The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-06-23
RIOTING IN ITALY
NEWSPAPER PRINTS ACCOUNT
OF TERROR In Milan
TROOPS LAUGHED At NOTE
Story to New York World From Spe-
cial Correspondent, Mailed in
Switzerland, Reaches America, Al
though Cable Version IS Held Up
and Now Allowed to Come.

The following NJ arucie Is
eopied from the New .ork Herald,
which paper says it was Sled for
cabling at Lugano, Switzerland on
May % by E. Alexander Power, a
World correspondent, but was stopt
by censors, probably at London, on
its way to New York. Two copies OF
it were afterwards mailed at Lugano,
Switzerland, to go by different routes,
and one of these copies has just
reached this country The events de-
sscribed are said to have occurred, on
May Is:
For s!...a last thirty-six hours riot.
arson, pillage, and terror have ruled
in Milan. In no revolution ridden
capital of Latin America have ever
witnessed such shameful scenes as
have for two nights and a day dis
graced the great metropolis OF north
ern Italy.
Hundreds of stores, offices and
dwellings belonging to Austrians and
Germans have been sacked, millions
of dollars worth Of property has been
Wantonly destroyed, many German
and Austrian residents have been
brutaIly mistreated and Others are in
hiding in fear Of their lives.
And this despite the fact that
Milan is the headquarters OF an army
corps, and that, had the government
so desired, the rioting could have
been suppressed by the militaryin an
hour. That is the significant thing
about it, the authorities either did
not want to suppress these outrages
or did not dare to.
6 I saw the contents Of great Aus
trian shop in the Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele transformed into kindling
wood while Italian officers in the
crowd applauded wildly. :
Z saw three squadrons OF cavalry
rocking in their saddles with laugh
ter while the mob looted the offices
OF German concern in the Piazza
del Duomo. In the Vial Venezia 1
saw Italian soldiers in uniform ac-
lively engaged in the work of footing
and destruction. And saw terri
tcriai troops refuse point blank to
obey when an officer of the bersag-
lieri ordered them to push back
crowd.
Every Englishman and Frenchman
with whom I talked exclaimed bitter
ly: care these the people whom We
have welcomed as allies?
Though the streets were filed with
cavalry, infantry police and cara blnl-
eri, I did not see a single attempt
made TO restrain or even demonstrate
with the rioters. The astounding
apathy displayed by the authorities
justifes the conclusion either that
/. the ncb worked with the consent. If
not, with the conniyance. Of the gov
ernment, or that the government did
not dare to interfere with the mob.
The latter conclusion is probably
the true one. 1t is in fact no secret
that the government is in constant
fear of revolution, and that had it not
entered upon foreign war 1T would
have been confronted by war at
home.
Were it not for the energy and ini-
tiatiye displayed by American Consul
Grout ana Vice Consul Robb. Auleri-
can interests in Milan would have
suffered heavily. Learning that the
Vera Shoe Company, owned by Rice
and Hutchins of Boston, had former
" edployed an AustriGn manager,
rioters started to wreck the premises.
but were deferred by the vigorous
protests of the consular officials. A
demonstration was also made before
the residence of DR.. Pape, an Amerl-
m n ~
years in Milan.
The consulate is filed with Ger
man-Americans begging for protec-
ton, and the consul is straini2g the
state department regulations to the
breaking point in order to save their
property. and possibly their lives.
BY midnight the riots had turned
into a veritable Saturnalia. Though
the street lights had been eNtin-
guished, owing to the reported ap-
proach of a Zeppelin, the streets were
almost as light as day from the huge
pyramids Of blazing merchandise
around which danced bands OF riot
ers, their wild figures silhoutted
against the flames, shrieRing Long
live Italy," and Death to the Aus
trians."
By caybreak there was not street
and scarcely a block in the entire
business district which did not dis
play one or more shattered store
fronts, and whose pavements were
not >strewn with every conceivable
form OF merchandise. Parading the
main thoroughfares were professions
of frenzied manifestants bearing
bolts of silk, women's garments. rub
Der goods, toys and furniture looted
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