The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-06-12
German Brutality In
Northern Italy

The same kinds of brutal oppres-
sion and outrage that shocked the
world when Belgium was invaded
are being practiced on the Italian
population in the occupied towns of
northern Italy by the German and
Austrian troops, according to d
statement made public today by DR..
Felice Ferrero, director of the lta-
liam Bureau of Information, sol 5th
avenue, New York. The Venice Ga
zettino prints an interview with an
Italian officer who recently escaped
from an Austrian prison camp.
The enemy's troops" said this Of
ficer, during the first days of the
occupation, apparently with vicious
intent, did everything humanity pos
sible to terrify the civilian popula-
ton. With fierce shouts they swarm
ed up and down the streets, battering
in doors and windows and enterin g
houses in search of food and wine.
Furniture was broken up and thrown
into the streets, where it was heaped
into huge bonfireS which became the
centerS of crazy celebrations.
Young women hid themselves in
terror in the most remote corners of
the houses, but many outrages were
committed"
Another officer who recently es-
capped, says that he drove German
soldier from house at st. Michele
di Piave who was trying to overpoW-
er a young girl, after staDbing her
and an old man who had run to her
assistance.
A soldier who had likewise escap-
ed, says that he saw in street of
Polvenigo the body of a girl who had
jumped from window to escape the
violence of two German officers.
About the body had gathered the wo-
men and the old men of the town,
who were cursing the invaders. The
soldier said that an old man by the
name of Stevana di Caneva was
threatened with a revolver by two
other German officers because he re-
fused to abandon girl who had
called him to save her. Later he
was informed that the officers had
perpetrated the outrage and that the
whole population of the town was
intensely aroused.
While such outrages have dimin-
ished owing to fear of uprising by
the higher officers of the invaders,
even more acute suffering has been
heaped upon the populace. Pillage
has been succeeded by regular and
systematic spoilation. Houses are
searched and all valuables that were
saved from the troops have been
seized by government agents. These
have been forwarded to Austria The
excuse given for this robbery was
that the goods seized were needed by
the population of the Isonzo, who it
is alleged by the Austrians, had been
ill-treated by the Italians All
church bells of more than 100 TBS. in
weight have been confiscated, and
kitchen utensils have been seized.
The households are subject to almost
daily detailed inspections and the
walls of the towns are covered with
menacing bulletins. The whole pop
ulation exists in daily terror, and so
much food has been seized that the
women and children have scarcely
enough to maintain themselves. The
rules and regulations laid down by
The invaders are so detailed and on
erous and the penalties for violation
are so extreme that it is practically
impossible for anyone, even in the
commonest walk of life, to escape
punishment.
In the beginning the clergy accep-
ted the invaders with 1ndulgent neu-
trality, but gradually they were i'm
pressed by the continuous and AFRO
CANT invasions of even the most in
significant civil rights. They now
openly espouse the cause of the op