ite of repeated defeats, Italy's colonial
enterprises have made considerable progress, the losses entailed up
to the present time outweigh to a considerable extent the gains.

In 1887 the Triple Alliance was renewed for the first time. In the
meantime Italy had continued to make considerable progress with its
colonial expansion. Another renewal of the Triple Alliance took
place in 1891. In 1893 Italy passed through a period of public
scandals in connection with the failure of some of the state banks,
involving one of its most prominent and able statesmen, Premier
Crispi. All these years the Italian Government found it more and
more difficult to raise the necessary revenues to sustain its
colonial policy and to provide for the increases in army and navy
which the possession of colonies naturally required. Rioting took
place in a great many parts of the kingdom, and had to be suppressed
by force. Socialism rapidly spread, and in October, 1894, the
Government finally found it necessary to suppress socialistic and
similar organizations. Earlier in that year, 1894, fighting took
place between the Italian forces and dervishes in Abyssinia, which
ended in success for the Italian arms. But in December of 1895 the
Italian army in Abyssinia suffered a severe defeat at the hands of
King Menelik. The same thing happened in March of 1896, and the
continued inability of the Italian army to make headway in Abyssinia
finally resulted in the overthrow of the Government and the
resignation of Premier Crispi, who was succeeded by Rudini. The loss
of Italian prestige had been so severe, however, that Italy was
forced in the fall of 1896 to conclude a treaty at Addis-Abeba with
Abyssinia, by which Italy relinquished all its claims to a
protectorate over the ancient African kingdom. The year 1898 was
marked again with a series of riots, caused by the high price of
grain, and resulting in clashes between the people and the military
forces with considerable loss on both sides.

Another result was the fall of the new cabinet, which was succeeded
by one formed by General Pelloux, which, however, lasted less than
one year.

In July, 1900, King Humbert was assassinated during a visit to Monza
by an Italian anarchist who had just returned from the United
States. The crown prince succeeded the murdered king as Victor
Emmanuel III. In 1901 a delegation of representative English Roman
Catholics, headed by the Duke of Norfolk, paid a visit to the p