New Britain herald., 1917-12-24
CHRISTMAS CHEER
over IN ITALY
American Consul Will Act for Red
Cross in Distributing Joy
GIFTS FOR THE TROOPS
Everything Calm at Venice and Popu-
lation Think That Pope Benedict
Has Prevented the Shelling Of the
City by the Austrians.

Venice, Dec. 24.-(By the Associat-
ed Press. s.)-American Christmas cheer
will be carried to the Italian soldiers
in the trenches and to the sick and
wounded soldiers in and around We
nice by B. Harvey Carol, Jr., Ameri-
can consul at Venice, acting for the
American Red Cross.
Mr.. Carroll will leave Venice with
General DiViterfrancnesca, so as to
make the tour Of the trenches on
Christmas eve. They will be ac-
companied by detachments of SOL
diers with trucks bearing huge bum
dies of gifts for distribution among
the troops.
Each soldier will receive a package
containing socks, handkerchiefs. to-
bacco,, sweets, some articles OF food
and a. distinctive present
Another distribution will be made
in Venice on Christmas eve and
Christmas morning to wounded sol-
diers and civilian poor. Large num-
bers> of wounded are now coming In
from the Piave to the hospitals OF
Venice. Each Of these will be re-
membered with clothing, food and
sweets.
The civilian poor are being cared
Eight hundred received meals at one
American soup kitchen, and hundreds
at another American kitchen. In ad-
dition to the extra Christmas dinner,
each woman and child will receive q
present of clothing and food. The
clothing consists of blankets, shawls.
underclothing and stockings, most of
which has been made in the American
Red Cross factory at Maestro, a su-
burb OF Venice.
The city of Venice remains compar-
atfvely undisturbed by the recent re-
newal of enemy pressure on the low
er Pfaye nearest to Venice, where ms
line is 12 miles east OF the CITY. Whlle
shells from the heavy guns couAo
rea ch Venice. 1T is known that the en-
ennv has beon unable to bring across
the river anything except machlne
guns and g. few pieces OF small canpre'
No shells have fallen anywhere near
the city. The rumble of the pomoAro-
ment can be heard day and night out
tho nonulation has become accus-
toned to 1t, as it had to the previous
! menace from the air and sea.
One of the chief reasons for calm Is
tho belief that Pope Benedict has in
| tervened in some way by which the
| Austrians will not shell the city. This
report cannot be verified, but the
nopu1ation generally believes 1t, and
| it is one Of the main reasons for the
calm with which the pressure on the
| lower Piave has been accepted.
The custodians of the art treasures
! in the city have considered 1T deslr-
| able to remove some of the statues
which, up to this time, had oeen
| stored within the city. The most
valuable of these were, sent south
months ago but now the entire bulk
Of removable art treasures has been
taken away. 1t is estimated that H.
900 square meters of paintings were
taken from the Duca1 palace alone.
The famous equestrian statue before
st. Marks is being dismounted for re-
moval, although it was at first in
tended to protect it by a brick COW
ering. Few of the remaining civilians
wish to leave Venice. but the mu-
nicipality and the American Red
Cross assist all who wish to get away.