Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-10
War Conditions IN Italy
Daily Life of the People Described By Roman Writer
Maurice Magnus in The Bellman.

MOST people do not realize the disabilities
under which Italy fought, up to the time OF
the catastrophe OF last October; nor do they
realize the tremendous problems with which
il was confronted. 1t entered the war after
long and weary campaign in Libya, when
its resources of life and finances were at a
low ebb 1t had difficult political party to
deal with--the adherents OF the Triple ALI
ance: party that could not and would not
see the real position of Italy and the neces-
sitv of its entering the war from moral
standpoint, but which only saw the CONNER
cial advantages it would lose by rupture
with the central empires; advantages, they
argued. that would not be made up by any
promises of the allies.
This position seems to have made Amer
lea believe that Italy hes!tated and tried to
barter before coming to hnal conclusion:
The fact is nothing of the kind ever moved
the best spirits and the majority OF the ltal-
ian people, although it would have been only
natural that in an agricultural country like
Italy. which depends absolutely on the prod
ucts of industrial countries, there should have
been a party that would weigh the material
disadvantages of entering into war which
meant being cut off from the countries fur
nishing most of the necessary manufactures.
How heroicaly Italy has endured all hard
ships, and is still enduring them, is obvious
from present internal conditions The dis
aster of last October was most unfortunate
occurrence. The true story of it, as told me
by those who we're in the vicinity at the time,
was this: Cadorna was very anxious to keep
only his best troops in the front lines, and
was loath to give them burroughs. The
natural consequences was that they grew
tired. Some of them had been through the
entire Libyan campaign and were giving the
best years of life to their country. There
had been conspiracy between the front lines
OF the Italians and the enemy to stop lighting
on certain day; then there would be no
more warl
The Austrian superors discovered the
conspiracy, and on the eve of the appointed
day sent the disatfected regiments to the rear
and installed fresh troops. The signal was
given; the Italians, living up to their agree
ment, did not fire shot; the Austrian hordes
surprised them and walked without any re-
sistance through one of the strongest forti-
fed passes on the front, pass that could not
possibly have been taken by tie 6ercest at
tacks. In addition to this, many Austrian
officers donned Italian uniforms and ran far
ahead of their troops shouting to the Italians
to fly for their lives. heard that no one in
Udine knew that the enemy was approaching
entered the town.
However unfortunate this affair was, it
had tremendous moral effect. Until then
Italy had been fighting outside its frontier,
and there were many who considered the
heavy loss of life too great sacrifice for the
unredeemed provinces of Trent and Trieste,
With one blow the Italian people were at
one: their own country was invaded, and
there was no further question as to the issue
of the war. The officers responsible for the
disaster were marched down to the Via Ma
zionae in Rome with black ribbons across
their breasts, bearing the inscription Trait
ors of the Country" and were shot in the
historical castle of S. Angelo.
The spirit of the people today is mag
nihcent, and the overwhelming odds as to
food conditions and sacrifice Of life have not
daunted them in their fervent desire to march
to victory. The cost of living has gone up
threefold, and some things cost four times
the price they do in normal times. Food and
ration cards are issued for bread, rice, mac
aroni, sugar and charcoal. Oil is hardly OBJ
tainable; fats are not allowed to be sold or
kept; benzine is not obtainable, alcohol for
burning purposes has gone up from cents
quart to $l.60; filet of beef, from As cents
pound to $3.50; cheese is not allowed to be
made, as the milk is reserved for the hospi-
tails and for the soldiers; eggs are scarce, and
have gone up from 2 cents to 9 cents EACH
paper has more than doubled in price, and
some kinds are not obtainable.
The newspapers conhne themselves sew
eral times a week to printing only one sheet,
two pages instead of four or six. There is