El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-11-09
Undue, Place Where Germany Broke Through
Some Sketches From Over the War 1 ORR World

@dE word UdiEe, pronounced
Oo-de-nl without much accent.
- for 1900 years and more until
last week was merely "a local habita-
tiou and a name" And then suddenly
Cdire. after its long obscurity. ap-
pearod 90 the world under the head
ing. "Udine Has Falleu-Itallan Army
in Fun Retreat" The world was sur
prIsed TO see Udine; for the last time
the world had good look at her was
when Attilla. the Hun. took the town.
and after laying waste 70 the coun-
tiySldes which included most of north
EN- Italy, Attilla climbed the great
nil rising IN the midst Of the city TO
view the burning OF AQuileia Il is
true that Napoleon was in Gdiue and
mat in palace in that town Napo-
leon broke the plate, according TO Alb
DOLJ 20 show the Austrian minister
how austria should be broken IL it
resisted Napoleon But alas Tor Cdine.
Napoleon ulln care FOR its name, and
gave the treaty the name Of a little
village with the Warlike name OF
campo Marco, nearby. So with Atrilla
ana Napoleon in the town on errands|
OF conquest 10 is rather fitting that
the kaiser also should come 10 Jdine.
Is Second Venice.
For though il IS only q silk spinning
and cotton weaving town Of $4,000. il.
Is no mean city" For come curious
reason il is referred TO by travellers
as second Nenice--hou-ht it is 8
miles from the sea and has but one
sad little canal about four feet deep
running through Il which is Uttered
with broken pots and pans and is
miserable ditch al high water and
public dump at low water. But Cdine
taxes from Y enlce line old city hall
built after the style OF the Doge's pal.
ace with q statue Of Ajax before il
and one OF the equestrian statues Of
Victor Emanuel near AjaN-One of the
myrlads Of such foolish statues OF
Emanuel that makes Italy look like a
oaruyard- But even Emanuel cannot
take away the quiet dignity Of the
pOrtlcOs that adOrn the ancient city.
Many of the stores and shops are IN
der arcades- And the whole effect
OF the place is unreal, il seem TO be
papler mache city. made for a moving
picture background. Yet IL is an old,
old city. Pliny tells OF IT. and its cob
bled streets have ratified to the clash
OF arms and the tread Of Warlike men
for 5000 years
Was Military Headquarters
In 1914 II was made the base Of the d
Italian army and when war on AUS
tria was declared Udiue became the
king moved out to a little villa in the
woods near Udine and has been there
with his troops since his war began
For two years the town has been a I
great. gay camp. For the commando
supreme was CHARTERED in a hall near
the old wall OF the city One drOWsy I
afternoon, only a month before the 4
Germans came into Udine, I spent ten :
lonely years in the old town waiting .
Tor some friends to return from q /
days excursion into the Julian Alps. /
The gray old town was ablaze with
color For soldiers were eTeryW here.
in the cafes, under the dusky pOrticOs|
and arCades. CrOwding in the shops.
crossing the broad squares. scurrying'
about in gray motor cars OF the army,
loafing in the little gardens which
one glimpsed through quickly shut
ting door that opened out into court
yards The shops flashed with gaudy'
postcards and british and French ar
tiIery with red braid on their
sum5-r uniforms swanked about TIE
place-proud Of their prowcss. But
alas there were too few Of them
Allies Acted Too Late.
II England and France had needed
ltaly's call before the fail Of Udine,
as they responded when IL was too
late the German invasion would have
been checked, They know il now. The
tremendous cost 10 make amends
And doubtless they viii bluuder
through but the oluder was unneces-
sary.
For the Italians knew that they
needed guns; they told US In Septem-
Der what they had told the allies Off
ciaIly in July and August frankly that
the situation in the mountains against
Austria was serious. They were hold
ing the mountains against the Aus
TRANS, they said; but when the Ger
mans came with their big guns. the
italians had TO get out II was a
question OF artillery. The English
had sent some big guns. and the
French had sent what they could; but
not many-compared with the nesd-l
And Italy had said officially TO the