The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-03
.gS ARMY IS BUSV
on ITALIAN FRONT
af Officers and Medical
Units Have Been There
for Some Time.

HEADQUARTERS ITALIAN ARMY, |
Nav iB.-(CorFoSpondence Of The As
11r|atod Press. THE American Mill.
laFy Mission Is now one Of the perma'
uont establishments At Italian head.
quarters, with extensive offices and a
considerable force Of officers and men,
d close communication with the ltal'
Ian high command and with the vari.
nuS sections Of the front.
Thus far the work has been one OF
oFganiSatiOn and observation, soon
there will be the active service along
he mountain and Piave fronts Of some
1900 officers and men OF the regular
army medical service, with thirty am
bulance sections Of ten or twelve am
balances to the section, and later on
there will be American troops in the
Fighting line. Already the American
uniform % much in evidence along the
streets. and there is a distant senti'
ment OF cordiality toward the troop
eFs in the broad-brimmed sombreo.
Major General Eben Swift, q cavalry
officer Of long service, is at the head
% the American mission. He was for
q time in France in conference with
General Pershing, and then came with
BE stan 10 Rome and 10 headquarters.
WITH him as chief OF staif is Colonel
1Ohn McA. Palmer, OF the General
Stan Corps. who was on the general
DtaR at Washington when the con-
UtFuetive work on the new army was
being done, and later was one OF Gen.
oFal Pershing's chief staff officers in
France.
other officers OF the mission are
Lieutenant Colonel r. L. Patterson, OF
he Army Medical Corps; Major
PauIes. Engineer Corps; Major Bur.
gin, ordnance; Captains F. o. Hunter,
Mckinney and Morgan, aides-de-camp
10 General Swift; Captain Winthrop
Chanler and Lieutenant +. c. Pome.
roy OF the intelligence branch; Horace
BIbelOW, secretary. and some eight or
ten enlisted men for the clerical work.
The American officers have been
VII received and made to feel a. home.
They share the mess with the other
foreign military missions which IN
eludes q large number OF British,
French, Belgian. japanese, Serbian
nn6 other officers As liaison officer
keeping the Americans in close touch
with the Italian military authorities,
the government designated Prince
tOlona, Mayor OF Rome
They are in close contact also with
many OF the other well known military
figures including General Delma Rad E,
ellie, head OF the British mission the
Count Of Turin, commander Of the ltal- |
Ian cavalry, and the many officers of
high rank who center at headquarters, |
The American headquarters is es-
tablished in one OF the famous old pal !
aces Of the region. now taken over for
war uses. There are extensive offices !
Tor the various branches engaged in |
observation and report, with rattle OF
typeWFlteFS and activity that sounds
like the corridors Of the War depart !
menta at Washington.
The old palace has extensive gar |
deDs IN the rear which run back 70 |
one Of the most monumental church .
edifices IN Italy, with its interior
adorned BY the frescoes OF Titan and ,
Giotto and many of the masterpieces
% peaatelli as we'll as the catafalque |
in which FepoEe the remains Of one OF !
TIE worlds great saints,
General Swift and the several staft |
officers are aking constant visits 10
various sections OF the front observ-
ing general conditions and making |
studies on many special lines Gen.
efal Swift Is thus brought in frequent
contact with General DiaZ at the head
quarters Of the Italian supreme COM
mand. General the Duke Of Aosta
commander Of the Third Army which .
guards the Piave line, and he has also !
had the advantage OF being received |
and entertained by King Victor a. the
royal establishment near the front
But the General has not confined !
himself 10 official visits, and has
made many trips along the fighting
front, going into the forward trenches, |
talking with the officers and men on
the firing line and examining their
equipment, and the provisio NOT guns,
munitions and material. The General
has also made q tour Of the factories
turning out the supplies Of guns and |
ammunition.
Colonel Palmer and the other Off. |
GERS are also constantly engaged on |
visits Of inspection 10 the various !
points Of the front Colonel Palmer
and Lieutenant Pomeroy are preparing |
Tor q trip to Albanis, which is a part |
o. the Italian front, and where the
Italians have an army stretching from
The AdTiatic to Macedonia, where it
loTmS . link with the army Of Saloniea. |