germanic Austrians), Istria, Zara, the Dodecanese and land in Africa. The Dodecanese, let it be said, had been Turkish since the fifteenth century, and Zara forms a wedge in the Jugoslav coast. In proportion to its efforts Italy did quite as well as England and France out of the War—especially when we remember that Italy went to war for the sole purpose of regaining Trieste and the surrounding country and for obtaining a safe Alpine frontier in South Tyrol. Neo-Italians like Mr. Jones seem to out-Herod Herod.—Yours faithfully, G. W. R. THOMSON. Law Society's Hall, Chancery Lane, London, W.C. 2.
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