Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-03-01
RED CROSS SENDS
PROMPT AID TO
ITALIAN FORCES
Am B ULANcE MEN FROM
FRENCH FRONT FIRST TO
REACH ALPINE SECTOR.
Now Attending Wounded Men Of
General Diaz's Army on
Snow Capped Mounts.
(BY A RED CROSS REPRESENTA-
TIVE IN ITALY.)

High up on the S~n0W-capped Alplne
rampant that guards North Italy, the
battle sector where the enemy drive
has been at its fercest, a hundred
American Red Cross Ambulance men,
the first actual representatives of the
United States in the Italian Theatre of
War, are ministering to the needs of
the MANNED and wounded In General
Diaz's army. These are picked, sea-
.soned men. They have driven on the
shell exposed roads al Verdun, on the
Aisne and the terrible Chemin des
Danes. Some have been decorated
with the Croix de Guerre. There is
not a raw youngster among them.
These mel have Jumped from the
frying pan into the fire." as their con-
freres back in France have expressed
1t. Straight into the middle of a ire
mendous offensive they were pitched,
there to perform a service which will
require every ounce of stamina, ev-
cry atom of physical endurance that
youth can summon. The American
Red Cross accepted with gratitude
this post of peril and honor for her
men, thus making the war-bond be-
tween America and Italy a thing of
flesh and blood.
Americas first contingent of Am
bulance men in Italy-other contin-
gents will arrive soon-motored into
the Italian war zone just four days
after the American congress declared
war on Austria Hungary. And this
p~rovidential coincidence was irresisti-
BILE In Its appeal to the Italians. They
sent up a shout of Joy that rang from
Brandisi to the northernmost hamlets
of the Alps. Such swiftness In get
ting into action, the blow following
hard upon the world 1t was just this
sort of quick work that America stood
for to the people of Italy. Here were
the Americans, they said, before the
ink was dry on the declaration of war
on their hated enemy that President
Wilson had signed!
Three American Red Cross Ambu-
lance units appeared unheralded on
the italian country side. Word soon
was passed around that the "Ameri-
cans are here" Welcoming groups
doomed up everywhere. The air be-
came vocal with cheers, not well
timed salvos, like the "Rah, rah, rah !"
of college groups, but shouts that
seemed to run the whole gamut and
sound. An answering shout and the
cavalcade rode along.
Welcomed at Milan.
Milan staged the most enthusiastic
welcome of all. The three units re-
ceiyed their applause. They drove off
to war. That was what the public
saw-the surface drama of that small
valorous band. Behind all this there
lay a story worth the telling. 1t is a
story which faithfully describes the
work of the Red Cross in all emergen-
cies.
On a rush call the American men
trekked down from Paris to Milan in
their motors-a long monotonous
trip, hard upon the cars and not less
upon the men.
They motored for eighteen days.
Their path from Paris to Milan, via
Marseilles and Nice, led them to the
most beaming, wonderful adventures
among the hospitable country folk of
Northern Italy. Everywhere the mag
ic word "American," painted on the
ambulances, was a passport to the
Italian hearts. Flowers, food, red
wine, the white eyed admiration of the
young women, the laughing confidence
of the children with whom the north
ern provinces are filled to overlooking
were thrust upon them. None of the
young Americans spoke Italian, al
though one had developed a sort of a
patois Of his own. His attempts to
make himself understood SEM the ma
tives into peals of laughter.
1t was a hard ride-this shift from
the French to the Italian front. Yet
it was q ride that not one of them
would have missed. The Riviera coun-
try, with its uplands, headlands, sky
and water, fascinated them. Their
climb up the mountain cliffs so steep
that the roads were fairly chiseled out
Of their rough breasts; their chugging
passage through villages, ancient and
picturesque, will stand out in their
memory for all time. And the chief
memory of 1t all for them will be that
compelling, unforgettable italian smile,
different from anything else in the
world.
At Nice, on the Italian frontier, the
section met its first ~benefactress. A
few hours after day had famed across
the night the Americans arrived at
this resort. Begrimed, news of their
arrival brought an English woman,
Mrs. Cutler by name, to their garage,
bringing flowers, apples and cigarettes.
Thus was Section l, Italy," given
its farewell to France IN the frontier.
There were no formalities or GUS
tom difficulties about crossing into
Italy. Whenever any guard, sentry or
official was dubious about letting the
units proceed without strict inspec-
ton, all that was necessary was TO
rub CRIME off the ambulance and point
to the Red Cross. Taat worked the.