New Britain herald., 1917-11-16
Strategy of Defending Army May Also Pre- vent Hostile Attack on Right Flank-Cityl of Canals Practically Deserted By Populace May Not Be Defended if Assaulted

hurried away from the sound Of the guns The party passed groups of "arditi," which indicated that tho fighting ground was getting very near. Arditi is the Italian word fori ardent, and they are men who volunteer to risk everything and to push to tho ex- treme front. Their shirt fronts were open, although it was Q cold autuun day, and they looked the dare-devil1 they are known to be.
 Temporary Hospitals.
 Houses all along the road had been transformed into temporary field hos pitals and marked with improvtso0 signs. Soldiers near one house were carrying flowers which looked like gaiety, but other soldiers who fol. lowed with a funeral wreath made n look more like death. There were ambulances along the road, but no sign of wounded. At one village reg iments of Alpini were waiting to go forward. Batteries and field gun1 were also going down to the river with evergreen boughs screening thu guns. The whole western bank of tl1l Piave is lined with beautiful villa1 and extensive parks filled with stat- l uary. "A psa @fSg
 The party had now reached a VII. l fags three mites from the Piave line
 and the shclling. was continuous. Al 1 the army automobile came up the road l to the railway station a shell burst squarely in the road 100 yards ahead "They are smelling the road" said the escort as he wheeled the automo- bile behind the station where groups of soldiers were crouching in the doorways One of the fragments ol this shell came whizzing towards the station and buried itself in the wall
 X soldier led the way through thicllct up the side of q hill where al Italian observation post had been established, and from this point O vantage the correspondent looked oUv on the long lines on both banks O the river. The town of Vidor, now held by Gen. von Buelow's Gernlar troops, was just across the river from the point Of observation, and big German sausage-balloon was lnsoi lently hanging over the town observr ing the work of Italian batteries. The campanile of Vidor was distinc ctly Vi4l ible, and with field glasses seward men could be seen moving about Or the outskirts of the town. How thu could be with such smelling going on was difficult to understand. The ad- vantage the Germans had at thu point was evident, as the hills back of the town gave them a screen fol their batteries which played down on the Italians in the plain on the eastern side of the river.
 Again the route turned southWar along the river At one point tnS party passed one of those heroic reHii 1rry Nu1oi oiNh a
 rear guard while the main Italian army retired to the western bank the Piave The cavalry horses hae been tethered in a vineyard. All tn yineyards and haystacks and gathers crops are being sacrificed in the pres ent emergency. Nearing the river tn roads were full of frightened peopl who were hurrying away with thetl pitiful families on the top of houaN4 hold goods carried on carts and wagons.
 The actual river bank was now neal and the escort gave a special warn- ing of rifle and machine gun fire in addition to shrapnel from the batter les. The town of Nervesa, on the rivers edge, was deserted completely and, as the party passed down to the wharves, the silent town had sepul1 chral aspect.
 Venice Deserted.
 Venice, Thursday, Nov. 16.-Venice Is now almost empty, the population having been reduced from the usual 160,00O to 20,000. Despite the prox unity of the enemy lines at the mouth of the Piave river and the unsuccess- full efforts the Austro- Germans havc made to take the long triangle be- tween the mouths of the Piave and Sile rivers, the remnant of the popu- lation is calm.
 The city may not be defended in case of an attack, in order that the monuments and art treasures may nG& be destroyed. The mayor of Venice, who is descendant of the DoHQA and a cham berlaln to the queen Of StAlN announced today that he would re- main at his post s$S
 The outward appearance of the city is very desolate. much like when the
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