The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-03
RED CROSS and
lY M. CA. ARE TO
WORK IN ITALY

New York, July 3.-The decision Of
the American Red Cross and the Y.
NJ. C. A. to extend their activities in
Italy has been greeted with expressions
Of keen appreciation by the italian
press, according to DR.. Felice Ferrero,
Director of the Italian Bureau of In
formation. Italians know that now,
for the first time, the American pub
lie will be given the true picture of
Austrian barbarity in waging war and
in dealing with civilian populations.
THE world at large has not realized
heretofore the systematic infractions
Of the rules of civilized warfare, as
embodied in the treaties of Geneva
and the Hague, practised by the Aus
trian Army" said DR.. Ferrero. 1.-THE
italian battle ground was relatively
distant and the noise of the battle in
France, the cries of the oppressed peo-
pies of Belgium and Northern France,
drowned the faint echoes from the
southeast.
although Austria was one Of the
signers of the Geneva Convention,
thousands of cases of gross violations
Of the Red Cross emblem can be prov
en- with documentary evidence. Spik-
ed clubs to finish off, the wounded
were, for the first part of the arma-
ment Of Austrian soldiers. In their
victorious advance into Bansizza, the
Italian troops gathered $4,000 of these
inhuman weapons
ION the other hand, we have the
statement of a well-known English
man, Mr.. A. Trevelyan of the British
Red Cross, who Spent many months on
the Italian front to prove that in spite
of all provocation from the Austro-
German troops, the Italians have not
retaliated."
Traced to its source, the apparent
impression on the part of the British
. and American press that Austrian
troops are less barbarous than their
German allies seems to be the result
Of subtle Austrian method. The state
rnents of prisoners according to DR..
Ferrero, indicate that high Austro-
Hungarian officers have ordered the
troops fighting against the French
and British to refrain from barbar-
Gus acts committed against Italians.
Austria apparently knew the far
reaching power of the English press
on both sides of the Atlantic and thus
skillfully INSTRUCTED the efforts of It
ally to present the facts to the people
of the Western nations
occasionally, however, English
newspaper correspondents have seen
the situation as it really was and pre-
scented it to their papers," said DR..
Ferrero. Richard Bagot, cores
pondent of the London Times, said
that the statement, frequently reiter-
ated, that the Austrians were moer
humane than the Germans, was based
on an entirely erroneous impression.
The case was quite the contrary, as he
himself could bear witness The Aus
trian troops had been ordered to make
as few prisoners as possible. Ac-
cordingly, 1900 Italians surrounded
on the brink of a precipice of the CT
meme Mountains who had surrender
ed and laid down their arms, were
shot down by a machine gun of the
st hbattalion Of the 14th Regiment OF
Austrian infantry. The few survi-
vors of this butchery were thrown
from a prectpice.
EARS, cut from the heads of Ital-
ian wounded and threaded on strings
adorned the breasts of Bosnian infan.
trymen. One of them, who had {
string of fifteen ears, was highly prais
ed by the captain of the 18th Regi
ment of Austrian infantry.
Driven to desperation by hunger
and goaded into battle by their Off
GERS it is safe to say that the Austrian
troops are no less inhuman now thai
they were when these facts were re
corded 1t is highly important tina
the American public understand tina
the Allies on the Italian front are com
batting the same kind of German Kul
tur that has Mortified the world in tn
case of Belgium and Northern
France"