Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-07
Horrors OF Austrian
Occupation In Italy
Special Correspondents of the Italian
American News Bureau.

OderZO, Italy o 2S.-Tne mayor
of Oderzo, Signor Ievada, has made a
report on the conduct Of the enemy
troops in his ~neighborhood during a
year of occupation. 1t was a rule of
terror, oppression and of cruelty. The
branch of the enemy's army behaved
worst. The Hungarians were most
conspicuous for selling property and
robbery. The officers were worse
than the soldiers. They often an
swered the wretched women who
went to them with babes in arms beg
sing for bread with their riding
whips.
The commander of the 26th Aus
trian division, General Honved. told a
mother who vent to him at Piavon
with three small children asking
food: IF you are hungry eat your
smallest child first. and after that the
Others" There are witnesses to this.
The Cruel answer was taken up by
subordinate officers who found occa-
finally became a by-word. One of
those who heard it repeated was tho
wife Of Antonio Rossetto.
From the beginning the most re-
lentless requisition was practiced and
it soon became s%poilation. The Off
GERS carried off the sheets from the
houses--the few that remained-to
make themselves white summer
clothes. 1t often happened the
gendarmes stripped the last sheet or
mattress from beneath the dying.
Angelo Pizonat, dean Of Oderzo, was
a witness to this.
Fugitivcs Forced to Move.
In February, 1918, at M%ansue,
where many refugees from the banks
Of the Piave had been gathered, ar
order was received one morning at 5,
directing them to be ready for rams
fer to another place at six. There
was a woman among them unfit for
travel. In spite of the remonstrances
of all the others in her behalf she was
compelled to enter a crowded auto
car. Her child was born in the car
an hour after.
In June at the time Of the Austrian
offensive there was a scarcity Of nurs-
es, and all Of the numerous hospitals
We're filed with wounded. Boys and
girls of thirteen and fourteen were
forced to help, and the work assigned
them was to carry the dead from the
wards to the morgue in their arms.
The corpses always stripped, were
often dropped to the ground by them
in their terror or from sheer weak
ness and exhaustion.
In the Oderzo asylum where it was
necessary to leave 220 maniacs in the
retreat after Caporetto in November,
1917, the most atrocious cruelties
were committed. The ample supplies
of the institution were requisitioned
and the inmates transferred. Two
days before the transfer they were all
packed in a little room without food.
They were removed to the Brandolini
Rota college. and from there were
sent elsewhere. After the privations
and hardships they suffered only
thirty survived.
Aged and Poor Generally Perish,
J.. Generally those who for age. illness
or effectiveness were unable to pro-
vide for themselves persisted. In the
borough Of OderZo alone a carefully
prepared census by BaSi1io Prezzon
the acting mayor, disclosed more thar
200 deaths from hunger.
The food ration for the entire dis
trict consisted of $50 grammes o!
Hour a day for each person. The floul
was composed of a mixture Of rye
barley and raw chestnuts. I mysel
mill. Outside of this there was moth
ing. All the domestic animals wer'
requisitioned, excepting a few cows
not to exceed one to a family: but IL
the end even that was taken.
The commands were very numer
Gus, and each command had a larg
quantity Of flour at its disposal. TIL
Austrian officers carried on an in
iquitous traffic in this commodity
Poor women who were starving. wen
with their children in this country, .
rich in its crops Of grain, and offe
ed their gold and jewels to get q sup
ply. The officers would bargain wit
them like vulgar traders and woul
accept their precious ornaments !
barter for a few pounds Of fioul
Alessandro Vizzotto of Oronzo says
woman Of Vittorio, Venetia, gave a
antique gold cord Of exquisite work
manship for five kilos Of -four.
Woman Drowns Herself in River.
Another poor woman went frol
Vittort6, Venetia, to Motta di Livenz
without finding flour, and continue
to Tore di Mosto where she obtaine
twenty kilos. She started back wit
her precious load and reaching Mott
was halted at the bridge by two ger
darmes who requistioned ME bags Al
serting that strict orders had bee
given not to permit the transfer
flour from one place TO another. TIL
woman after her exertion to save he
children. gave UP in despair and nun
herself In the river, perishing as tn
gendarmes looked n.
The night the Austrians sevacuate
the town q Magyar soldier with h!
bayonet a through Marco Milanes'
. citizen who refused to give up q ba
~ of flour. seS,s ss.@5 M.