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hostile。。。〃
〃After all；〃 I said presently； after reflection； 〃in that matter
of /Pecunia non olet/； there used to be fusses about
European loans in China。 And one of the favourite themes of
British fiction and drama before the war was the unfortunate
position of the girl who accepted a loan from the wicked man to
pay her debts at bridge。〃
〃Italy；〃 said Captain Pirelli； 〃isn't a girl。 And she hasn't
been playing bridge。〃
I incline on the whole to his point of view。 Money is facile
cosmopolitan stuff。 I think that any bank that settles down in
Italy is going to be slowly and steadily naturalised Italian； it
will become more and more Italian until it is wholly Italian。 I
would trust Italy to make and keep the Banca Commerciale Italiana
Italian。 I believe the Italian brain is a better brain than the
German article。 But still I heard people talking of the
implicated organisation as if it were engaged in the most
insidious duplicities。 〃Wait for only a year or so after the
war；〃 said one English authority to me； 〃and the mask will be off
and it will be frankly a 'Deutsche Bank' once more。〃 They assure
me that then German enterprises will be favoured again； Italian
and Allied enterprises blockaded and embarrassed； the good
understanding of Italians and English poisoned； entirely through
this organisation。。。。
The reasonable uncommercial man would like to reject all this
last sort of talk as 〃suspicion mania。〃 So far as the Banca
Commerciale Italiana goes； I at least find that easy enough； I
quote that instance simply because it is a case where suspicion
has been dispelled； but in regard to a score of other business
veins it is not so easy to dispel suspicion。 This war has been a
shock to reasonable men the whole world over。 They have been
forced to realise that after all a great number of Germans have
been engaged in a crack…brained conspiracy against the non…German
world； that in a great number of cases when one does business
with a German the business does not end with the individual
German。 We hated to believe that a business could be tainted by
German partners or German associations。 If now we err on the
side of over…suspicion； it is the German's little weakness for
patriotic disingenuousness that is most to blame。。。。
But anyhow I do not think there is much good in a kind of witch…
smelling among Italian enterprises to find the hidden German。
Certain things are necessary for Italian prosperity and Italy
must get them。 The Italians want intelligent and helpful
capital。 They want a helpful France。 They want bituminous coal
for metallurgical purposes。 They want cheap shipping。 The
French too want metallurgical coal。 It is more important for
civilisation； for the general goodwill of the Allies and for
Great Britain that these needs should be supplied than that
individual British money…owners or ship…owners should remain
sluggishly rich by insisting upon high security or high freights。
The control of British coal…mining and shipping is in the
national interestsfor international interestsrather than for
the creation of that particularly passive； obstructive； and
wasteful type of wealth； the wealth of the mere profiteer； is as
urgent a necessity for the commercial welfare of France and Italy
and the endurance of the Great Alliance as it is for the well…
being of the common man in Britain。
3
I left my military guide at Verona on Saturday afternoon and
reached Milan in time to dine outside Salvini's in the Galleria
Vittorio Emanuele； with an Italian fellow story…writer。 The
place was as full as ever； we had to wait for a table。 It is
notable that there were still great numbers of young men not in
uniform in Milan and Turin and Vicenza and Verona； there was no
effect anywhere of a depletion of men。 The whole crowded place
was smouldering with excitement。 The diners looked about them as
they talked； some talked loudly and seemed to be expressing
sentiments。 Newspaper vendors appeared at the intersection of
the arcades； uttering ambiguous cries； and did a brisk business
of flitting white sheets among the little tables。
〃To…night；〃 said my companion； 〃I think we shall declare war upon
Germany。 The decision is being made。〃
I asked intelligently why this had not been done before。 I
forget the precise explanation he gave。 A young soldier in
uniform； who had been dining at an adjacent table and whom I had
not recognised before as a writer I had met some years previously
in London； suddenly joined in our conversation； with a slightly
different explanation。 I had been carrying on a conversation in
slightly ungainly French； but now I relapsed into English。
But indeed the matter of that declaration of war is as plain as
daylight； the Italian national consciousness has not at first
that direct sense of the German danger that exists in the minds
of the three northern Allies。 To the Italian the traditional
enemy is Austria； and this war is not primarily a war for any
other end than the emancipation of Italy。 Moreover we have to
remember that for years there has been serious commercial
friction between France and Italy； and considerable mutual
elbowing in North Africa。 Both Frenchmen and Italians are
resolute to remedy this now； but the restoration of really
friendly and trustful relations is not to be done in a day。 It
has been an extraordinary misfortune for Great Britain that
instead of boldly taking over her shipping from its private
owners and using it all； regardless of their profit； in the
interests of herself and her allies； her government has permitted
so much of it as military and naval needs have not requisitioned
to continue to ply for gain； which the government itself has
shared by a tax on war profits。 The Anglophobe elements in
Italian public life have made the utmost of this folly or laxity
in relation more particularly to the consequent dearness of coal
in Italy。 They have carried on an amazingly effective campaign
in which this British slackness with the individual profiteer； is
represented as if it were the deliberate greed of the British
state。 This certainly contributed very much to fortify Italy's
disinclination to slam the door on the German connection。
I did my best to make it clear to my two friends that so far from
England exploiting Italy； I myself suffered in exactly the same
way as any Italian； through the extraordinary liberties of our
shipping interest。 〃I pay as well as you do；〃 I said； 〃the
shippers' blockade of Great Britain is more effective than the
submarines'。 My food； my coal； my petrol are all restricted in
the sacred name of private property。 You see； capital in England
has hitherto been not an exploitation but a hold…up。 We are
learning differently now。。。。 And anyhow； Mr。 Runciman has been
here and given Italy assurances。。。。〃
In the train to Modane this old story recurred again。 It is
imperative that English readers should understand clearly how
thoroughly these little matters have been /worked/ by the
enemy。
Some slight civilities led to a conversation that revealed the
Italian lady in the corner as an Irishwoman married to an
Ita