In Tripoli After Zanzur.

New York Times 100 years ago today, October 2, 1912:
Tanks of Wine for Soldiers at the Front — Cafes Gay as Paris.
    Amadeo P. Giannini, Vice President and Manager of the Bank of Italy, in San Francisco, has just returned from an eight-month trip in the countries of Europe with which his bank has connections. He was in Italy four months, and spent twelve days in Tripoli, looking over battlefields and studying opportunities for investment there. He is full of enthusiasm, however, over the possibilities of Russia for American investment, and he announced yesterday that the only way to check an otherwise inevitable flow of American money to St. Petersburg would be to elect Woodrow Wilson President, who, in Mr. Giannini's opinion, would be able to keep American capital at work developing things at home. Mr. Giannini has been a Republican until now.
    For the two or three days Mr. Giannini has been in New York he has attended several conferences at which the establishment of an Italian bank in New York on the lines of the San Francisco institution has been discussed, and he said yesterday that there was a probability that this would be done, though nothing had been decided. It was proposed to make the capital stock $500,000.
    "Financial conditions in Italy are generally good," said Mr. Giannini at the Waldorf. "In England, the damage resulting from the recent floods is enormous. I don't believe there is an adequate idea of it over here. While in Russia I asked many questions. It looks as if they were waking up very fast there. They are offering all sorts of inducements to Americans of big financial repute to invest money in the development of industries in the country, and I heard on what seemed to be good authority that representatives of some of the biggest interests have been in Russia lately looking the ground over.
    "I went to Tripoli in company with the correspondent of an Italian paper printed in San Francisco, and that I got about easily everywhere I have no hesitation in saying was due to my traveling companion. We got to Tripoli City the day after the battle of Zanzur. The life and movement in the capital astonished me. New buildings were everywhere, and the streets had been improved, modern waterworks established, and the cafes were running as gayly as in Paris.
    "We drove out to the battlefield of Zanzur the first day we were there, the General commanding putting his automobile at our disposal. The distance is only eight or ten miles. The dead had been removed in automobiles, and I want to tell you that automobiles have played a tremendously important part in the campaign. They use them for ambulances, and they move all their army supplies in them. The cars they use have double rear tires for use over the sand, and the way they skim over it is wonderful. There is absolutely no sickness in the town of Tripoli now.
    "I was told there had been little influx of settlers from Italy since the beginning of the war. It is extremely difficult to get permits to land. The American Consul, Mr. Wood, told me that James Gordon Bennett had been the only American to land there before myself in a long time.
    "We stopped at a brand new hotel, which is well run, and there are several fine new restaurants in the town. A restaurateur of Milan has been quick to follow the flag, and has established a branch on the harbor front.
    "Everybody was expecting the war to be over soon. It was pointed out to me that the Italians had never lost a battle, and, in all fought, their losses had been slight.
    "Yes, I saw the fleet of airships that have been used, and they have done great service. There were two aeroplanes and two dirigibles, and when I left they were enlarging a hangar to receive a dirigible twice as large as those they had. Those soldiers are the most contented and the best fed of any in the world. One item of the supplies is the big tanks of wine which are carried to the front in autos.
    "Of course I found considerable interest being taken everywhere in our Presidential election. I have been too far away from San Francisco to predict what is going to happen in California, but I think, after seeing Russia as I have, that the only way to keep our money in this country is to elect Wilson, and I may add that I have just decided to cast my vote for him. Capital has been too much harassed, and that is one reason why it is looking about for investment abroad. More hammering will surely drive a lot of it out of the country. I believe that Wilson is a conservative man, and that he is in favor of a tariff for revenue only, and not for free trade. As long as we cannot have Taft, I think we had better take Wilson.