Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-09
ITALIANS ARREST
Al0CAL TEACHER
AS A SPY OF WAR
Prof. j. w. Casio of Rock Is
land High School Had
Unique Experience.
WAS IN CUSTODY 2 WEEKS
Had Hard Time to Explain to Officials
That He Was Merely an
American Tourist.

]. W. Casio. history teacher of the
local high school. who has been trav-
cling in Europe this summer. has no
doubt more experiences to relate than
any one from this city who has re-
I turned. as he was arrested in Italy and
held for over two weeks as a spy. He
was released later when his passports
were shown to be official
The instructor was coming from
/ Cairo, Egypt. TO Italy, and when the
/ boat landed at Brindisi. Italy, which
is in the southern part of the coun-
| try. he was arrested on suspician and
could not explain to the satisfaction
of the officials there that he was a
! tourist. They claimed that he was a
spy from one of the countries which
were mixed up in the war. and he was
| taken to Naples. where he was re-
| leased when his passports were exam
/ ined. He was kept under watch,
though. until he reached Rome, where
/ he was left alone.
Witnesses Preparations.
While in Italy he witnessed great
deal of preparation for war, although
that country has not declared war.
Each day a large number of soldiers
are sent TO the front. They wait I'M
/ Ill evening so that the citizens may
not become aroused. a number of ref
ugees are being brought into Italy
daily. and Mr.. Casio says that it is
! frightful TO think of and il is one of
the saddest sights that he has ever
Witnessed. Everybody seems to be
opposed TO the Germans, and there is
no doubt but that Italy will be dragged
into the war sooner or later. The
price of food Is kept down by the city
councils. Each morhing the coun-
Gil of each city posts a bulletin giving
the prices which the merchants must
charge for their foods and does not
allow them 10 ask any more. That is
the only way that they can keep the
prices within reach CT the common
reople. because when the war started,
the merchants tried to raise the prices
a. once.
No Use for Austria.
The Italians have little or no use for
the Austrisns While Mr.. Casio was
in Rome. a large mob of about 1,5OO
anti-Austrians stormed the Austrian
embassy and shouted at the ambassa-
der and sang the French national an
them. The police and troops we're
called out to quiet the crowd. and II
was necessary 10 fire a number OF
shots before they could break it up. a
number we're wounded. but none was
killed. The local instructor was for
tunate enough to get out of the mob
when the officers started TO shoot and
mi rad
While coming from Cairo he ran into
an English fleet. which was on its way
to Join the English fleet in the Medit-
erranean sea.
The Italians are trying very hard to
remain neutral, for the present at
least, as they are not prepared for
war.
Explains Triple Alliance.
Mr.. Caste stated that the people of
Italy explained why they did not 90
with Austria and Germany when the
war broke out. as was expected on ac-
count of the triple alliance between
the three countries. The first reason
was because the alliance was for the
defensive. but Germany and Austria
had taken the offensive and Italy has
made no alliance with them for such
a purpose. They also state that Ger
many took the offensive side without
consulting them, and this alone would
let them out.
Italy was not prepared for war. as
il lost $4,000 men in the African com
bat in 1912. and is not ready TO enter
into another fight The country is
also short on food. Business in Eur