The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-12
VIII See That There Are No
Retreats Like the Great
ROut of Last Autumn
HOME COMFORTS
FREELY PROVIDED
Organization Works Hard to Restore
Shattered Morale of Citizens-Assist-
ing in Evacuation of Venice Which
Has Long Been in Progress.

NEW YORK, Feb 12.-In the breath
ing space between big military opera
lions on the Italian front the Red Cross
is working to prevent future disaster
to Italian people in the war zone that
would be occasioned by a second re-
treat, and is extending it's relief plans
for those who fled in that first great
rout. There is in these plans no eX-
pactation that another retreat will be
made, but only a good sense Of pre-
caution
Gen. Diaz has directed that there be
no further evacuation of the territory
on the Adige line, which is the next
point that would be yielded in q gener-
al retirement Several large towns are
in this section-Vcrona, Vicenza, Padua
and Rovigo.
1--WE are informed, the Red Gross
announcement says, THAT definite or
ders have been issued against the evac-
uation of this new territory, even III
ease of invasion. The inhabitants have
been advised officially to remain where
they are. chiefly, no doubt. for the rea-
son that with the present limited supply
of food il would be impossible to care
for so great an influx of population in
the remaining part Of the country
and also because property would be
sacrificed which might be preserved by
the owners if they remained to look
after it, -
The Red Cross realizes, however, that,
despite military orders, in the event of
a retirement there Will be many who
will begin an exodus. They will not
care to remain within short distance of
the enemy lines.
Blankets, clothing and food are being
collected as far north as Bologna, in
greater quantities in Florence and in
large centers to which the refugees will
he sent-wcst, south and southeast.
The disposition of Red Cross forces to
h5rrrttr tho emergency is described thus
by Paul l.. Kellogg, editor of the Sur,
ycy, in a series Of articles from Italy
for the Red Cross:
50 For those who move westward the
natural place for the storehouscs would
bc in Milan, where the Umanitaria the
| Bonomelli and our American relief com
mittce would all be ready to help the
officials
For those who 90 down the east
coast the stores and hospital facilities
/ established for the Eerietian refugees at
| Rlmini and food and clothing stations
! at Ravenna and Ancona would come
| into play. The main stream would, how.
4 ever, come through the central funnel
/ of Florence, and we would emphasize
4 the great importance Of having the ex-
1 tcnsive stores at Bologna and Florence
/ available for instant use by the proper
/ agcncics in those places on the initia-
tive of our representatives in Florence
Further west and south relief pro
gram could he worked out more DELHI
crately at Turin, Genoa and Naples anC
in Sicily, but at each place we should
be ready to give assistance at the very
moment OF arrival
1t probably always will be a SQUIRE,
Of regret to the Red Cross agents tina
they were not on hand when the popu
lace of northern Italy scattered and ran
in the terror Of the November retreat
The promptncss of the organization
came into play to care for the over
crowded communities in time to proven
a measure of the great privation, bu
there is n determination that so seeon,
disaster will find them unprepared
The general plan Of forestallng an
other disaster consists in the establish
ment of distinctive relief agencies o
its own, with hospitals, refuge kitchen,
station cantcens and housing commit
tees Regional delegates will keep head
quarters constantly informed of condi
tions in every district, and direct, effec
tive relief viii be possible The Italia
government is apprcciative, and is &c
operating.
For the present the Red Cross is as