The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-16
Peaceful Villages Suddenly
Transformed By Terror
OF Bombardment
BEAUTIFUL GARDENS
LINE RIVER BANKS
Houses Along Road Trans
formed Into Temporary,
Field Hospitals
tRy Associated Press.l

Italian Headquarters in Northern
Italy, Wednesday, Nov, 16.-The
italian general stair gave the first
opportunity today to see the Piave
battle front and the correspondent
was among the first four civilians to
take the trip. It came at an oppor-
tune moment when the enemy had
succeeded in getting small parties
across the river at two points and
when the holding or breaking Of the
Piavs line promised to bring the
whole issue into the balance for
Italy, and, to some extent, for the
entire entente. -.- .. 4
Some ten miles back from the
river the correspondent passed
through solid miles OF troops coming
and going to the front. The party
passed Rlste, a little hamlet where
Pope Plus x was born, and q small
cross road church marked the place
where he used to be a curate be-
fore his elevation to the papacy.
An air raid took place as the party
passed near the church. Five shots
were fired but the raider got away.
The first stop was made at Asolo,
ten miles back from the river, where
the ancient castle to which Queen
Catharine Of cyprus retired on her
abdication, located on q high hill,
gave commanding view or the
whole panorama OF the battle front.
The climb TO the castle was zoe feet
and from this eminence spread out q
peaceful plain TO the west and the
battle line to the east
The Pfave lay straight ahead
Across the river five small villages,
now held by the enemy, could be
seen. Bursts of smoke from the hills
on the other side of the Piave mark
ed the line OF the enemy's batteries
Along the west bank of the river
long lines of peaceful villages had
been transformed suddenly by terror
or the enemy bombardment. The
townspeople were hastily gathering
their belongings together and the
women and children seemed terrined
as they hurried away from the
groups of "Arditi" which indicated
that the fighting ground was getting
near. Arditi is the Italian word for
ardent and they are men who volun-
teer to risk everything and 20 push
to the extreme front.
Houses all along the road had been
transformed into temporary held
hospitals. At one village regiments Of
Alpini were waiting to 90 forward.
Batteries and field guns were also
moving down to the river with
evergreen boughs screening the guns.
The whole western bank OF the
Piave is lined with beautiful villas
and extensive parks hlled with
statuary.
The party had now reached a vii
la.ge three miles from the Piave line
and the shelling was continuous. AS
the army automobile came up the,
road to the railway station a shell
burst squarely in the road 100 yards
ahead. One OF the fragments Of this
shell buried itself in the wall OF the
station.
A soldier led the way through 4
thicket up the side Of a hill where
an Italian observation post had been
established and from this point OF
vantage the correspondent looked out
on the long lines on both banks OF
the river. The town OF Vidor. now
held by General Won Bellows
German troops. was just across the
river, from the point of observation
and a big German sausage balloon
was insolently hanging over the town