The sun., 1916-08-16
NORTHCLIFFE SEES
WAR 5000 FEET UP
Sends Graphic Despatch From
Galore Front, Centre Of
Long Battle Line.
"IN AND FROST"
Melting Snow Reveals Frozen
Bodies Of Platoon Lost
Year Ago.
Special Cable DeapafcA 10 Tnr Srx.

Special Cdbte Despdfch to THE SrS.
LONDON. Aug. 15.-Lord Northclife
sends to-day another despatch about the
Italian army. this time from the Galore
front. on the central portion of the long
battle line from the steivio Pass to tn,
1sonxc.
II am writing In brilliant sunshine
he te%legraphs. land yet in several dc
srecs Of frost. II Is not usually realized
that the Italian front Is nearly 500 miles
long. In the parched wilderness OF the
Carso plateau the chief enemy OF the
fighting mar Is thirst. His chief enemy
on the Galore front Is the frost. These
two facts should bring home some of
the difficulties the Italians have faced for
fifteen months.
picture to yourself mon 5000 feet up
In the clouds. for seven months In and
surrounded by deep snow. and so close to
the Austrians at some points hat they
can see the cnemy's eyes through the
holes In observation posts.
Fighting on the Heights.
Lord NorthciifYe, after describing the
cables by which guns. food. materials
Tor huts are taken up to the troops or
the high mountain peaks. continues:
"The first sensation Of transit down
these seemingly fragile tightropes is
much more curious tina ones first trii
In a submarine or aeroplane. and tries
even the strongest nerves.
Man is not only lighting man on hese
heights. hut both the Italians and the
Austrians have been fighting nature III
some Of It's fercest aspects. The gales
and snowstorms are excelled in horror
only by the avalanches. Quite lately the
melting snow has revealed a heap OF
frozen bodies-horribly lifeiike-of u
whole platoon swept away nearly a year
ago.
while there have been heavy casual
ties on both sides from sniping. bonn
throwing machine and mountain gun
and from heavy artillery fire. there has
been little sickness among the Italians.
for the men know that visits Of n doctor
are practically impossible. Therefore,
they follow the medical advice of their
officers. King Victor Emmanuel. whose
life has been passed almost entirely
among his troops since the beginning of
the war. told me. however. that despite
the greatest care. occasionally death
resulted from frostbite.
Gunners Show Strength.
'In addition TO the heavy guns there
are guns carried OF mules. guns partly
carried by mountain artillery men, huge
fellows whose weight and carrying ca
pacity entirely put in tho shade that of
the ~Constantinople porters. When
Queen Margherita arrived at G~ressony
some years age four Alpine gunners pre-
scented arms with guns OF their battery.
They were CHEEKY fellows. proud Of their
strength and with backs like bulls.
Higher yet than the mountain fight
ing line stand sentinels whose work re-
sembles that OF expert Alpine climbers.
They carry portable telephones. with
which they can communicate with their
platoon. The platoon in turn telephones
to the local commander.
when thinking OF our own brave men
who held the trenches In Flanders for
two years and who now alongside the
French are slowly forcing back the Ger
mans on the Somme IL is only fair that
We realize that but for the work Of these
Italians In weakening Germany's chief
ally our advance would not have been
possible"