Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-07-03
ITALY's GLORIOUS RECORD.

| Chicago Herald Examiner
A deathless page of history is being
inscribed by the Italian armies on the
Pave
Italy's hour of glory has struck.
The exalted valor and military ge-
MUS with which she has turned the
Austrian offensive into disorderly
retreat may come to be. recognized, in
the perspective of the future, as hay
ing forged the decisive thunderbolt Of
the war.
That Italy should be destined to de-
liver masterstroke in the struggle
to save mankind from Teutonic shack
les is logical fruition of that noble
country's ancient and modern tradi-
tons. And of all the intensely NOV
ing worldwide phenomena of regen-
Grafton springing from the war, none
is more inspiring than the spectacle
of Italy reborn, brandishing mighty
sword for the brotherhood of nations.
In inflicting an overwhelming de-
feat on the invading Austrian hosts at
this critical moment of the worlds
travail, the country of Garibaldi is
lis but living up to the magnificent
role it has played since the beginning
|of the war Few Americans realize
how supremacy important that role
has been and what sublime self-sacri-
fee Italy has manifested in the face
Of almost incredible difficulties.
81 The world has heard too little Of
Italy's efforts, her obstacles and her
achievements. It is only poetic jus
Etice that the fortune of war should
now permit her to crown her faithful
and heroic labors with military
exploit of the first magnitude which
will compel the enthusiastic recog-
milton of all mankind.
Friends of liberty might we'll trem-
BILE to reflect on what might have be-
fallen the cause of the allies if they
had been denied the aid Of Italy.
At the very outset of the struggle
she relieved the worst fears for civili-
cation by refusing to fight on the side
of Germany and Austria, although
bound to them by an unnatural alli-
'ance and oppressive financial obliga-
lions. ~
That decision saved France from be-
/ ing overwhelmed by the first German
rush for Paris. It enabled her to with
draw all her troops from the Italian
frontier and throw them against the
invaders from the north. Italy's
brotherly act, gave France the oppor-
'tunity for her victory Of the Marine.
And when italy buckled on her ar
NOR and drew her sword for England
and Fance in 1915, their prospects
had never seemed so. black. The Rus
sian armies were in precipitate re-
treat, and the Germans were hurting
themselves with apparently irresist-
ible force at the lettering defenses Of
Verdun.
Italys entrance into the fray held
the alarmed Austrians from going toll
reinforce their ally on the western
front, and bleeding France was once
more saved by her southern neiglbor
and kinsman.
Since that fateful day Italy has
wrought miricles of military and in
dustrial achievement. The story OF
her mountain warfare alone will fill
volumes in the martial annals of the
future. Such feats of engineering as
the Italian armies have performed in
road building, tunneling and fortify-
ing, to say nothing Of fighting, on
craggy heights hitherto regarded as
accessible only to the most daring
and most practiced mountain climbers,
had never been accomplished before |
And meanwhile the whole of Italy's
magnificent vitality not under arms
has been organized in superb drive
of shipbuilding, munitions making
and other Industrial productiveness
of supreme Importance to the allied
cause.
All her accomplishments on these
and other lines will be spread before
the world when the war is over. This
newspaper takes pleasure in mention |