SONNINO, Baron Sidney Constantino, Italian statesman: b. Pisa, 11 March 1847. His father was a wealthy Tuscan of Jewish descent and his mother, née Georgina Terry, was English. He studied law at the University of Pisa and took his degree in 1865. His legal career was short, for he returned his first brief on the ground that the client was entirely in the wrong and the case unworthy of defense. From 1867 to 1871 he served in the diplomatic corps at the Italian legations in Ber lin, Vienna, Paris and Madrid. Returning to private life at the close of the Franco-German War, his financial independence enabled him to devote himself to economic and scientific studies. In the early 70's he began an ex haustive inquiry into the economic conditions of Sicily in co-operation with Baron Franchetti. The result of their labor was published in two volumes in 1877 under the title of 'The Peas ants of Sicily,' a work which attracted con siderable attention. Extending his investiga tions to the southern provinces of the peninsula, Baron Sonnino, still a private citizen, probed the serious conditions of woman and child labor, emigration and industrial backwardness. Many valuable reforms were inaugurated at his instigation. Turning to journalism, he founded the weekly La Rassegna Settimanale in 1878, editing it for several years. In 1882 he con verted the review into a daily paper, La Rassegna, which flourished for many years. He also founded the important Giornale d Italia, of which he is believed to be the present pro prietor. Elected a deputy to Parliament in 1880, he was soon recognized as an authority on finance, agriculture and foreign affairs. In
view of what occurred over 30 years later, it is interesting to recall that in 1883 Baron Sonnino complained of the subordinate posi tion of Italy in the Triple Alliance, and advo cated a better understanding with Great Britain. He even hinted that Germany and Austria were playing a double game. His precise criticisms of the then prevailing chaos in national finance led to his appointment as Under Secretary for the Treasury in the second Crispi administra tion. In 1896 he became Finance Minister, in which capacity he laid the foundations of Italy's economic prosperity. He abolished cor ruption and secret subsidies, purified the ad ministration and 'became leader of the consti tutional party. He was twice Premier, in 1906 and 1909, for only a short time on each occasion. Seeking neither popularity nor self advertisement, he was unable to withstand the political machinations of Giolitti. On the resig nation of the latter in March 1914 Signor Salandra became Premier, and when San Giuliano, the foreign Minister, died in October of that year, Baron Sonnino was called to the Foreign Office. The story of his remarkable diplomatic duel with Count Berchtold, Baron Burian and Prince Billow between December 1914 and May 1915 is related under ITALY AND THE WAR (q.v.). With undeviating tenacity of purpose Sonnino resisted the promises, threats and blandishments of the central powers; he broke up the Triple Alliance, restored Italy's liberty of action and ranged her on the side of the Allies at one of the most critical moments of history.