El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-01
ROME WITNESSES
RECALL Of PAST
IHPRE5ENT VAR
Troops March Past Monu-
ments Which Commend:
rate Roman Triumph.
LITTLE HEED PAID
TO ANCIENT RUINS

r. ONE, ITALY. Jan. There are
X strange and suggestive con-
- - trasts here in the Eternal City
during these war days. with the SOL
diers of today marching and camping
among the monuments and ruins Of the
soldiers of the past. Today a regiment
of italian infantry came from the Ap-
plan Way, passed the Palatine hill
with the gaunt and cavernous ruins Of
the palaces of the Caesars. then swung
in long circle around the Arch of
Constantine, passed the Coliseum and
the Forum, and then moved on along
the Tiber to the crumbling ruin Of that
bridge where HOratius held back the
Tarquin army
Monuments UnnOticed.
Around these old monuments of Rome
soldiers may be seen marching all hours
of the day, and the sculptures and in
scriptions seem 10 show how the re-
mote past is bound up with the events
Of today Around the Coliseum, for
instance, soldiers have been marching
for the last 1000 years. The Arch Of
Constantine cOmmemmOrates COnstan-
tines great victory over MaXenuus,
and the founding of COnstantinople. TO
which Constantine gave his name
Constantinople. which was a center Of
warfare nearly 200O years ago as it is
today Nearby the Arch of Titus marks
the capture OF Jerusalem. One Of the
reliefs on the Titus arch shows a ire
mendOus battle with the Daciaus The
soldiers who keep passing today seldom
glance at these battles of the past, and
singularly the tourists seldom glance
at the soldiers Of today, but are alb
sorbed in the monuments OF past mil
itary achievements.
History Is Being Repeated.
4 favOrite place of resort for the
officers and soldiers when off duty is
the piazza Nenezia in the heart Of
Rome, with view of the nearby
column of Trajan The column looks
years ago in honor OF emperor Trajan
If the soldiers took the trouble to ex-
anime the sculptured reliefs. winding
from top to bottom, they would find
almost a counterpart OF the battles 20
ing on today in the Balkans. as these
reliefs represent the wars with the
German tribes along the Danube-bat-
ties on the very ground where the
Germans. Serbs and Bulgarians have
just been fighting. One relief repre-
sents a thirsty army getting relief from
providential rainstorm
Where Marius Marched.
The chief encampment of Italian
troops is the suburb west Of Rome on
the broad plain of Mont Mario, named
after the great soldier Marius. There
are 1000 to 5000 soldiers in This en-
campment and they are tramping over
the same g~ound that Marius and his
legiOns marched. It was through Mont
Mario. also, thst all the great inva-
sions of Rome Occurred. with the final
capture and sacl1ing of the CITY and
the fall of the Roman empire. And these
soldiers OF TODAY are maneuvering
over the same ground that Witnessed
these decisive evSnts of the worlds
history.
Crossing the Tier one sees soldiers
on guard along. the upper walls of the
great castle OF st Angelo. The So
caiIed cattle Is IN ISct the tomb or the
soldier emperor Hhdrian. ana CO.,
memorates his achievements 7. -
used as a military bd racks ar o,,s +i,,.
but now new barracl han. haen b,,;i.
anu 9hlg a rev soId.ers are left as q
past military glory u