The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-02-07

d Acarnia who was in command Of the
| Granait"rI cutting bread FOR the ref
ugccs train after train. all that night.
Refugees in she Rain
Pouring rain beat Into the open train
shed and through the doors Of the cars.
| Rain was the one familiar OF the So
rontalinia in Ali the strange places
through which they were driven hy the
! fortunes of war. II was pouring rain
when they struggled down the black
! road FROM Gdnc. 1t WAS pouring rain
when many of them were put OF the
trains inio the aislt at Florence. Just
as It was pouring rain when they passed
! through Rome on this. the next lap OF
! their tourney. II was pouring rain when
some Of them were transferred from
! ferry to train a. Mcssina. and III" stood
whiting IN the dark in tho drcnrh Of II
! for two hours on the wh&rvcS. And il
was pouring rain when othcrs--ur per
! haps some os tho same company
lrudGed altar midnight Tn the inter
rninablo folds OF road that lead 10 the
mountain top town in Sicily that was
! for 4 thousand and more their jour
! ncy's end.
They came into Rome that night most
! II on cattle cars. some nt these trans
! formed fer the use of war into troop
! trains but others. clearly imprnvis"d
for this trip. with benches taken from
1ll,tl, northern schools and churches TOR
seats. The American rinte"n workers
could read III" nsin"s Of them In tho
sutton lights" Santa ..,..." this and
! that.
! Most Of tho rroplr. those who came
in around midnight and after, had not
eaten for twelve hours. Tho babies
were crying the few men that wcr"
among them were cursing the women
wrIngtng their hands. Th" Americans,
drCnchcd 10 tho skin In going from car
L. cnr. passed tho sandwiches out {"
! iacm, The hot milk for the babies. tho
soup for tho adults. the hInnkets for N"
I'D and sick And before each train
had left the station young Italian OF
iiccr. tHll. slender. with great open
wound in his side concealed Ivy his gr"%-
green uniform. went from car l" 'tr. N
the rain and cold, inham!rg their h"Aris
with words of rrcmura erpcnt, Not
unrs. 50 the rnnicru workers tell IA"
story. but ;hc trains rolled nnt with
The people singing patriotic hymns and
cheering for Ijal!. for the allies. tor
America.
America in Action.
! Tho American no;r has l"'"ii s:ru"N
: in all this Rcd Cross work In Ituiy--
! TO; In :. spirit Of s..lc-advcrtisrm"ni for
/ M, I'mi;rd States. hut, rHih"" "f aS$ur-
/ auCc for Italians. - give ;h"m ;anEih'"
! evidence that ~ resisting invasion and
! N getting under its heavy load Of CIVIL
! ian distress the American p"opl" ar"
with Them. evidence not merely III SYM
! pathetic cables and distant glrdinES Tor
! var. but evidence expressed in Surh
! humble hut convincing terms AS SurEi-
! cal dressings ard instruments for hcId
, and base hospitals. shlTtS and drawers
| nud elnSkin2S for Shi""riiG iimhS II
: usili and refuge trains. condensed max
! for hungry babies. blankets and beds
! and stoves fnrn homeless families IN
, lodgings in Tho northern cities and in
vacant villas along tho s"aCnaSt, III
| country villages In 'mhr'a. IN oh! CON
! vents and manaStrics in the south.
There WAS Il very genun" statesman
shin in the call sent out for combs
which came from a Ped Cross w"rk'r
In I.aghnrn and In tho Rnnd sense OF
tnr American women In Florence who
rot together and mad" sanitary nnpktnS
far into the night. Tho sober officials
of one Eivrian town wrr' hopeless OF
prnyiG!nc bcdtlinE for tn" 10000 r"fu-
gees In their prefecture. hu; in thH
midst Of their QUandry they sent two
visiting Red cross inspectors OF their
WAY t. nciEhhorimg city In n" rlu-
n;.iral motor car. tn" l;rrm"n In brass
hound helmets on III" drivers scat. ana
the siren sounding as they scattered
dogs AMI children. Tn" Rcd Cross m"n
| caugh, the spirit Of III" now dirlom-
arv when the s"ut the caT back filled
ur with blankets from tn"ir stores II;
Tu!rgne from IA" people "f America |"
:iic propi" If Italy.
America Expressing Herself.
Moreover. tn, president of the United
States Is the head Of the Red Cross; II
Is q qcu,i-"fficial organization and il ia
quickly recognized In surh International
work as u natural channel for American
,"snurc"fuln's md good will II Is
hailed not or.ly ;Ls a picr" az American
rmtnrpris" hut as America expressing
itself. 1t was in truth n cable from
~. American ambassador tn Italy thn'
hr,nIuht Tn" FIRST Rcd trnS mon |"
Ennl" and IL WAS at the American ON
unssy Tint they met with tn" committee
,r The American Relief Clearing linus"
and mapped out together the fist strr"
10 hc :akHp.
Around Ambassador rap" AL IL" ear
Is operations swung and his penetrating
iilgrnsn: "f men, Of organization and
cities; hts Swir; strokes in portrayiuE
IN. main Clements III tn" Situation-hi%
Southern ii,l"nt for establishing cor
dial r"lnti"nS for IN" newcomers with
IA" Roman community and the forces
If thu national government. gave an un-
:rtjr,rl,"d speed and precision :" III"