The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-06-06
The RED CROSS
AGENTS WELCOME
TO ALLREFUCEES

Headquarters Italian Army, June 6.
Arrival of relief from America
through the Red Cross agents behind
the Italian front along the Piave Riv-
er, which section is filled with refu-
gees from the regions invaded by Teu-
tonic troops, is greeted with evidences
of fervent gratitude and jubilation.
This is true not only because of the
actual gifts in money, food and cloth
ing but because it signifies to the Ital-
ians the fact that America is stand
ing behind them in their long con-
flict with the Austrian invaders.
The aged priest at CASTILLO di-Go-
dega, was so overcome by the unex-
pected donations from America that
he knelt in prayer and exclaimed, cit
is a gift from heaven"
Wherever the Red Cross workers
have distributed their relief, the May
or and Local Committee directed the
succored families of that commune to
write to the soldiers at the front and
tell them what America had done.
The work of the Americans was ex-
tolled and the people were told that
the United States was thus co-operat-
ing in close and practical accord with
Italy.
In some cases huge posters have ap-
peared on the town walls with a proc
lamation by the mayor announcing
what America was doing.
The misery which prevails among
the refugees in the provinces of Ire
IIric
tressing. Stopping at the little town
of Riesi, in tour of this section,
there was a chance to see one of these
communities of refugees in all it's mis-
cry. 1t is a strange community, which
has migrated as a whole from it's for
mer home at Vidor, now held by the
enemy, to its present habitation of
Rtesi. Vidor is the village on the
east bank of the Piave which was oc-
cupied by General Won Buelow and
his German troops, and when they
came these townspeop1e, with only
the clothes on their backs and a few
household belongings, fled across the
Piave and settled down here Most of
the refugees have scattered all over
Italy, but this is one of the few
towns that has held together in its
flight.
The parish priest led the way as
the Red Cross workers went on a
round of inspection to Sc just how
these people were living. The mayor
and the parish priest are usually con-
suited on this work, the latter because
he is in touch with all the troubles.
Most of the people are religious, but
even those who are not get religious
when they are in trouble, and every
one is in trouble here They all
know him, and he made his way
through crowds of ragged children
and the choked alleys of what would
have been a concentration camp if it
had been organized, but being unor-
gained was only a vast hive of refu-
gees in their misery.
In one room about f fifteen feet
square rs people were sleeping on
straw strewn over the earthen floor.
The place was stuffed with soiled gar
ments, the pitifu1 remnants of what
these occupants possessed, and reeked
with vileness. Across the court there
was a smaller room where thirteen
were sleeping, and in another eight
all huddled together on the straw, wo-
men, children, babies, and their rags. |
All the outhouses, barns, grain lofts, |
were utilized for sleeping quarters. |
There were few men, for all the men
have gone to the war, except the very
old and very young
Many of the women were very old. |
with wizened hungry faces like witch |
es. A number of the women carried
babies, and all of them were trailed
by large broods of children. All these
people had lost everything. Their
clothes were in rags. Underclothes
and stockings had long ago disap-
peared. Even the consolation of
work was denied to these people, for
there was nothing for them to do
here, and they stood about with their
crowds of children and babies, fight
ing to keep off hunger and Typhoid,
and helpless in their misery.
AS result of the inspection the Red
Cross has started the work of anne
Iorating this condition, providing suit
able sleeping quarters, with sanitation
and the nucleus of a hospital for the
growing sick list.
The secretary of the Loria munich
pality said all the barns there were
fairly packed with peope, thirty or
more to every barn, filing the stalls
and lofts. The mayor of Castillo di
Godega said the spirit of the farm
people was showing remarkable FORTH
tude in spite of the troubles thew were
encountering- ''They are going to
carry on their May planting as usual
he said. gathering the spring clover
and then putting in corn"