war and the future-第11章

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Trentino　and　East　Venetia；　goes　on　another　drama。　　Has　Italy　been
sinking　into　something　rather　hard　to　define　called　〃economic
slavery〃？　　Is　she　or　is　she　not　escaping　from　that　magical
servitude？　　Before　this　question　has　been　under　discussion　for　a
minute　comes　a　namefor　a　time　I　was　really　quite　unable　to
decide　whether　it　is　the　name　of　the　villain　in　the　piece　or　of
the　maligned　heroine；　or　a　secret　society　or　a　gold　mine；　or　a
pestilence　or　a　delusionthe　name　of　the　/Banca　Commerciale
Italiana。/

Banking　in　a　country　undergoing　so　rapid　and　vigorous　an　economic
development　as　Italy　is　very　different　from　the　banking　we　simple
English　know　of　at　home。　　Banking　in　England；　like　land…owning；
has　hitherto　been　a　sort　of　hold　up。　　There　were　always
borrowers；　there　were　always　tenants；　and　all　that　had　to　be　done
was　to　refuse；　obstruct；　delay　and　worry　the　helpless　borrower　or
would…be　tenant　until　the　maximum　of　security　and　profit　was
obtained。　　I　have　never　borrowed　but　I　have　built；　and　I　know
something　of　the　extreme　hauteur　of　property　of　England　towards　a
man　who　wants　to　do　anything　with　land；　and　with　money　I　gather
the　case　is　just　the　same。　　But　in　Italy；　which　already　possessed
a　sunny　prosperity　of　its　own　upon　mediaeval　lines；　the
banker　has　had　to　be　suggestive　and　persuasive；　sympathetic　and
helpful。　　These　are　unaccustomed　attitudes　for　British　capital。
The　field　has　been　far　more　attractive　to　the　German　banker；　who
is　less　of　a　proudly　impassive　usurer　and　more　of　a　partner；　who
demands　less　than　absolute　security　because　he　investigates　more
industriously　and　intelligently。　　This　great　bank；　the　Banca
Commerciale　Italiana；　is　a　bank　of　the　German　type：　to　begin
with；　it　was　certainly　dominated　by　German　directors；　it　was　a
bank　of　stimulation；　and　its　activities　interweave　now　into　the
whole　fabric　of　Italian　commercial　life。　　But　it　has　already
liberated　itself　from　German　influence；　and　the　bulk　of　its
capital　is　Italian。　　Nevertheless　I　found　discussion　ranging
about　firstly　what　the　Banca　Commerciale　essentially　/was/；
secondly　what　it　might　/become/；　thirdly　what　it　might
/do/；　and　fourthly　what；　if　anything；　had　to　be　done　to　it。

It　is　a　novelty　to　an　English　mind　to　find　banking　thus　mixed　up
with　politics；　but　it　is　not　a　novelty　in　Italy。　　All　over
Venetia　there　are　agricultural　banks　which　are　said　to　be
〃clerical。〃　　I　grappled　with　this　mystery。　　〃How　are　they
clerical？〃　　I　asked　Captain　Pirelli。　　〃Do　they　lend　money　on　bad
security　to　clerical　voters；　and　on　no　terms　whatever　to　anti…
clericals？〃　　He　was　quite　of　my　way　of　thinking。　　〃/Pecunia　non
olet/；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　never　yet　smelt　a　clerical　fifty　lira
note。〃。。。　　But　on　the　other　hand　Italy　is　very　close　to　Germany；
she　wants　easy　money　for　development；　cheap　coal；　a　market　for
various　products。　　The　case　against　the　Germansthis　case　in
which　the　Banca　Commerciale　Italiana　appears；　I　am　convinced
unjustly；　as　a　suspectis　that　they　have　turned　this　natural　and
proper　interchange　with　Italy　into　the　acquisition　of　German
power。　　That　they　have　not　been　merely　easy　traders；　but
patriotic　agents。　　It　is　alleged　that　they　used　their　early
〃pull〃　in　Italian　banking　to　favour　German　enterprises　and　German
political　influence　against　the　development　of　native　Italian
business；　that　their　merchants　are　not　bona…fide　individuals；　but
members　of　a　nationalist　conspiracy　to　gain　economic　controls。
The　German　is　a　patriotic　monomaniac。　　He　is　not　a　man　but　a
limb；　the　worshipper　of　a　national　effigy；　the　digit　of　an
insanely　proud　and　greedy　Germania；　and　here　are　the　natural
consequences。

The　case　of　the　individual　Italian　compactly　is　this：　〃We　do　not
like　the　Austrians　and　Germans。　　These　Imperialisms　look　always
over　the　Alps。　　Whatever　increases　German　influence　here
threatens　Italian　life。　　The　German　is　a　German　first　and　a　human
being　afterwards。。。。　　But　on　the　other　hand　England　seems
commercially　indifferent　to　us　and　France　has　been　economically
hostile。。。〃

〃After　all；〃　I　said　presently；　after　reflection；　〃in　that　matter
of　/Pecunia　non　olet/；　there　used　to　be　fusses　about
European　loans　in　China。　　And　one　of　the　favourite　themes　of
British　fiction　and　drama　before　the　war　was　the　unfortunate
position　of　the　girl　who　accepted　a　loan　from　the　wicked　man　to
pay　her　debts　at　bridge。〃

〃Italy；〃　said　Captain　Pirelli；　〃isn't　a　girl。　　And　she　hasn't
been　playing　bridge。〃

I　incline　on　the　whole　to　his　point　of　view。　　Money　is　facile
cosmopolitan　stuff。　　I　think　that　any　bank　that　settles　down　in
Italy　is　going　to　be　slowly　and　steadily　naturalised　Italian；　it
will　become　more　and　more　Italian　until　it　is　wholly　Italian。　　I
would　trust　Italy　to　make　and　keep　the　Banca　Commerciale　Italiana
Italian。　　I　believe　the　Italian　brain　is　a　better　brain　than　the
German　article。　　But　still　I　heard　people　talking　of　the
implicated　organisation　as　if　it　were　engaged　in　the　most
insidious　duplicities。　　〃Wait　for　only　a　year　or　so　after　the
war；〃　said　one　English　authority　to　me；　〃and　the　mask　will　be　off
and　it　will　be　frankly　a　'Deutsche　Bank'　once　more。〃　　They　assure
me　that　then　German　enterprises　will　be　favoured　again；　Italian
and　Allied　enterprises　blockaded　and　embarrassed；　the　good
understanding　of　Italians　and　English　poisoned；　entirely　through
this　organisation。。。。

The　reasonable　uncommercial　man　would　like　to　reject　all　this
last　sort　of　talk　as　〃suspicion　mania。〃　　So　far　as　the　Banca
Commerciale　Italiana　goes；　I　at　least　find　that　easy　enough；　I
quote　that　instance　simply　because　it　is　a　case　where　suspicion
has　been　dispelled；　but　in　regard　to　a　score　of　other　business
veins　it　is　not　so　easy　to　dispel　suspicion。　　This　war　has　been　a
shock　to　reasonable　men　the　whole　world　over。　　They　have　been
forced　to　realise　that　after　all　a　great　number　of　Germans　have
been　engaged　in　a　crack…brained　conspiracy　against　the　non…German
world；　that　in　a　great　number　of　cases　when　one　does　business
with　a　German　the　business　does　not　end　with　the　individual
German。　　We　hated　to　believe　that　a　business　could　be　tainted　by
German　partners　or　German　associations。　　If　now　we　err　on　the
side　of　over…suspicion；　it　is　the　German's　little　weakness　for
patriotic　disingenuousness　that　is　most　to　blame。。。。

But　anyhow　I　do　not　think　there　is　much　good　in　a　kind　of　witch…
smelling　among　Italian　enterprises　to　find　the　hidden　German。
Certain　things　are　necessary　for　Italian　prosperity　and　Italy
must　get　them。　　The　Italians　want　intelligent　and　helpful
capital。　　They　want　a　helpful　France。　　They　want　bituminous　coal
for　metallurgical　purposes。　　They　want　cheap　shipping。　　The
French　too　want　metallurgical　coal。　　It　is　more　important　for
civilisation；　for　the　general　goodwill　of　the　Allies　and　for
Great　Britain　that　these　needs　should　be　supplied　than　that
individual　British　money…owners　or　ship…owners　should　remain
sluggishly　rich　by　insisting　upon　high　security　or　high　freights。
The　control　of　British　coal…mining　and　shipping　is　in　the
national　interestsfor　international　interestsrather　than　for
the　creation　of　that　particularly　passive；　obstructive；　and
wasteful　type　of　wealth；　the　wealth　of　the　mere　profiteer；　is　as
urgent　a　necessity　for　the　commercial　welfare　of　France　and　Italy
and　the　endurance　of　the　Great　Alliance　as　it　is　for　the　well…
being　of　the　common　man　in　Britain。


3

I　left　my　military　guide　at　Verona　on　Saturday　afternoon　and
reached　Milan　in　time　to　dine　outside　Salvini's　in　the　Galleria
Vittorio　Emanuele；　with　an　Italian　fellow　story…writer。　　The
place　was　as　full　as　ever；　we　had　to　wait　for　a　table。　　It　is
notable　that　there　were　still　great　numbers　of　young　men　not　in
uniform　in　Milan　and　Turin　and　Vicenza　and　Verona；　there　was　no
effect　anywhere　of　a　depletion　of　men。　　The　whole　crowded　place
was　smouldering　with　excitement。　　The　diners　looked　about　them　as
they　talked；　some　talked　loudly　and　seemed　to　be　expressing
sentiments。　　Newspaper　vendors　appeared　at　the　intersection　of
the　arcades；　uttering　ambiguous　cries；　and　did　a　brisk　business
of　flitting　white　sheets　among　the　little　tables。

〃To…night；〃　said　my