The weekly tribune. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1918-1919, 1918-10-25

Seemed Little Beside Life He Led
Brings Letters That Tell of Anguish
Of People in Territory Occupied by
Austrians.
Especial Correspondence of the Italian-Ame
can News Bureau, Chicago.)
ROme.-A new cry of anguish rises
from the side of the Pave held by the
Austrian arms. 1t reaches Rome
through one of our soldiers, Ferdinan-
do Caldo, a bersagliere, from Reggie
Calabria. He was captured in Novem-
Der last by the AuStrians and forced
to do such hard work and en-
dure such privatiOns that any
risk to effect his escape seemed
little beside the life he led. He re-
solved to escape. Twice he attempted
it, and the second time succeeded.
After several months of exciting adj
ventures he crossed the Galore Alps
country. He was helped by the inhabi.
tants, who took him in and hid him,
or fed him. Several of them entrusted
him with letters to friends or relatives
in Italy. These letters have been pho.
tOgraphed for pamphlet issued by
the army and are further testimony
to Austrian barbarities. One of the
letters says:
"Dear Friends: I shall try to tell
you briefly of the misery of the past.
First of all the barbarian Austrians,
as soon as they arrived here, entered
the houses and carried everything
off. What they could not take they
destroyed. What wine they could not
drink they poured in the cutters and
left US poor citizens without wine and
without bread. They force us to work
without pay or food, under the spur
of a soldiers bayonet.
Armed Men Break in Doors.
"At night they break down the
doors to add terror to the misery of
women and girls. Often / was obliged
to fight for my life. Here in these
provinces death gains on us every day.
because there is nothing left to eat.
Yes, dear friends, if you DO not send
us something we shall soon be dead"
Inside the envelope was written:
eff you go to the front, do not be
taken prisoner, for it will mean your
death.
81 have seen persons die from hun
ger, even here.'
Beneath the address were the
words: "'' '~''
''If you do not find the person adj
dressed, read the letter to the people"
The letters repeat the same desper-
ate prayer, the same cry of anguish.
Cup to now I live" Pierina writes
her husband, who is a corporal 18th
Alpini, GOA company. eff Italy does
not come to our rescue, we shall die
from hunger. We have been living on
roots for month"
Maria writes her son Pietro:
"We are left under the dome of the
sky without shelter-with nothing.
Here one wishes for death as a relief
every moment"
A mother writes to Signora Mar
gherita Gorio, 50 via Trieste, Brescia,
asking for something to eat, because
"My children are dying of hunger"
AS inSiStent as a refrain, every let
ter repeats the message of Victoria
- to Sergeant Antonio -- of
the 249th infantry:
''If the Italians do not come to de-
liver us we shall all die from hun
ger"
In delivering the letters the ber-
sagliere CaldO remarked:
"At the time 1 came away the re-
sources of the country We're at the
lowest ebb, owing to the repeated re-
QUESTIONS of the Austrians. The peO-
pie lived inside their houses to avoid
contact with or insult and injury at
the hands Of an unbridled, rough and
ignorant soldiery. This, however, did
not prevent thieving and Outrages
against women by armed men. Blows
were given freely to whoever did not
obey quickly.
Mountaineers Burned Out.
"Whole woods. were burned by the
Austrians to compel the jewellers in
lonely mountain cabins to flee. Their
sufferings, however, did not wear out
the morale of the peoples resistance.
Their patriotism was sharpened and
their desire for freedom quickened.
"Their charity in helping our pris-
oners escaping from Austria is admir-
able. They hide them. lead them over
mountain paths at night, known only
to persons born and reared among
them, and through thousand perils,
to our lines.
"Woe to deserters. If they find one,
and they examine every soldier close
~ to find out. they drive him out of
their houses like a dog, and leave him
to help himself as best he may"