Show CHARGES ENGLAND COERCED ITALIANS GERMAN chancellor DISCUSSES declaration OF WAR AGAINST HIS COUNTRY BY ROME declares it italy was apparently afraid of consequences which she would suffer r after the war in regard to economic Relt relations lons berlin the reichstag convened thursday and the imperial chancellor dr von bethmann holweg delivered his eagerly awaited speech he began by outlining the eventa which led up to the italian and rumanian declarations dfwar of war hp he recalled that the german ambassador had bad left rome italis declaration of war against austria hungary and that germany had bad announced that the italians would findl find german troops fig fighting hillig with their austro hungarian comrades on the italian frontier he continued thus a state of war practically existed but al formal declaration of war did not come till later italy apparently was afraid of the consequences which she would suffer buffe r after the war in regard to her economic relations with us on the other hand rome preferred to lay the blame tor for the declaration at our door but for us there was no reason to in play italis game our tactics were justified by tho the interrupted efforts of the entente powers to cause italy to declare war for more than a year the italian government resisted finally the measures which england employs with equal ruthlessness against neutrals and her allies were too strong italis warfare depends upon english coal and money finally she had to give lu in the decision certainly was brought about by british coercion although italian hopes in regard to the balkans also exercised influence |