Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-12
HOME FROM TRiPoLI.
Italian Soldiers Glad to Leave War
Scenes for Native Land.

Sorne American travellers i'm Italy
| depart from the beaten paths OF the
| tourists and See the life of the people
| as passed in the countless little high
| perched mountain towns OF the iate-
! riol. Mr.. Egerton Williams of Boston,
| one of these wise travellers, witnessed
| the home coming of four Italian sol
diecs from Tripoii, and in private
letter We are permitted TO copy thus
| describes their reception by their
townspeople:
The war was brought closely home
| to us here at Cutigliano today by the
return of four of the twenty boys who,
belonging to this district have been
| fighting for nine months. The occasion
afforded one of those typically Italian
scenes, imaginative. expansive, enthu-
| siastie, affeetionate, which reveal the
Infinite poetry and patriotism of the
Italian nature. The bells of the an
clent church, perched beside the viii
laSe. on a terrace high above the mar
row mountain hemmed valley, began
to ring madly as soon as the automo-
bile carrying the soldiers appeared in
sight. Far below we saw il racing
toward us along the white, winding
| road. bearing huge Italian flag
streaming in the air. The whole poou-
lation, 1860 strong, thronged every ter
race and viewpoint. trembling with
excitement. At the foot of the hill the
soldiers were met by the local band in
red uniforms, by all the school ehil-
dreu marching by companies in khaki
dresses, by all the local organizations
carrying flags of every variety, in
Guiding the relics of the war of indie
pendence, and by the sindico or tmay-
or) with all the other officials and the
oarabineri. Even the old priest, who
had fathered the boys from infancy,
was there, weeping with ioy-disre-
garding all the orders of the Vatican,
which prohibit any commingling with
national affairs. Up the long zigzag
| road from the valley they all marched,
the soldiers at the head-four stalwart
young men in much worn khaki ami
forms. burned by the African sun to
brown that was almost black, their
| lean faces showing clearly the nine
months tempest of death, suffering
and horrors through which they had
| passed. their eyes still rejecting the
| scenes of bayonet struggles, bursting
| shrapnels and the burying of thous-
ands of dead Arabs lying in bloody
| distorted heaps. They had survived a
| dozen fierce battles, besides countless
| skirmishes And now. how delighted
they were to be back once more in
| their beloved hills. amongst these
/ green mountain sides clothed from
base TO shoulder in their velvet curtain
/ of chestnut woods. The bard footed
madly the old heroic march of Carl
/ baldi that stirs all hearts: the flags
/ L - = H..
| heads OF the marching hundreds, and
as each successive terrace, immedi-
ately below the village crowded with
| people, was reached by the procession.
cheers. hand -clapping and flowers
| were showered upon the returned ones.
So it went. with increasing excite
/ ment, noise and erowding, up through
| the narrow winding ways of the little
| town to the tiny piazza before the
| ancient Municipio. There the mayor
| made his speech of welcome, the band
/ played the national hymn, a school
| boy faltered through a defamation
| and the soldiers embraced with tears
| the hundreds of their relatives and
| friends After r@;t.iiii,ch they We're taken
UP into the council chamber and given
| a colazione (repasD, followed by still
1 ii
Ell by the local professor. He painted
| their sufferings down there on the yell
| low seorched desert, where they lay at
| night upon the sands thinking of the
| dear green hills at home. and of the
| beloved ones whom they would per-
/ haps never see again; where they Ia
| bored and fought day by day. endur-
| ing uncompainingly every suffering
1 I'D ,rI, ivar int q
| battle with an enthusiasm, fearless
ness, q patriotism that never dimmed,
proving themselves to all the world
| heroes-heroes of the highest rank,
! whose glory shall never fade from
| amongst US, whose example shall IN
| spire the new generation to the same
| great deeds" 1t was truly affecting
| and exhibited in clearest light the
| deep, pure, devoted powerful wonder
| full patriotism of the regenerated Ital-
ian race. which has made it's sons do
and die with such unfaltering self-ab-
| rcgation.
| This was the bringing up, this the
shirt, which enabled the Italian mari
ners of those five torpedo boats, few
| nights ago, in the face of what seemed
| certain death, to run the gauntlet OF
1
| in order to try to sink the worthless
| Turkish fieet-knowing that one cam
| non-shot. hurting against one OF the
countless torpedoes strewn In the
| channel, would send them all TO KING
=, dom come this The spirit which en-
abled those simple sailors, when IN
| formed by their officers that they were
going to glory and death, without nope
| of return, to write their last words
| (within fifteen minutes given Tor VIII
making) to cheer dear ones III TERMS
such as these tone instance oil the o"o
which the mail has brought to ltaly)' .
Dear Mother-Not having anything
| to leave except the good name when
| have tried to attain during the war
and which | hope to add to tonight
| dying for my country. | am content.
| Adieu." And another:
Dear Mother-I am very PROUD 10
| sacrifice my life for our beloved italy
| Do not therefore weap for me
This revival, this recrudescenee OF
| the ancient Roman spirit, seems TO
me one of the most remarkable events
ls,f n Aud