The Washington times., 1915-08-07

UDINE. July 8 (by MaiD.-Udine ia
the italian front. That IL. 1t Is As near
the Italian front as you can get. And
you're not supposed to be here.
You've journeyed from Paris to Rome.
then from Rome to Venice. and from
Venice to this little italian town. and,
when YOU get here you find you're not
welcome.
Other nations got excited when their
part, Of the great war started. but
Italy's frenzy outdid them all. The
censorship in Italy was the strictest.
the tie-up OF the railroads the COM
pletest the sIlonoe Of the telegraph and
telephone the deepest; the secrecy the
greatest, and the adherence Of cor
RESPONDENTS the most thorough.
It's for this latter reason that SOL
dier meets you at the train. In some
way he has heard that you were COM
ing. Little does It matter to him that
You have travelled thousands Of miles.
that YOU have spent hundreds OF dollars
and scores OF hot dusty hours to get to
this place. His duty Is to take you to q
certain hotel where unwelcome persons
can be visited by the military police and
probed.
Guest and Prisoner.
When you get to the hotel you take
the room the hotel man gives you. In a
way. you're q guest: in another way
you're a prisoner Little difference does
1t make that you're an American. and
that the hotel mans brother 10 4 barber
IN San Francisco. and that he's doing
we'll there. The hotel man II under
military rule. too: he must give you ono
Of the rooms that have been set OF by
military authorities for undesirables
room YOU s0d decide e' to 20 oa and face the
music with the police; It's better to go
70 them than to have them come to you.
go. In q rattly cab. you start on to the
!. the streets are nlled with soldiers =
hundreds and thousands OF them: They
80 about in groups they laugh; but
mostly, they sing. You hear snatches
Everybody singe tenor: there are
scores Of Carusos about. The soldiers
walk through the streets with their
arms about each other: italian men are
great for arm holding and hugsing.
Cheers For America.
The soldiers ar huge; It Is a picked
regiment: six-footer IRE only average.
OF all the gatherings l have seen on
both sides in the great war this gath
ering at Udine was made up Of the
biggest men I have seen In one big
group. Among these Italian soldiers
you are in boydom. Your carriage. go
ing through q narrow street. passes a
moving picture theater which is just
omptying itself OF soldiers: they're
shouting and laughing and gesticulat-
ing; you can see hundreds Of pairs OF
hands waving.
Your carriage comes to a halt: the
horse Is pulling In vain: twenty soldiers
have caught the spokes of the hind
| wheels: the rear end Of the cab kicks
| up; the soldiers have lifted II into the
! air: the horse and the CAB and you sud.
denly shoot forward; thirty giant 1tal'
| Ian soldiers are pushing the rig from
| behind like a wheel barrow. Then some
one yells: "Oh. you American"
| "American. American, American!
runs through the crowd. Then some
one yells: Long live the Americans!"
| In moment everybody yells It, Three
cheers for New York. yells another. ir
good New York English. Long live
New York." yells the army.
The rear wheels Of your carriage
come down with a thud. As you drive
away you stand up and bow and every.
body cheers again for America
You find the police station closed fol
| the night!