Page:Morel-The Black Mans Burden.djvu/118

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE STORY OF TRIPOLI
101

Mr. McCullagh afterwards lectured in London, supported by some of his brother correspondents, and his book is the best and fullest account of these horrible deeds—"pacification by depopulation," as Mr. Abbott terms it. The correspondents of the Austrian and German papers expressed themselves with equal vigour. At Benghasi the Italian military authorities expelled the correspondents in a body as the result of the Figaro correspondent's protest against the bombardment of that place. The Italian Government endeavoured to minimise what had been done, and several tame correspondents were sent out from England, after the event, to whitewash the Italian command. One Italian paper, the Turin Stampa, gave its readers the truth at the time. Later on the admissions of Italian soldiers in letters to their relatives, which far exceeded in picturesque details of horror the accounts sent from the newspaper men, were collected and published by Signor Ghisleri in his pamphlet, "The Libyan War and the Law of Nations."

So far as Turkey was concerned the war went on for a year, when it was brought to an end by the Treaty of Ouchy (October 18, 1912) by the terms of which the Turkish Government undertook to withdraw its troops, leaving Italy in nominal possession. At that time Italian control did not extend more than six miles into the interior from any part of a coast-line of about 200 miles held by Italian troops; and the war was estimated to have cost forty million sterling. Several fierce engagements took place with the Senussi in 1913, and when the Great War broke out Italy's hold over Tripoli was not much more effective than when the last Turkish soldier departed two years before. According to reports which have reached me recently, the area of Italian occupation is even more restricted to-day.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"The Life of Sir Charles Dilke." Gwynne & Tuckwell. (Murray).

"The Memoirs of Francesco Crispi." (Hodder & Stoughton).

"Géographie Universelle." (Réclus).

"The Turco-Italian War and its Problems." Barclay. (Constable).

"Italy's War for a Desert." McCullagh.

Documents extracted from the Austrian State archives [Pribram].

Documents extracted from the Tsardom's archives [Pravda].