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The War Between Italy and Turkey

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 22, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 8.

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The War Between Italy and Turkey

The war between Italy and Turkey has reached a lull. The Turks and Arabs do not feel able to meet the Italian army of occupation in a general pitched battle, and the Italians seem to consider it unwise to venture far from the coast. Turkey seems to have had an idea of sending troops across the Red Sea and through Egypt to strengthen her forces in Tripoli, but this has been rendered impossible by Italy's destruction of the Turkish vessels on the Red Sea. It seems to be the general belief that peace will soon be brought about. Italy has the advantage thus far, but seems less sanguine of the fruits of her African invasion than at the first. Italy, considering herself the victor, can not ask for peace or initiate peace negotiations; she permits it to be known, however, that she is ready to consider peace proposals with an open mind, provided Turkey makes them on the basis of surrendering to Italy the provinces of Tripoli and Cyrenaica (Barca). The chief difficulty in this, however, is that Turkey fears that her surrender of these provinces would arouse the ire of the fanatical Arab population of Turkey, especially in Asia, which might result in such a rebellion as would bring about the dissolution of the Turkish empire. Italy does not desire that Turkey should be dismembered just now. If this were brought about at this time, Italy fears that the portion of the Turkish dominion allotted to her would be merely the provinces which she has now laid claim to, whereas, if dismemberment should come later, she would have a better chance of securing a share of what would still remain after her annexation of Tripoli and Cyrenaica. How the tangle will be straightened out, no one can foresee. There is a very strong possibility that the mad scramble for the remains of the Turkish empire may be near at hand. Swiftly following that event comes the consummation of the Christian's hope.