Peaceless Europe | Page 8

Her astonishing capacity for saving increased in
proportion with her wealth. Without having Germany's force of
development and Great Britain's power of expansion, France enjoyed a
wonderful prosperity and her wealth was scattered all over the world.
Italy had arisen under the greatest difficulties, but in less than fifty
years of unity she progressed steadily. Having a territory too small and
mountainous for a population already overflowing and constantly on
the increase, Italy had been unable to exploit the limited resources of
her subsoil and had been forced to build up her industries in conditions
far less favourable than those of other countries. Italy is perhaps the
only nation which has succeeded in forming her industries without
having any coal of her own and very little iron. But the acquisition of
wealth, extremely difficult at first, had gradually been rendered more
easy by the improvement in technical instruction and methods, for the
most part borrowed from Germany. On the eve of the War, after a
period of thirty-three years, the Triple Alliance had rendered the
greatest services to Italy, fully confirming Crispi's political intuition.
France, with whom we had had serious differences of opinion,
especially after the Tunis affair, did not dare to threaten Italy because
the latter belonged to the Triple Alliance, and for the same reason all
ideas of a conflict with Austria-Hungary had been set aside because of
her forming part of the "Triplice."
During the Triple Alliance Italy built up all her industries, she
consolidated her national unity and prepared her economic
transformation, which was fraught with considerable difficulties.
Suddenly her sons spread all over the world, stimulated by the
fecundity of their race and by the narrowness of their fields.
The greater States were surrounded by minor nations which had
achieved considerable wealth and great prosperity.
Europe throughout her history had never been so rich, so far advanced
on the road to progress, above all so united and living in her unity; as

regards production and exchanges she was really a living unity. The
vital lymph was not limited to this or that country, but flowed with an
even current through the veins and arteries of the various nations
through the great organizations of capital and labour, promoting a
continuous and increasing solidarity among all the parties concerned.
In fact, the idea of solidarity had greatly progressed: economic, moral
and spiritual solidarity.
Moreover, the idea of peace, although threatened by military
oligarchies and by industrial corners, was firmly based on the
sentiments of the great majority. The strain of barbaric blood which
still ferments in many populations of Central Europe constituted--it is
true--a standing menace; but no one dreamt that the threat was about to
be followed, lightning like, by facts, and that we were on the eve of a
catastrophe.
Europe had forgotten what hunger meant. Never had Europe had at her
disposal such abundant economic resources or a greater increase in
wealth.
Wealth is not our final object in life. But a minimum of means is an
indispensable condition of life and happiness. Excessive wealth may
lead both to moral elevation and to depression and ruin.
Europe had not only increased her wealth but developed the solidarity
of her interests. Europe is a small continent, about as large as Canada or
the United States of America. But her economic ties and interests had
been steadily on the increase.
Now the development of her wealth meant for Europe the development
of her moral ideas and of her social life and aspirations. We admire a
country not so much for its wealth as for the works of civilization
which that wealth enables it to accomplish.
Although peace be the aspiration of all peoples, even as physical health
is the aspiration of all living beings, there are wars which cannot be
avoided, as there are diseases which help us to overcome an organic

crisis to which we might otherwise succumb. War and peace cannot be
regarded as absolutely bad or absolutely good and desirable; war is
often waged in order to secure peace. In certain cases war is not only a
necessary condition of life but may be an indispensable condition
towards progress.
We must consider and analyse the sentiments and psychological causes
which bring about a war. A war waged to redeem its independence by a
nation downtrodden by another nation is perfectly legitimate, even
from the point of view of abstract morality. A war which has for its
object the conquest of political or religious liberty cannot be
condemned even by the most confirmed pacificist.
Taken as a whole, the wars fought in the nineteenth century, wars of
nationality, of independence, of unity, even colonial wars, were of a
character far less odious than that of the great conflict which has
devastated Europe and upset the