The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-09
Whitney Warren Says the
Italian Patriots Prefer
Destruction to Surrender
PAVE BECOMES
A DEFINITE LINE
EXhorts Allies to Recognize the Disaster
Involved in Renewal of the Inva-
sion-Lying Rumors from Internal


sion-Lying Rumors from Internal
Enemies.
PARIS, Jan. 9.-The third and last
article by Whitney Warren on Italian
conditions, appearing in 'Homme
Libre, deals with the military situa
ton, and reads as follows:
take up the military situation last
because it is so intimately subordinate
to the moral and economic situation.
Let us suppose an Italy in good political
health, possessing all it now lacks and
an army that had not known such a
defeat as that of October, still full of
elan and confidence. Little by little she
has recovered her equilibrium, and we
have seen wonderful exploits which only
real army is capable of performing.
But the entente powers must under
stand the necessity of not losing sight
for single instant Of the Italian bat
tletield. 1t is perhaps there that they
will obtain the decision Of the war. At
the beginning of the retreat when no
one knew the capacity for resistance of
the troops, and when every commander
was III doubt as to what he could de
mand of them after the confusion that
followed the retreat from the Carso, the
commander in chief saw the possibility
of falling back all the way TO the Adige
The line of the Piave was considered
only as something provisional. But now
It has become a definite line. IT is nee
cssary at all costs to hold on the Piave
IT is necessary at all costs 10 keep
Monte Grappa, and if by chance it is
lost to the Italians to make it impos-
sIble for the cOnqueror. This is the on
ly means of imposing silence upon the
voices i'll the rear which, encouraged by
the Bolshevik treason. continue to prop
agate their abOminable doctrine of de
lection.
''It is now quite likely that it may
become necessary to defend Venice. The
sentimental question must he discussed
only for a moment. Venice, which no
one loves more than [: Venice. where |
passed The best hours Of my life As an
artist, should be exposed to all the dan
gers of bombardment if necessity
arises. Up to the present, by reason of
the personal intervention of the Pope.
| the Austrians have spared it. They fly
dbVNV ~ 'ul NlN!' no bbfhbN. t)ut 90
not like this pity if it maketh Italians
think that under no circumstances must
any risk be taken with their city that
is unique in all the world For Venice
! is not only an object of art, il is the
only Eastern port that Italy possesses
that has any value, aside from that OF
Brindisi. Therefore. if Venice some dav
is given over to the enemy without
I AafanCn M 81, 4 ~:
wise coded. Venice in the hands OF
the Germans and Austrians, will not
| be considered as jewel. Some Of the
people who preach today of the useless
neH and cruelty Of submitting it 10
irreparable damage will then be the
| first to discover its military and mari
time value They will then see that
| Italy has lost one Of her most power
full arms, and under cover Of this argu-
ment will renew their Vaccinations for
immediate peace.
| Let Venice perish rather than be
abandoned. In all my travels IN Italy
have found no real patriot who does
not hold this opinion. The maintenance
| of the Piave line which covers Venice
| is above all the one vital condition of
a common victory. The loss of the
Pave would perhaps mean that the
cause of the entente was irremediablv
compromised in that the central empires
would then become masters of the Ital-
ian peninsula and Europe would be
/ plunged into the miseries of the Middle
Ages. The season has momentarilv
checked any great offensive on this
front; but winter is not eternal, and the
short respite now given the Italian and
allied armies should be employed. min
ute by minute. not only to consolidate
the defense, but to prepare an offensive
and to complete the fraternity of the
chiefs of the different troops who are
heneeforth to battle side by side
"lnternal enemies are sending out
| lying rumors that it is difficult to estab-
lish accord between the Italians and
! their allies. They speculate shamefully