THE POSITION OF ITALY. [To TER EDITOR Or 271X "
SPECTATOR."] 1312,—Although in agreement with the Spectator on most matters, I canuot help feeling surprised at the line taken up in your columns in regard to Italy. If Italy chooses of her own free will to turn against her own allies, so much the better for us; but to my mind it is not seemly that we, who profess to be fighting for the maintenance of treaty obligations, should urge her to take such a course. Such action on our part could hardly be regarded by neutrals as strictly honour- [Our correspondent does not seem to have informed himself of the nature of the Triple Alliance, or as regards Italy's specific treaty obligations towards Germany and Austria. Her neutrality does not involve any breach of treaty rights, nor would her joining the Entente do so. Her former allies freed her from all obligations towards them by breaking the clauses of the Alliance which bound them to consult her before taking steps involving war. Germany has never ventured to arraign Italy as a treaty-breaker.—En. Spectator.]
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