Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-08
Soldiers Refuse to Let
Enemy Take Their
Dead.
Especial Correspondence of Italian
American News Bureau.


The Slav soldiers in the Italian
army elect their own superiors by
the most rigid tests, and thus are
representative of the manhood u
their nationalities. The Italian
soldiery and people have taken
kindly to them.
The first of the proofs of valor
they gave are admirable. although
limited to modest operations in eX-
ploring and raiding. Whether BY
themselves or with Italian troops,
these Czech-S lovaks, arriving from
beyond the ocean, have kept up
the fire of patriotism and the ardCr
to fight, and have fought well.
Austria has under arms about
5000 .OOO men. OF whom there must
be 1000, 600 on the firing line
Among them the oppressed races,
Bohemians, Poles, SlOvaks form
the majority. The agitation among
these men aiming at liberty, indie
pendence or at least to withdraw
from German or Magyar domino
ton has attained threatening forms,
and only extreme concessions OF
equal rights will cOndonc the saw
age iniquities of the empire.
The CZech-SlOVak officers at the
front, who bring a heroism to mani
| festations of their country an out
slider does not perceive, say that
even more violent agitation viii not
attain the desired revolution or an
overthrow of the empire, because
there is not the fundamental setting
/ for a successful revolt.
| In the country and in the villages
| the gendaTmes assistenz and the
mussulman agents of the schultz
! corps have absolute power over the
| few inhabitants exempted from war
service. In the big cities the rifles
| and machine guns entrusted to the
soldiers of opposing races can be
/ turned on revOlutiOnists easily, as
| happened recently in Prague, where
troubles were put down pitilessly
/ by the most ferOciOUs enemies of
| the Czech, the Hungarians.
| However the same steadfast pur-
| pose can be far more troublesome
! when found in the enemy camp
where Czechs and Sloyaks are pres
| ent on the Italian front.
| The Austrian commanders are
| doubtless masters Of. the political
composition of their own electives.
/ The numerous "Politisch univer-
| lesstech,' political undesirables,
are registered on the army records,
Identification cards are scattered
among the loyal troops and always
subject to vigilant surveillance.
For a long time 10 delicate task
! has been entrusted to them, but the
| pact of Rome automatically sup
pressed the reasons for existing
disputes with the Slav races in the
empire. 1t has also brought really
a large number of political sus-
poets" over to the Italian camp.
The Austrian military authorities,
after the pact of Rome, meditated
rev restrictions and regulations to
keep their troops from the conta-
gion of contact with Czecho-Slo-
Haks in the italian first lines. They
vigorously suppressed every sign of
unrest; they drew off from their
battle lines all recruits of Bohe-
milan, SlOvak or Czech nationality,
but they soon stopped shifting
about and resorted 10 severe pun
ishments and shooting.
However, all this could not
bring anything but endless anxiety
Ito the Austrian commanders. All
went to undermine the morale Of
the army, and aIienated more and
more soldiers from the unredeemed
parts OF Italy 0talia Irredenta),
especially when they have a brother
or a friend fighting under the ItaI-
ian flag.
The repatriates of the Czecho-Slo-
yak army have been saluted already
with br0therly love by the popula-
ton in the zone of war. especially
by the ancient inhabitants of the
Eeneto, who have the most recent
and liveIiest recollection CT oppres-
sion and the conyulsiye struggle fo1
redemption.
The women of Verona offered
them battle flag in the Bohemian
colors, sUrmOunted by a lion. The
soldiers recognized the sanctity of
the gift and swOre an oath that they
would die for that emblem of lib
erty. The expression was not rhe-
tOrical and the oath superfuous.
Their sword is for that reason
sacred. Neither alive nor dead
must they fall into the hands of
the enemy. Even the dead must be
snatched from the OppressOr. Each
one has sworn 10 carry eff 10 the
Italian lines the body of c0mpa-
triot killed in action.
In the last days, during q recon
noissance, a Bohemian fell close to
the enemy lines. Drawing a hot fire.
the explorers hurried to carry him
off, fearing that in a night sOrtie
the Austrians might get the body.
These soldiers of death" know
that if an operation fails OF sue
cess they must kill themselves. To
the ignominiOus death inflicted by
the enemy they prefer suicide.
Whether through death by the en-
envy or through their own hands.
they have consecrated their lives
to the distant fatherland. from
which they have come to fight in
the greatest cradle OF all liberty
and all ideals-Italy.