The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-06-10
AMERICAN R c.
ARE BUSY With.
RELIEF WORK ON.
ITALIAN FRONT
All Of Italy Stirred By
Great American Re-
lief Work
" .AMERICANS
ARE COMING:''
Nation Takes New Heart
When Red Cross Work
ers Arrive

Headquarters Italian Army, June
neutrality-suspicious. Of The Asso-
ciated Press Italy and
particularly in this section near the
fighting front, the work Of the AM
eriean relief accomplished by Am
erican Red Cross workers has served
as a medium for stirring the spirit
Of resistance among the people ana
soldiers. It has contributed toward
keeping them heartened for the trials
Of the war and letting know that
America was united with them in it.
1t is a work going on all over italy,
but here near the front it deals with
actual fighting conditions, in q belt
Of country lying just back OF the
fighting line, with masses OF troops
billeted in towns, villages and coun-
try districts, and vast wave or
refugees, swept south and west from
the invaded regions, settling down
with all their misery like swarm or
locusts on the local communities.
In such section the work is some
thing more than one of relief, for
while $500, 900 has been distributed
in this one section yet the main pnr-
pose has been to stimulate and
hearten the spirit Of the peasantry,
to arouse their ardor and support
for the men on the fighting line, and
to let them know that America and
all her resources are with them to
the end.
These provinces Of Treviso, venetia
and Padua lie just back OF the Piave
and mountain fighting fronts. Ire
viso province is on the border line,
with half it's communes occupied by
the enemy and half by the Italians,
and the PtaVe running between the
two severed parts Of the province.
Every one of the 38 Treviso COM
munes remaining under Italian con-
troll has been visited by the Amer
lean Red Cross workers; the 10S COM
munes Of Padua province have been
similarly visited; and some Is COM
munes in Venetia province.
Stirring scenes have been Witness
ed in these country districts as the
American workers have carried on
rection Of Captain Thwaits, in charge
of civilian relief in the war zone. At
Este, for example, public holiday
was decreed, the town was p1acarded
with posters announcing that "the
Americans are coming" school
children and the mayor gave a din
ner with speeches. The same wave
Of appreciation and enthusiasm has
spread everywhere, until the whole
region rings with what the Americans
are doing.
The tour today lay due north to the
very margin Of the fighting coun-
try, and one could see side by side
the stir of intense military prepare
ton, the spring awakening Of a great
agricultural region, and the squalid
misery Of the unfortunate mass
swept out Of the invaded region and
settled down here unable to get any
further. On the right was the Piave
river with the defenses on the heights
Of AsoIe and the Montello region, and
ahead. were the snow covered peaks
of Mount Grappa land its line OF
mountain defenses stretching west
to the Brenta river.
The signs of military preparation
and defense were on every hand, even
at this distance ten or fifteen miles
back Of the actual fighting line, for
everything is prepared ahead for the
possible eventuality of the conflict
surg1ng down into this peaceful plain.
Squads Of army engineers were at all
the bridges, digging deep pits for
mines to blow up these structures and
block the advance Of the enemy.
Sentinels were on guard every hum
dred feet along the Brenta canal
guarding this precious artery Of COM
munication. Across the fields new
trenches were being dug UP, so that