New Britain herald., 1918-06-20
HUN SAVAGERY IS
 SHOWN IN ITALY
ViCiouSneSS Of Invaders Is Dra-
 matiCally Described

New York June 21:-The same kinds of brutal oppression and out rage that shocked the world when ticed on the Italian population in the occupied towns of northern Italy by the German and Austrian troops, ac- cording to a statement made public today by pr. Felice Ferrero, director of the Italian Bureau Of Information, 5O1 Fifth Ave. The Venice Gazettlno prints an interview with an Italian officer who recently escaped from an Austrian prison camp.
 '"The enemy'S trOOps'', said this oftl- cer. during the first days of the oc- cupation, apparently with vicious ln- tent. did everything humanly possi- ble to terrify the civilian population. With fierce shouts they swarmd up and down the streets, battering ill doors and windows and entering 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 them selves 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 a German soldier from a house at St. Michele di Piave who was trying to overpower a young girl, after stabbing her and an old man who had run to her ass1s tance.
 A soldier who had likewise escaped, says that he saw in a street of Pol venigo the body of a girl who had jumped from window to escape the violence of two German officers. About the body had gathered the women 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 abondon a 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 in tensely aroused.
 While such Outra geS have dlmln- 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 oiy- fnr rn1, hal 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 pounds 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 i uIation exists in daily terror and so ] much food has been seized that the ] women and children have scarcely l enough to maintain themselves. The 1 rules and regulations laid down by the 1 invaders are so detailed and onerous 1 and the penalties for violation are so , extreme that it is practically impos- | sible for anyone, even in the common ! est walks of life, to escape punish i ment.
 In the beginning the clergy ac- cepted the invaders with indulgent 1 neutrality but gradually they were l imprssed by the continuous and arro- gant invasions of even the most signi-
 ficant civil rights. They now openly 1 espouse the cause of the oppressed i population.
 i One of the officers quoted by the
 GazettinO, said that a priest in a liturgy introduced a line beseeching heaven to bless the King and Italy's army. Austrian soldiers assisting at the ceremony were indignant and re- ported the matter to the military governor. The population had been
 so aroused, however. by the various oppressive acts of the invaders that
 the military authorities dared not
 punish the priest.
 Large quantities of checks are
 forced upon the people by the officers
 and men These are inscribed with
 such bitter humor as Seek payment
 from Cadorna' and Twill be paid by
 Jesus Christ" Up to the time of this
 officers escape, no checks, even those
 issued by the Austrian officers in
 good faith, had been paid.
 The silver of the country is being
 systematically withdrawn from circu-
 lation and being replaced by Austrian { banknotes. The silver is being sent to the intreior of Austria. No arti-
 cles sold by the Austrian government
 authoritis can be paid for except with
 silver.
 The fear of rebellion on the part , of the inva ders is indicated by the : extraordinary precautions taker whenever an Austrian official visits