The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-06-05
AMERICAN RELIEF
STTFFENING ITALIANS
Work of Red Cross Is Stirring the Spirit
of Resistance in Italy and Keeping
Them Heartened for the Struggle.

Headquarters Italian Army, June I
| Correspondence of the Associated Press
Throughout Italy and particularly II
this section near the fighting front, the
work of American relief accomplished by
American Red Cross workers has served
as medium for stirring the spirit of re.
sistance among the people and soldiers
1t has contributed toward keeping them
heartened for the trials of the war and
| letting them know that America was
united with them in it.
1t is work going on all over Italy,
but here near the front it deals with
actual fighting conditions, in belt of
country lying just back of the fighting
line, with masses of troops billetted in
towns, villages and country districts, and
vast wave of refugees; swept south and
west from the invaded regions, settling
down with all their misery like swarm
of locusts on the local communities.
In such a section the work is some.
thing more than one of relief, for while
100000 has been distributed in this one
section yet the main purpose has been to
stimulate and hearten the spirit of the
peasantry, to arouse their ardor and sup
port 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 Treyiso. Venetia
and Padua lie Just back of the Piave
and mountain fighting fronts. Treviso
province is on the border line, with half
its commmes occupied by the enemy and
half by the Italians, and the Piave run
ming between the two severed parts of
the province. Every one of the 80 Ire
yiso communes remaining under Italian
control has been visited by the American
Red Cross workers; the 1903 communes
of Padua province have been similarly
and some IS communes in Vene-
tia province.
Stirring scenes have been witnessed in |
these country districts as the American |
workers have carried on their work, un
der the general direction of Captain |
in charge of civilian relief in
The war zone. At Este, for example,
public holiday was decreed, the town
was placarded with posters announcing
hat "the Americans are coming" school
children and the mayor gave dinner,
with speeches. The same wave of APP
,reciation and enthusiasm has spread
until the whole region rings
The tour to-day lay due north due to
he very margin of the fighting country,
nd one could see side by side the stir of
intense military preparation, the spring
Weakening of a great agricultural region,
nd the squalid misery of the unfortu-
ate mass swept out of the invaded re-
ion and settled down here unable to get
ny further. On the right was the Pave
liver with the defenses on the heights of
solo and the Montello region, and ahead /
'ere the snow covered peaks of Mount i
rappa and its line of mountain defenses .
tretchiug west to the Brenta river. {
The signs of military preparation and .
efense were on every hand. even at this /
istanee 10 or Is miles back of the actual /
ghting line, for everything is prepared /
head for the possible eventuality of the q
,nfiict surging down into this peaceful q
lain. Squads of army engineers were d
all the bridges, digging deep pits for
lines to blow up these structures and il
ock the advance of the enemy. "
Sentinels were on guard every hundred t
'et along the Brenta canal. guarding c
us precious artery of communication. .
cross the fields new trenches were be- ;
g dug up, so that the farm country "
as gradually taking on the aspect of an V
med camp. Barbed wire entanglements Fl
ss-erossed the fields Some of the EN- n
acements for batteries and machine O
ms looked very solid and might well Il
rye as a permanent fertilization. Sol
ers marched along the roads in endless
les, with great parks of horses, mules,
and supplies and all the vii
ge streets were thick with soldiers and
e mixture of ragged and impoverished
fugees. At all the places visited there :
Is the same procedure: the important
icials and citizens of the town were qt
thered for a conference on the com ly
lnitys needs-the mayor, assessor.
ad school teacher and the parish priest ~
lev furnished the exact statistics of nc
miles in need. conducting the party to
: chief centers Of distress when this g
Is possible. and then the Red Cross ~
Irted them on a plan Of relief work, 81,
IN a substantial contribution, accord d
TO the need. y
1T Is not only the donation that -
lnts. explained Captain Thwaits. for ~
Il j. only = token Of the solidarity Of
" and the United States. and an as ~ ~
-ance to your people and soldiers that ~
lerica Is with them 20 the end We
M il to he a contribution to strength -
the spirit Of resistance of every sol =
: and every worker behind the Ines %