The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1915-10-15
VENICE DURING WAR.
Practically Closed to Visitors Of
2 Every Nationality.
The Gondoia and the Pigeons Of o..
Marks Square, the city's Two Chief
charaeteristies, Threatened
With Destruction.
BY CAMILLE ciANFARRA.

international News Service-D
Venice.-Of all the threats and Per
lis which the exigencies of modern
progress. and the requirements OF
modern life have heaped on Venice
and her unique quaint beauty. those
resulting from war are practically the
worst. as they threaten to destroy
two Of Venice's chief characteristics,
the gondola and the pigeons Of St
Marks square. r.
Venice saw her last brilliant season
in the spring Of 1914. AS to the sum.
mer bathing season. 1t was hastily In
terrupted at its height by the sudden
outbreak Of hostilities. Owing to her
one of the most important military ar.
senals Of Italy and that she 10 the
seat of the maritime defense OF the
Adriatic, the city has since then been
practically closed to visitors OF every
nationality.
After 1talys Intervention. Venice be-
came a sort Of ASiatic forbidden city.
and not even Italians are admitted
without special permit from the
>ShlhuhoCi III ShiSi. hib
however. is only issued to those who
can prove to the satisfaction OF the
inQuisitorial authorities that they have
legitimate business to transact within
the city boundaries. and is invariably
temporary. Idlers. curiosity mongers.
and the socal,ed lovers OF the pictur-
esque. are inexorably excluded. As
to the newspaper men-well, Admiral
Cutinelli regards them as the most
undesirable Of all. whether they be
Italians or from the allied countries.
The first result OF the stringent
measures adopted by the military au.
thorities concerning the sojourn OF
foreigners. was a general closing OF
all large hotels and the Transforming
OF the Lido into a sort Of huge sani.
tarium where thousands OF conva.
lescing soldiers now bask in the sun
wrapped In long white tunics and
await the time for returning to the
front ito finish the Job" With the
hotels scores of curio. lace and other
shops closed to save expenses while
waiting for the return of the good
times.
But those who have suffered most
from the absence of visitors are the
thousands OF pigeons nesting in the
buildings and towers of Venice's IA
nous square. 1t is a well.known fact
that the few pounds OF indian corn
the municipality provides for their
maintenance are anything but sufii-
cient properly to nourish the poor
creatures. and that 1t was the charity
of the tourists which in former years
and at all seasons provided them with
substantial food.
But now. the familiar sight IT the
old English lady or the young Ameri
can misses feeding the pigeons in the
center Of the square is no longer to
be seen and the poor birds vainly clus.
ter around the man who stops to ad.
mtre this or that facade or the fres-
Goes Of ST. Marks The corn vendors.
known to thousands OF Americans by
their first name. are there as usual
but the purchasers are few. and the
cooling pigeons fly back disappointed.
or late the pigeons have begun to emf.
crate to avoid starvation.
AS to the gondolas and the condo
Tiers. they have suffered terribly from
the war. and their fate resembles much
that OF lie pigeons. 1t was the tour
ist and the wealthy visitor who pat
ronized the gondolier. and their abb
sence from the city for more than
year ha. compelled scores of gondola
proprtetors to 60 out of business and
sell their outfit at a sacrifice.
The gondolier. the thick-set, sun
burned, muscular specimen OF human.
ity. that sent the gondola Swimming
20 yards over the CLASSY surface at
every stroke Of the long oar. has dis
appeared with the mobilization, and is
now either at the front or serving on
one Of the men-of-war cruising the
Adriatic. Only a few old ones are
left, and the visitor who now crosses
the Grand canal is painfully impressed
by the small number gondolas In
service.
At sunset. when the cupolas. the
comes and the spires Of Venice gilt
ter under the last rays OF the parting
sun the spectacle presented by the
squares IL even more saddening. Navy
officers in immaculate white uniforms
and army officers in gray have long
replaced the vartegated. fashionable,
wealthy crowd that in former years
added to Venice's charm and pictur-
esqueness. and tell in unmista kaple
words the story of Italy at war.
Yet Venice Is resigned: no one COM
plains: every class has sacrificed on
the altar Of patriotism its own pri-
vate interests.