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Show ITALY NEUTRAL BUT1ICHFUL PARLIAMENT APPLAUDS PREMIER'S PRE-MIER'S STATEMENT OF NA-" TION'S SITUATION. Pointed Out That Supreme Task of the Government is to Bring the Army and Navy to a State i of Preparedness. Rome. The Italian parliament opemed Thursday. The sittings of both the chamber of deputies and the senate were witnessed by a large gathering of deeply interested spectators. spec-tators. Premier 'Salandra made a statement in which he explained the situation of Italy and advised that she maintain an attitude of loyal but watchful and armed neutrality. He was frequently applauded. When Premier Salandra alluded to what he termed the just aspirations of Italy, the whole extreme left arose, crying "Viva Trent, viva Trieste." The spectators in the tribunes joined in the demonstration. The premier's statement was interrupted inter-rupted frequently with applause. It was noticed that former Premier Giolitti joined with the deputies in their expressions of approval. As the session was to adjourn Deputy Dep-uty Commandinl said that he wished to. ask the chamber to send greetings to "heroic and unfortunate Belgium." The whole chamber, including the president, the ministers and the people peo-ple in the tribunes arose and shouted: "Hurrah, Belgium!" The political divisions of the continent con-tinent of Europe, the premier pointed out, were perhaps about to be modified. modi-fied. Italy, he added, has vital interests inter-ests to protect and justly aspires to maintain her .position as a great power and to preserve intact her policies. pol-icies. She must therefore be watchful, watch-ful, powerful and ready for any eventuality. even-tuality. Thus the supreme task of the government was to bring the army and navy to a state of preparedness, since when law ceases to govern, the only safety of a nation is in force. Italy had no plans for aggression, but must be ready to protect herself against aggression on the part of others. |