The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-10-01
LIKE PICNIC PARTY
Italian Faces Death With a Smile
and a Joke.
Austrian Officers AstonIshed al the
Easy, Cheerful Ways Of italian
SoIdiers--comrsdeship Be.
tween Officers and Men.
BY CAMILLE clANFARPA.
international News serv,cel


Udne, Italy A stay OF few days
at any OF tho sectors into which the
Italian front ia divided will convince
the neutral observer OF several
things. Two of these will sutfce as
chiefly characteristic OF the Italian
esmy, viz: The good humor OF the
ytalian troops even IN the face OF the
:-lost desperate straits; and the ex'
ccllent relations which exist at all
times between the officers and men
Shrapnel shells may explode at reg
ulnr intervals IN and around the
Italian trenches. the roar OF the guns
may be doatening and aweinspring
tho rain OF bullets may raise clouds
OF dust and send pebbles and chunks
OF r9cks hurting through the air
and yet the Italian soldier viii al.
ways DO ready to get all the fun he
can out OF the situation.
In fact the clammy hand OF death
may be lurking In every corner and
vet his native smile will never desert
him. the unqnenchahle fire will never
leave his eyes, no VIII always bo
ready for Joke at the expense OF
the unsuspecting comradc standing
rine IN hand. at his side. alert at tho
first signs OF real danger
This good humor. the radiant smile
and the easy cheerful WAYS OF the
italian Tommy" even amor the most
bloedcurdling operations. In which
he may have risked his lie dozen
times. eycites the wonder OF the Aus
trian officers.
One OF the latter IN letter 10 his
mother which was found on the bat
tleneld declared that he could not
make UP his mind whether these
Italian soldiers were cynics or en-
thusiasts,
For a whole day" continued the
ofic~r. who IL devout Catholic, Il
was prevented from training gun
against a certain spot. because ! saw
through my Geld glasses that an am
munition wagon was guarded by u
priest armed with a long shining
cross
When the Italians evacuated the
epot II was discovered that the
priest was nothing more nor less than
n black cassock and a widehr!mmcd
hat, Supported on two wooden sticks
and the cross formed oat OF mum
Der Of tin meat cans,
Music and singing, however. form
the chief diversions Of the Italian
troops. whenever and wherever the
officers allow II, As Colonel Dunn,
military attache at the American en-.
bassy, remarked after short visit
10 the Italian front. These encamr
ments behind the firing line are more
Ike q picnic party than soldiers on
n battle front"
Every contingent has It's quota OF
guitar, mout~organ and mandolin
PLAYERS, and Night concerts follow
each other on every side until tho
Las, Post" is sounded and the -egi.
mcnt ret:res under canvas Rut even
then after the patrol has disappeared
toward the farihest end Of the camp.
d tender and touching melody steals
through the air, lulling the nesrhy
restless 70 sleep,
As 20 the relations existing between
the officers and the men IN the ranks
they form, IN the opinion al Captain
hsysht, member Of the Japanese mil
itary MISSION, n striking feature OF the
war Italian military discipline is
strict. but not harsh, It is main.
tanned by kindness aud justice ru,her
than ~ fear,
Eirs.. The otacors Invariably treat