The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1915-07-02
EUROPE IN
1870 AND 1915.
Continued from June Is.

continued from June 25.l
This has been shown again and
again; and I am safe in saying that
we're the common soldier asked wheth-
er this war should be continued or not,
the general verdict would be for peace,
and soon.
/ have a nephew at the firing line
in the Vosges Mountains, a member
Of the general staff, and in his letters
the prevailing prayer is for speedy
peace. AT the same time the leaders
know that patriotism will furnish ma
terial for days, months, perhaps
years to come; so the mighty struggle
goes on devastating the most fertile
lands Of Europe and pauperizing the
nations. The entrance Of Italy into
the war has not by any means brought
the end nearer, and fear that as soon
as Germany can safely withdraw her
veteran troops from Russia, Italy will
pay dearly for her perfdy to the cen
/ tral states.
Very few people i'll America can
form an idea of the immensity of the
task Italy has undertaken; fighting
above the clouds in the Alpine Noun
tain passes is not childplay, some of
the peaks rising abruptly 10000 and
| 1900 feet above the general landscape,
thus making it a warfare fought with
| hardship and danger from falling av-
alanches, loosened by the incessant
roar of heavy artillery. The mount
aineer soldiers or chasseurs-alpines of
} opposing armies will do some of the
hardest fighting this present war has
seen, before either Italy or Austria
will sue for peace.
If you were to visit this new field
of battle, you would meet the light
mountain artillery Of Italy composed
. of young men, the picked men of the
, kingdom, raised in the mountain fast
nesses, hence able to endure the strair
of mountain climbing. Iwell remem
ber these sturdy men, small in stature
yet all muscle and sinews, pleasan
: lads, none over 25 years Of age, thei
: eyes sparkling in the high and rar,
. mountain air, their songs reechoinl
|. through the crests Of the Alpin
ranges. At distance these men pre-
) sent strange sight dressed in thei
) fantastic suits of green, hats sur
) mounted by feather yet when calle
!. upon to defend their frontiers, or in
wade hostile terr'tory, these men mus
\ be reckoned with in the future of tn
? European war. Since the cry to arm
, echoed through these mountains, tn
) mighty, majestic fastnesses have bee
\ disturbed by the drum and bugle ca
!. Of opposing armies; the gay youn
soldiers have been called upon to d
y fend the bitterly contested mountas
= passes, and before another winter
. snow will cover the hills and valley
B Italy's wives and mothers will hay
i occasion for mourning; such is war
!. AS the war progresses, nation aft
4 nation being drawn into the whirlpool
n our interest divides between east ar
= west; and as lightning-like chang
= are made almost daily along the ba
. tie front, it will be hard to follow Il
3 campaign. For while all eyes
y present are riveted upon the terrif
3 punishment meeted out to Russia
4 arms, it must not be forgotten TIL
: the mighty oriental giant has hard
= been aroused and, should German
3 press her advances into Russian land
3 she will meet the fate Of the Corsica
: the mighty Bonaparte.
3 1t will never do to Judge Russ
Z from the defeat administered by Ge
= man arms. In the first place, Germs
= Austrian troops far outnumbered Ru
= sian soldiers; second, ammunition HI
= been at a premium in Russia Il
y some time and, third, the absence
j railroad facilities has made Russia
= position very hard. At the Same til.
I TIE vast resources in Manchi.ria al
4 eastern Siberia will reach the trool
Z and in a very short time Russia aga
L will have taken the offensive.
$ Let US not forget that to the pea
I ant Of the land Of the Gar this is
I holy war and gives an impetus whi'
4 must be reckoned with; while Germ;
{ citizens are cowed by the mighty ar
I of militarism, Russian peasants lo'
4 upon their ruler as their spiritual al
3 political head. Besides, Russia has
\ comparatively recent experience WI
4 war, which will give to her power
s the campaign draws onward, weake
I ing the mighty German and Austril
1 empires, while Russia, almost Inc
= austible in her resources, will grc
& stronger.
Z Some have criticized her for t
simplicity Of her campaign, vet :
D has always managed to keep her fan
y intact avoidincs general r0ute. a