The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-15
SITUATION IN
ITALY BEFORE
WAR EXPLAINED
Miss Rizzer Gives Most In
, teresting Talk at Mrs.
w. D. Bishops
MADAME HAYES
TO SPEAK MONDAY
Large Sum Raised at Recent
Bridge of Queens
Daughters

on CORTLAND Hill to an audience that
was deeply interested in what she had
to say about the situation in Italy
and the work of the Red Cross there.
Miss Rizzer formerly was the head
of a very high class girls school in
Chicago. A few years ago she NOV
ed to Rome where she took a very
beautiful villa 'and took seven or
eight girls, founding a small and Sc
lect school. This school has just
become well established when the
war broke out
Seeing the need for nurses, Miss
Rizzer at once gave up her home
and took a very intensive training,
working, as she said, harder than she
had ever worked in her life before
So great was the necessity for nurses
that the doctors were glad to get any
kind of a nurse, even if they had
but the slightest knowledge. She
rented her beautiful home and since
Italy entered the war has devoted all
her energy to ward in the hospital
Santa Croce which has been given
entirely into her charge. Miss Sally
Fowler, a niece of Mrs. Bishops at
tended Miss Rizzer's school in Rome.
1t was through the efforts of the
Drama League of this city that Miss
Rizzer was secured to come here and
speak. Jonathan Godfre introduc-
ed the speaker in a brief talk.
Miss Rizzer outlined the position
of Italy before the war broke out and
gave an insight into the political and
financial conditions prevailing there
which were more or less unknown to
her auditors. Italy has long been dis
contented with her place in the
Triple Alliance. A year before the
formal declaration of war between
Austria and Serbia, Italy was asked if
she would support Austria providing
she made war on the Serbs. San Mar
tino, the Italian secretary of Foreign
Affairs declared. most emphatically
that Italy would not. So,' said Miss
Rizzer, ut was no surprise to Italy
when the war did break OUT
Italy was determined to preserve
her neutrality and more, her indie
pendence, and when she told France
it was not necessary for her to keep
her forts on Frances southern boun-
Diary it was of the greatest help to
that country"
There were two political parties, the
Neutralists and the Interventionists
The former were the stronger and
wished to uphold the autocratic form
of government They We're located
in the northern part of Italy and
among them were many Socialists who
Miss Rizzer said, always were a
great nuisance, especially since the
outbreak of the war"
Others who comprised the Neutral
| list party were the business houses
| who did great business with Ger
| many and the shopkeepers who did
| not wish the smooth current of trade
| disturbed. They were under the
| leadership of Jolite, who has been for
years at intervals the political boss
of that country. The Interventionists
were made up of the youth of Italy,
| the journalists; and others who could
not be Influenced by Jolite. Miss
Rizzer described wildly the unrest,
| the agitation and the settling excite
ment that possessed the populace and
told how D'Annunzio, thep oct, who is
a great patriot turned the tide against
the NeutraHsts by two wonderful
speeches.
She told of some of the wonderful
| things that Italy has accomplished.
After the first of April, 1915 there
| was a constant mobilization and when
| war was declared in May there were
| 100000 men at the Piave river. They
/ have built 1000 miles of roadway
over the mountains for the transpor-
tation of supplies. They have a front
line $40 miles long and their trenches
if Strengthened out would reach from
New York to Salt Lake City. The ut
most sanitation prevails at the Italian
front and the great organization that
| has developed saved Europe from a
great epidemic of typhus fever, which
if it had not been checked would have
had a great deal to do with an early
settlement of the war. Italy was the
first country to use aeroplanes in war
fare and she has some of the most in
trepid airmen.
Miss Rizzer told some very inter-
esting details about her ward in the
Santa Croce hospital, and of the need
that there is for the small luxuries OF
| life that become real necessities tC
the soldiers. AT the conclusion of hel
talk collection was taken and the
sum of $121 was raised for her to ex-
pend in comforts and necessities fol-
her patients.
Announcement has been made o
the regular meeting of the Bridge
|. port Business Woman's Association
that is to be held in the new HON,
of the Y. W. C. A. on Golden Hill
, street on Monday evening, Feb. Is
At this time the members are to hea,
an address on the Women o
France" by Madame Halves of tn
l faculty of the Bridgeport Higl
School.
Over $500 was realized at tn
e bridge given at The stratfield unde
6 the auspices of the Queens Daughter
+ for the benefit of the fund for tn
: maintenance of the French Sister
e who care for the sick poor. Their
q .x LARGE attendance and tn