The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-11
ITALIAN OFFICERS
AND MEN GENIAL
King Victor Emmanuel Is Perhaps the
Most Affable of All Toward His
Soldiers-This Friendly Spirit
Has Made for Better Dis
cipIine.

The Italian front IN 1rentino, sept IL
"A foreigner visiting the Italian army
along any of the fronts is quickly I'M
pressed with the cameraderie existing
between officers and men.
King Victor Emmanuel Is, perhaps, the
most affable of all the Italian officers
toward the soldiers. The king uses a
high powered motor car in his almost
constant tours along the fronts, but he
always finds time to chat With groups OF
soldiers, speaking in the native dialect
OF the men he is talking to.
This friendly spirit between officers
and men has actually made for excellent
discipline and bravery, military experts
state. And for this reason all attempts
to enforce the German system OF dis
ciplinc in the Italian army have been
abandoned.
With the exception of the British fight
ing in France, it is said no other nation
takes as good care of its soldiers as
Italy. The food is excellent and plenti-
full. The rations are cooked twice
day and served hot, regardless of wheth-
| err the soldiers are in the trenches, on
the reserve firing line, or on the highest
mountain.
! The first aid corps provides adequate
facilities for handling the wounded along
the firing line, while numerous field hos
pitfalls are located convenient to the
fronts. Several large base hospitals
have been established.
In addition there are numerous reliefs
carried on by private and public sub
scription. Chief among these are the
FIRST aid restaurants" which were es.
tabIished by an English woman, Signora
Hullah- Scalfi, widow Of former promi-
nent officer of the Italian Alpine, and
Signora Bagnani, who was Miss Dewar OF
Hamilton, Ontario. Som, of these res
taurants are set up close to the firing
lines. Others are located at bases or
main railroad stations. In addition to
giving regular meals the restaurants sup
ply the soldiers with delicacies not pro-
vided for in the army ra- -ons.
Along the front in the Trentino one
rises rapidly from the heat of the val
Icys to the sharp cold of the Alpine
heights. While the army in the lower
sections has been digging itself in, the
the troops holding the mountain posi-
tions have literally blasted themselves
in. In the heights the soldiers living
quarters are cut in the solid rock. In
many cases these caves are lined with
planks and all are heated by tireplaces.
In the Galore, north of Cortina and
near the Marmolata mountain, which
rises nearly / 900 feet, there is a fair
sized town consisting entirely OF en-
trenchments, or dugouts and caves. All
of the caves are furnished with rough
furniture made on the spot. The officers
have beds of moss. The walls are Gov.
cred with military eloaks and festooned
with ivy and fir cones.
Over the entrance to the officers mess
is chiselled Grand Hotel Mortar In
the center of the "hotel" hangs a cage
containing canary captured in an Aus
trian trench. Outside OF the mess hall,
and at various places in the eaye-town
life sized and heroic busts of King VIC
tor have been carved in the rock faces.
A chapel has been cut in one side of a
large spire of rock where il is sheltered
from the enemy's shells. A portable al
tar has been erected and the soldiers
have lined the walls of the chapel with
pieces of bright quartz, scraps OF colored
cloth and the silver and gold paper from
cigar and cigarette packages.
In another part of the settlement an
omen space is reserved for amusements.
Here plays are given, with officers and
men mingling in the audience, or games
are held except during heavy fighting.
A museum, containing objects secured
during the campaign, was started In
corner of the amusement square. The
chief display is a mandolin which was
owned BY a young Italian soldier who
lost his life in a desperate hand TO hand
encounter with Austrians after the lat
ter had tainted the Italians with being
an army of "mandolinists" rather than
fighters.
ON the heights overlooking the Dolo-
mite road there is much evidence OF re-
cent battles in that section. Many fresh
graves bore inscriptions indicating that
both Italian and Austrian soldiers have
been buried in the same spot.
The Italian officers have already ac-
complished much in transporting large
siege guns in the mountains, as well az
keeping an adequate supply of ammuni-
ton and food on hand. But still greater
plans are being made for conducting the
campaign during the winter. which be
gins early in September in that sec
ton. ON the extreme heights scntries
have already suffered from frostbite, and
scouts have found difficulty IN trayers-
ing the glacial SHOWS.
A visit 10 the lsonzo country offers an /
excellent example of the efficient organ
izstion Of all departments OF the Italian
fighting machine. Noteworthy engineer |
nc fcats have been performed by Italian
engineers working under FIRE. The work /
Of the commissariat, medical and sani-
tarv departments. while not a. Snowy /
IS tie accomplishments Of the engineer, /
have played an equally important part IN
the operations.
Prom Gen. Cadorna down to the or
aiuary private. one is everywhere I'M
pressed with the simple. yet business
IKE manner al the operations. About /
ihs main headquarters there j. no rat /
Ting Of swords. no incessant clickinE q
hesis. No great forus 81 guards and 4
.autries. 10 messengers dashing ~ on
i,ur.shaek or moforryels. All orders are
transmitted b. tslsrh0ns, telegraph - i
wireless. EXCEPT sn.h - are KiFEn ~ I
re generals n thsir daily trtps along !
- frufts.
elosa 20 ths front IN ths eastern 4
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Ior Intensive cultivation. ti.s uessafts 4
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