New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-11

Italian Front in Trentino, Aug. 20
A foreigner visiting the Italian army
along any of the fronts is quickly I'M
pressed with the camaraderie existing
between officers and men.
King Victor Emmanuel is perhaps
the most afTable OF all the Italian Off
GERS toward the soldiers. The King
uses a high powered motor car IN his
almost constant tours along the fronts,
but he always finds time 10 chat with
groups Of soldiers, speaking in the ma
tive dialect of the men he is talking to.
This friendly spirit between officers
and men has actually made for excel
lent discipline and bravery. military
EXPERTS state. And for this reason all
attempts to enforce the German system
Of discipline in the Italian army have
been abandoned.
With the exception of the British
fighting in France, it is said no other
nation takes as good care OF It's sol
diers as Italy. The food is excellent
and plentiful. The rations are cooked
twice a day and served hot, regardless
of whether 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 hospitals are located convenient
to the fronts. Several large base hos
pitfalls have been established.
First Aid Restaurants.
In addition, there are numerous re-
liefs carried on by private and pubic
subscription. CHIEF amClg these are
the first aid restaurants" which were
established by an English woman, sig
nora Hullah-Scali, widow or proml,
nent officer Of the Italian Alpine, and
Signora Bagnani, who was Miss Dewar'
of Hamilton. Ont. Some of these res
taurants are set up close to the firing
lines. Others are rocated at bases or
main railroad stations. In addition TO
giving regular meals the restaurants
supply the soldiers with delicacies not
provided for in the army rations.
Along the front in the Trentino one
rises RAPIDLY from the heat of the val
leys to the sharp cold OF the Alpine
heights. While the army in the lower
sections has been digging itself in, the
troops holding the mountain positions
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 planhs
and all are heated by fireplaces.
In the Galore. north of Cortina and
near the Marmolata Mountain, which
riaes nearly IL 900 feet, there is fair
sized town consisting entirely OF IN
trenchments, or dugouts and caves. All
of the caves are furnished with rough
furniture made on the spot. The Of
fcers have beds Of moss. The walls
are covered with military cloaks and
festooned with ivy and fir cones.
Over the entrance to the ofncers
mess is chisolled Grand Hotel Nor
tar" In the centre of the "hoteI
hangs a cage containing a canary cap
tured in an Austrian trench. outside
of the mess hall and az various places
in the cave town life-sized and heroic
busts Of King Victor have been carved
in the rock faces.
Chapel Cut in Rock.
4 chanel has been cut in one side OF
9 large spire of rock where 1t is shell
tered from the. enemy's shells. A port
abla altar has been erected. and the
soldiers have lined the walls OF the
chanel 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 "A
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 latter had tainted the Italians with
being an army Of "mandolinists' rather
than fighters.
on the heights overlooking the Dolo-
mite Road there u mus. evidences Of r.