The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
sp.etoi co,,,.ponde.es to THE Sew.

ROME. July lC.-ltaly's Alpine troops.
which besides the "Alpisf' regiments.
exclusively recruited from mountainous
districts, include the Finance Guards
who IN times Of peace are stationed
along the frontiers for the repression OF
smuggling. mountain artillery and sew
e,ll regiments Of Bersaglieri sharp
shooters axe bearing the brunt OF the
war with Austria. These troops have
since the beginning OF the war been
correcting Italy's unfavorable fron;ier
by Occupying e~rategical positions. gen
orally the peaks OF almost inaccessible
mountains dominating the enemy's forts
and i~u,reuched camps, hauling up guns
and holding these positions against the
repeated attacks OF the Austrians VINO
are striving 81 open a way toward "a
poss.hle future invasion Of Italy.
Before wa was declared the Aus
TRANS boosted that IN three weeks they
would nave invaded Lombardy and
Vouatia. Now with the campaign IN rs
sixth week not an Austrian soldier eA-
cep,ing about 5000 prisoners IL IN ltaI-
tan territory, While In the mounotln bar
riers of the polom!tes and the Carn!c
and Julian Alps the "Alp!ni' are hold
ing fast.
Amos; every laroulc statement In the
war bulletins about repeated attacks
against Italian positions having been re-
pulsed represents a fierce engagement
between attachments OF Alpine troops
and Austrian forces sent out under
cover OF the artillery fire from their
forts 10 drive back the Italians.
While the vaIor of the Alpini is uni
yersa'lv recognized and their repeated
successes under great difficulties are
fully appreciated and praised, scarcely
any details are available about their
hard fighting up In the mountains where
,be snow IS still several feet deep and no
eyevltuesses are present. Now ana then
a few episodes become known and give
an idea Of how hard and well the Alplnl
are lighting, Ten Alptni scouting Tar
beyond a position held by n company
were surrounded by nifty Aus,rians who
advanced 20 make them prisoners. the
Alpini climbed up highe untl thel
reached the protection of a ledge and
here. lying fiat, kept the Austrians AT
hay from sunrise TO sunset, BY firing
only when quite sure of hitting the
Italians saved their ammunition and
fifteen Austrians were laid low. When
darkness came on rcenforcements went
out TO the rescue of the Alpini,
A company OF Alpini was on the
II llhA fh'AAe - ~
skirting a valley 200 feet below. The
path was narrow and a false step meant
death. The men marched carefully and
slowly in indian file and kept vel In
from the edge. The officer who marched
in front when the path wldened Or
dered his men TO halt and lie down for
an hours rest. The Alpini accordingly
rolled themselves mp In their blankets
and settled to sleep when a dull muf-
-l A.,t 49, HA.
the valley.
Three or four Alpini understood at
once what II meant. The Austrians
down in TIE valley were mining the
path from below in the hope of blow
ing up the force. They looked down
the precipice but could not see any
thing. 1t was pitch dark. stu the
noise continued. The Alpini hit IN a
plan at once n the officer approved
II.
One OF them. a knife In his mouth
aud a rife In his hands, was let down
the ledge tied to a rope. When he
saw the shadows Of the Austrians work
ing on the rock he fred at a distance
of less than ten Yards. The Austrians
fed for co1er and then opened Nre
against the man dangling from the
hut his comrades hauled him to
safety. When the Alpini explored the
valley reNt mornlng they round thfee
Austrians killed and near them the
dynamite charge they were preparing.
When the Alpini occupied the Forcella
di LaVaredo on the Cadore frontier all
the Austrian forts in the neighborhood
concentrated their fire throughout an
entire day against the position held by
the Italians. The fact that no attempt
to reply to the fire was made by the
Italians led the Austr!ans to assume that
the AlpIni had either FED or else been
annihilated by the bombardment. The
Alpini had merely found a sheltered
corner behind the rocks and spent the
day PLAYING cards while the Austrian fire
lasted. Toward the evening as II began
TO get dark the Austrian fire ceased and
half a battalion OF infantry was sent
to occupy the t'orcelia III Invarcdo.
The Austrians advanced in close for
nation AZ the double and struggled up
the steep sides of the mountain to
within 200 yards OF where the AlpIni
were hidden. Suddenly the Alpini
opened fire. taking deliberate aim, %