Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-27
BATTLING ON ALPINE HEIGHTS
scenes of beauty Resound with
ChnnOns' Roar as Armies
Struggle On.

Among the winding ribs OF the South
! Tyrolese Alps. upon whose borders Ital-
ians and Austrlans are again engaged
In their age-old mountain warfare. are
concealed some of the loveliest places in
Europe, according to bulletin lust is
sued by the National Geographic society
south Tyrol at present the most CHASTITY
OF the battle theaters, was pre-eminentlv
a paradise for merrymakers. vacationists
tourists on foot and in motor cnrs
mountain climbers and for seekers after
, health. It's popularity had steadily
grown until it became a serious rival for
international patronage with the Riviera
with the German and Bohemian baths
and with Switzerland.
The soaring zigzag way OF Stelvio mass
and the serpentine Mendel road are two
foremost examples of the MANY famed
routes for automobile mountain climbing
In South Tyrol. Some of the more beai-
tiful thoroughfares in Switzerland are not
open to motoring tourists and elsewhere
In Europe's mountain country there arc
rev such excellent macadam roads IN he
found as those constructed by Austria
On many stretches along these mountain
avenues are long sections OF solid ma
sonry tunnels to guard against ava
lanches. In other places the roads. shelves
blasted through the rock. Green I'M barren
cliffs. and beyond the outside rail Of
stone the sheer mountain wall falls
thousands OF feet to the valley below
This mountain country breeds a sturdy
| people. The Tyrolese have been noted
i throughout ALI history for their fighting
qualities. From among them Austria
has received one OF her great natiopaI
/ heroes-Andreas Hofer. the George wash
ington OF the Tyrol mountaineers. Hofer
/ however. was betrayed and killed before
| his country was freed from the invader.
Andreas Hofer. a man Of powerful
/ build, and gifted with a natural elo-
quence. was supplemented peasant.
Tyrolese innkeeper. Yet he beat. with
his undrilled levies, a veteran marshal
/ OF Napoleon's, Lefebvre, and that though
his 1900 mountaineers were opposed by
\ ZoOO allied Bavarians and French. The
l thrilling events of Hofer's short mill
tary life followed Napoleon's transfer
OF Tyrol, loyal for centuries 10 the House
OF Hapsburg, to the king OF Bavaria.
This was the price OF AusterIitz. When
war broke out anew in 1903. Hofer led
the Tyrolese TO victory In three great
battles against the little corporal ana his
allies And while engaged in freeing
Tyrol and in ruling 1t for Austria he
drew 80 cents a day from the treasur,
for his expenses!
The castle Of Tyrol the original home
Of the family which gave this land their
name, is the Grade OF tine Hapsburgs OF
the female side. Moreover. a ruler OF
this castle. Margaret OF Tyrol. gave this
broad land to the Austrian rulers more
than 500 years ago. in 1858. In the years
which have passed since then Tyrolese
loyalty has become proverbisl
south Tyrol is a wonderland OF 70.
nance. legend and natural beauty. II
is oversDread with the softest of skies
and the air is now crisp with cool
breezes. from the mountains and again
suffused with a mellow Mediterranean
sunshine. At the outbreak of the wal
South Tyrol was truly International
Americans, Frenchmen, Engllshmen
Germans. Austrians and Italians owned
their villas and chateaux here, or called
some ancient Tyrolese castle home. -
Pittsburgh Dispatch.