The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-13

had not completed their defences. When
the Italian Alpini captured Cortina the
forts defending II had no men. so the
Austrian garrison realized that 1t was
useless to oppose the Italian advance
unless reenforcements from Toblacli
could be summoned at once. The tele-
phone between Cortina II Toblach had
been cut. Two Italian scouts had sue
ceeded In finding the wires and cutting
them off just before Cortina was at
tackled.
There was nothing left for the Aus
trians but to abandon the city. but
they wanted to find and punish the man
who had cut Of the wires. a poor
peasant whose hut happened to be near
the place where the wires were cut
was accordingly shot. and his wife and
daughter, who pleaded for his life. were
butchered by the Austrian gendarmes
with their swords. A young girl, niece
OF the peasant. was tied to "A tree on
which the severed hand of the man was
nailed. When the Italian soldiers en-
tered Cortina the three bodies in a
pool Of blood and the girl more dead
than alive tied to a tree were the a. st
sight they saw. Evidence of similar
Austrian atrocities are to he found
everywhere, and when detailed reports
about the Austrian methods OF war
- IubtiSitu Nv " VIII hlpN Inil
the exploits of the Germans in Bell
GUM have been emulatcd by the AUS
TRANS In the 'unredcemcd" Italian prov
inces.
Misuse Of white Flag.
The Austrians have repeatedly hoisted
white fiags and pretended that they
We're willing to give themselves up as
prisoners In order to open fire at close
range against the Italians who went out
to accompany them to their own lines.
Whenever the Austrians have to
abandon a trench or any other position
they hoist a white nag and retire to
previously prepared hiding places. from
where they fire against the Italians sent
out TO occupy the trench. Red crosses
have been painted over the roofs .
walls OF many houses where the Aus
trians kept their ammunition. Shippers
have been hidden In hospitals. as in the
following case reported in the Idea
Ndsiondle:
About "A mile before YOU reach the
village OF p" writes the correspondent
from the front. there is "A large house
in a dominating position which the Aus
trians converted into a hospital. y huge
red cross was painted on the roof and a
flag was hoisted on the balcony. Natu-
rally our artillery respected this house.
which was intact when the troops en-
tered the village The Surgeon Major IN
charge of the field ambulances. who ocCu-
pied the house. was Informed by an at
tendant that there were three Austrian
soldiers seriously wounded on the sec,
ond floor. The Surgeon Major wanted
to see them. but the attendant told aim
they were asleep.
THAT does not matter said the
doctor as he pulled on the covers from
a bed where one of the patients was sup
pose to be- asleep. To his surprise he
found an Austrian soldier In excellent
health with two loaded rifles on each
side and plenty of ammunition hidden
under the bed. The other patients. likc
the first, were equally armed. The fate
OF these three wrotches is. of course.
them shot at the doctor with a revolver
as he was bending over the bed"
Austria's Alpine troops consist of -four
regiments which on mobilization are eX-
pected to form five battalicns each. three
! first line. one reserve and one for depot
7 service. These twenty battalions have
uttered severe losses during the wal
and their strength las doubtless beer
greatly reduced, but fifty other battal-
ions recruited from the Tyrol, Noralhere
and other mountainous regions are
equipped and trained Cor Alpine warfare
All these troops will no doubt be en-.
ployed In the war against Italy. which
is essentially a mountain war. The l,al.
ians realized this from the very begin
ming, and besides mUbiliZing all Alpine
troops and rushing them to the frontie
recruited volunteers IN the spot. who are
cooperating with success with the regu.
lar troops.