Evening journal., 1915-08-03

Servia Previous to that he was with
the general staff at the capital, where
it seems Italian officers learn among
other things not to talk or trust any
body. In fact the poets question az
to the exact location Of the general
headquarters ELECTED the courteous
reply that in a few seconds we would
cross the former Austrian border, and
leave the Adige river 10 our right
and be on the trail Of the one OF the
advancing armies.
Before us the dark outline OF the
Lessini stood sharply against the
blue sky, while in the distance the
purple profile of the Trentino Alps
became more discernible as the car
advanced up the green valley Of the
Adige.
The idyllic quiet of the country, the
children playing merrily in front OF
the farmhouses and humble huts dot
ting the well cultivated fields. the
groups of women chatting merrily in
front of the public squares Of the
small, clean towns all seemed to de-
ny the captains assertion. As our
countenance assumed an air OF in
credulity he smiled and said
"Of course you have read the de-
vastation wrought in France and Bel
! aium by the invading German army
and in Eastern Prussia by the Rus
I slams and through the vivid descrip-
/ tions Of the correspondents and tho
photos you have come 10 associate
/ the idea Of devastation with that Of
wal and are convinced that an ad-
vancing army must necessarily leave
behind il a wake of wrecked monu-
ments, razed houses. trampled fields
burned orchards and here and there,
whole rows Of graves containing the
/ manned bodies of children and wo-
men. who were either wantonly muir
| dered or summarii,y executed FOR
some imaginary offence against the
invader
You will see nothing of the kind
here. There viii be no devastation II
we can avoid it. The Trentino roads
and towns are defended by the forti-
hcations on the surrounding heights,
and the real fighting takes place on
the slopes of the mountains. In other
words our advance is vertical rather
than horizontal"
The absence Of strong carrisons in
]
three weeks had passed from Aus
trian to Italian possession fully bore
out the captains last statement
while the greetings of the people
We're respectful and friendly.
The only proof that we were COINS
through a zone under military law
was obtained at the post and tele-
graph offices. the town hall and the
iails. Here Italian sergeants witt
the few men had replaced the Aus
trian officials as soon as the order
to evacuate had arrived from the
nearest fort.
AT sunset the pinnacle Of Alas bel
tower rayed back to us the last beami
of the departing sun.
AS we neared the city the captain
Uniformed us that we would have {,
spend the night at Ala, as travelling
at night was strictly prohibited. thu
roads being reserved for the move
ments of troops and military We
hicies carrying provisions and ammu
nitions TO the front At our reques
the captain consented to let us go a
fer as Mori. several miles up an
nearer to the scene of actual hghtins
From the sunlit summit of Noun
Altissimo. 5000 feet above sea leve
= and Conf Zugna and Mount Pasuni,
the Italian guns roared at regula
i intervals against the Pozzacchio for
Now and then the four and FIVE inc
= guns would Join the improved as
and the mountain seemed to auive
as the huge shells split the rocks SUI
I rounding the forts, raising clouds {
e dust. smoke and flames. In the intel
+ walls between firing the voice of tn
bells of the surrounding towns callin
the faithful to the evening prayer
i reached us.
u Mori was full of soldiers The tow
!, was then the base for the advanc
IL of Rovereto. Largo contingents of al
tillery and dozens of batteries Of al
d tillery were encamped in the ouf
skirts. Only women. children. and ol
I, men were in the streets. Men b.
tween the ages of Is and AZ had Ion
+ left for one of the fronts Austria
u defending.
e The priest who received us at II
/ small inn explained that the arriv,
e of the Italian troops had saved tn
e town from starvation. When the new