The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-30
High Passes Of the Dolomites and the
Lovely Dalmatian Coast Pic
turesque Setting for War

ltdly = OeIenCe Oh VENICE Ut feT du-
vance strike at Trieste from the sea
must therefore be made from far OF
laramie, while ia the meantime.
snugly tucked away at the naval base
Of Pola. the Austrian nect, not the
equal of the Italian in drcadnoughts
but possibly its superior In destroyers
inc light swift cruisers, lies In wait.
During this busy winter of prepara-
ton Just past the Italians have gained
a foothold in pool harried Albania,
which they believe will prove useful to
them in their operations northward
along the Adriatic coast toward the
Istrian peninsula.
Trentino. which is so implanted in
the Italian sentiment that 1t gives its
name to most of the pet cats and dogs
Of Italy. Is one vast mountain range,
cleft through its middle by the his
toric Bremen Pass. which now after
a peace of nearly a hundred years re-
echoes once again to the tramp OF
marching men. This Is the southern
most Austrian province and comprises
about 10,204 square miles, with a
population OF about a million. most of
which are Italian in tongue, in tradi-
ton and in sympathy.
The Bremen from its first recorded
history before the Christian era has
been the highway OF armies. Through
II the Romans advanced to conquer
the barbarians of the north, and
through II the barbarians In the fifth
century poured down upon the fertile
plains OF Italy.
The old Roman path lay high above
the gorges and its route may still be
traced. Not until 1314-17 was a path
built In the Eisack Valley itself.
About the year 1900 ~gunpowder was
employed to clear obstacles from this
path and make It passable for carts
and wagons. In 1772 a modern car
riage road was constructed across the
pass. the first of its kind over the
Alps. In 1S64-67 the railroad. also
the first yer the Alps, was built.
From the town Of Trent southwark
thirty miles to the italian frontier the
Bremen and every side pass that
makes into II is a continuous success
| sion Of Notifications. There is no mis-
taking Austrian Notifications. They
bristle. they lower. they threaten
they do all the things that properly
constituted Notifications are supposed
to do, and lest there be any mistake
about IL the passerby is implicitly for
hidden in two languages to take any
notice of them.
Even the traveller in the train II he
wishes to show a literal obedience to
authority must draw the curtains and
shut his eyes while passing over this
portion Of the route. Only by such
means can he avoid seeing what SO
conspicuously invites attention. Trent
itself is guarded by a semicircle of
forts. Rovereto has a similar ring
around II to the southwark. Mort,
where the railroad makes in from
Lago di Gardi. is likewise protected,
while Ala. the last considerable town
toward Italy, Is practically rtnged with
them.
The Italian forts are no less numer-
ous along the line of the railroad from
Pari. the frontier station. clear down
to Verona. But Italy Is not so exact
ing as Austria and no forbidding signs
call attention to her defences, so that
the ordinary traveller not especially
observant passes them by without
particular notice.
The field of operations OF the west
ern Italian army. that advancing
4 through Tonale Pass, is not well
known to travellers. but 1t differs little
from the better known eastern APP
proach to the Trentino, where the fine
roads have invited many motorists
during the past few years. The snow
capped mountains-the highest peaks
Of the Tyrol are to be found here-are
interspersed with deep and fertile val.
leys and. high uplands. =
The country seems more like Switz.