New Britain herald., 1918-12-10

Howard Y. Stearns, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. YeatOn J. Stearns, of Maple
street, who has been doing Red Cross
work in Italy. The experiences which
Mr.. Stearns has had would fill a book
but he, like all the other boys return
ing from France and other countries
is most reticent to say anything of the
work which he did and the part he
played in the great big game. His ia
VOr1te term for the war and battles
fought is 1.-THE big show" He left
here in May, 1918, and arrived in Italy
on the goth of the same month. For
almost four months he was near the
Swiss border and at that time was UP
in the mountains at a height of $4,000
feet above the level of the sea. The
transportation facilities were electric
cable lines, which carried men, am
munition and supplies up the noun
tain sides with ease These have
played a great part in the final vic
tory for the Italian forces.
Sees Action Along Piave.
In the last big drive at. the Piave
when the Austrians were routed, tho
Italians went over the top at 5 O'Clock
and they were followed at II o'clock
that m morning by the Red Cross work
ers, who had come up just in time to
get their supplies etc. for the big
push. That drive was q terrible one
and one to be remembered. In June
he was in the alta elk which the Aus
TRANS made and his barracks were
hi
destroyed they went hack to another
and three Of these were blown up in
that one scrap
Much Propaganda Work.
The real work of tho Red Cross in
Italy was propaganda work. When
Mr.. Stearns arrived there the morale
Of the italian army was at its lowest
ebb. The work given to the American
Red Cross workers was to strengthen
this morale and not leave the Italians
victims to the strategy of the Huns
and their Austrian allies. From then
on their work was along this line
They established / 5 canteens right
up in the front line trenches where
they could tend to every want of the
IIc1ilhhS IeNN 6SiahllSneO Inem-
selves in southern Italy. They also
took great care of the fathers and
mothers and when these wrote to their
soldier sons at the front they told
them Of their happiness and the good
care which they were receiving at the
hands Of the American Red Cross
workers. The work of the Red Cross
was not this alone and Mr.. Stearns
has also seen the horrors of war. He
has been at every point along the
Italian front and has become used to
the ways Of the people. He went in
land with the army and he also went
close to Trieste with it. He was with
it in the fighting in the Trente valley
and the battle of the Trentino He
had q chance to see for himself the
terrible work of the Austrians as he
went into territory recently wrestcd
from them. They left nothing behind.
They pillaged and plundered and left
the women and children behind with
out anything and starving to death.
The scenes in the wake of the retreat
ing Austrian army were indeed pitiful.
Leans to Talk Italian.
Mr.. stearns replied to q question Of
whether he could speak the italian
language fiucntly by stating that he
could make hi1nseif understood
enough to get what he wanted He
likes the language, In regard TO get
ting help he said that while over
there i1o Was aided In speaking by
boys from this country. He met
young Italians who had worked In the
and other places in New
Y ork, What was his surprise and /
! appiness 20 meet two Italians at the
front who had formerly worked in
the New Britain factory of Landers,
lHrary and Clark and later ne met q
fellow who had worked at the Corhin
Cabinet Lock factory in this oity.
Mr., Stearns was radiant with hap
piness today and when he did start
10 talk of things over there he always
talked about the 'tdeughbays' wha
deserve the real credit for the war
being wen, Thsy were the anes who
played the real game in the apinien of
Mr.. Stearns, who says that he will
rect for them exeFy time aad when
they come back they are the fellows