South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-21
ITALIANS BRAVE
MANY DANGERS To
LEAVE AUSTRIAN
Rigors of Winter Cause Ter
ribIe IIIneSSeS-StOrieS Re-
call Days and HardShipS of
French Revolution.

MILAN. May 21-Soldiers Of Ital-
fan blood ia the Austrian army are
deserving in large numbers and en-
during awful hardships 20 cross the
mountains 10 Italy dispatch from
Verona today says that a few days
ago the men on an Italian patrol boat
on Lake Cfarda noticed something
huttering high up the snowy side OF
Mount Baldo across whose summit
the frontier runs.
Men were sent up 20 find out what
the signal was and discovered amid
the snow three exhausted men. half
dead with exposure and frOst-bite.
They were deserters from the Aus
TRAN army who had fled across the
Italian frontier. only 10 be caught in
a snow storm on the mountain. For
three days and nights they had lain
where they were found till their sig
mails Of distress were seen from the
lake
The men were brought down into
Verona and It is hoped they will re-
cover. though they Will lose some
limbs. only a few miles north Of
Verona is the Austrian frontier and
the people OF the Trentino. which lies
beyond up the valley Of the Adige.
are as Italian as the Veronese them
selves.
Call Trcntini Men.
At the outbreak OF the war the
Trentini were called up, told that Italy
was going to fight by the side of her
Austrian ally, and sent away singing
the Italian national anthem. with the
Italian flag flying in front of them.
AT least that is the story the fugi-
tives tell. and they say that before
they knew where they were they
found themselves over the Carpa-
thians in the front OF the battle line
confronting the Russians.
They fell in hundreds and thou
sands and many were invalided home.
OF these some managed TO slip away
into the mountains. Eluding the from
tier guards they reached the soil Of
Italy. where they threw off the Aus
trian uniform and enrolled themselves
as volunteers for the Italian army
In a certain room in a certain house
these fugitives are received. their
bonaides established, and their flu
ture provided for. All round the
walls of this room hang tunics great
coats and caps Of Austrian blue.
Swords are there also. whose owners
viii never more draw them in the
service of Francis Joseph \ pair Of
snow shoes. cIumsily made of wood
and canvas. is a relic of how one flu
gitive accomplished his fight over the
mountains.
Recall Revolution Days.
The tales that are told of the ad-
ventures Of these fugitlves rival those
OF the American slave days or the
French revolution. An underground
railway assists them here as it did
the slaves in America. They have
friends on both sides of the frontier
who watch for them. hide them and
speed them on when they can.
ON this side Of the frontier they are
received with open arms by their
friends who have escaped earlier. It
is estimated that since the beginning
Of the war no fewer than 1000 men
Of military age have arrived in We
roma alone from across the frontier
One night three sub-lieutenants and
a sergeant slipped off from a certain
town by motor car for the Italian
frontier IT was a dark night.
and they hoped TO slip by the from
tier guards. But they found them on
the alert. and were obliged hurriedly
10 abandon the car and take TO the
mountains.
Roam All Night.
All night long they rOamed about
and when day broke they found them
selves on a bare mountain side. There
was nothing TO tell them whether they
were in Austria or Italy, and they
were Just going down to a PEASANTS
hut TO inquire when they saw in the
distance the figure OF an Austrian
frontier guard.
Hurriedly they crCpt round the side
Of the hill and sought another way
down. Again they were stopped by
the sight OF a guard. this time above
them.
The whole day long they scrambled
about, only 20 be driven into cover
again and again by the sight Of the
Austrian guards. All the time they
could see no frontier posts. so that
they could not tell what point TO make
for
At length in despair. they agreed
TO walk up boldly to the peasants hut
and ask where the frontier was.
Which wa is Italy2" they asked
the peasant.
why. you are In italy now" he
answered. The line runs three yards
from this door"