Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-12

was that OF transportation. A secre-
tary general for civil affairs, asilt, at
tached to the supreme command, n
hitherto charged with administering
those districts in the Trentino and in
the neiehborhood Of Trieste, which
had been wrested from Austria earlier
in the war, acted as the connecting
link between the military and civil
authorities.in getting the refugees out.
The major decisions as to where
they should be taken we're made by
the ministry Of the interior in Rome,
which communicated with the projects
and learned how many each province
could care for
I The main stream came down
through Padua and Modena. The
railroads direct to the west were en-
crossed by the army and refugees
were sent by a roundabout way to
Milan, which became the general
clearing station for Turin, Genoa, Leg
horn and the northwest. The main
funnel, however, was through Bo-
logna and Florence and thence
stream was switched to the Adriatic
coast lines. Perhaps $4,000 were sent
to Naples and beyond, $4,000 Of them
to Sicily; many Venetians were gotten
out by ferry to Chioggia and then
down the east coast In this scheme
of things, the road which parallels
the Apprentices. crossing italy from
the southeast to the northwest, on the
route Of the old Emilian way, became
an important carrier.
Thousands Of refugees left towns or
countrysides Of their own volition and
at their " expense, by rail or
wagon. The government's RESPONSE
bility was for those carried by special
traln, and these were confined to the
cars or to the wholesale lodging places
arranged at. such general clearing sta
tons as Florence and Milan, where
they were cared for unit they were
sent on under instruction from Rome,
to the provincial capitals. Certain
regions with special facilities for
housing refugees. such as the Italian
their empty resort buildings, were
large receivers. Distributions within
a province, as between towns and VIII
lagos, was in the hands Of the local
projects, each of whom went through
somewhat the same process in their
districts as was carried out national
ly. This was the system. but in the
rush OF the early days it did not al
ways work smoothly, and there was
confusion and clogging at various
points.
l.. NAA III 1OC1ukCCS.
The second element in the problem
OF the care of refugees is that of in
come. To the projects also the cen
trail government sent funds to feed the
refugees while enroute, or in. asile,
and to provide daily allowances of, on
the average, M Ira a day per per-
son 1.-THE figure differed in different To-
calities and according to the number
of children in a family once they
were settled in houses or rooms
requisitioned for the purpose. At that
point also responsibility for their
supervision was generally shifted to
the mayorsaof the communes, but the
national government continues to pro-
vide the ALLEGATION and to be respon-
sible for broad measures for meeting
their needs. under a specially created
High Commission.
Supplementing and cooperating
with this government activity. many
voluntary Italian agencies have work
cd with devotion and al intelligent
grasp Of the situation. Especially
should be mentioned the italian Red
cross. which threw open to the refu-
gees its rest and first aid rooms in the
stations; ran asile as at .Florence;
drew on its supplies for blankets, he'd
ding, etc, as at Milan; and in some
districts. as at Catania, has been the
agency most concerned with providing
for the refugees away from the main
! urban %centers. And especially also
should be mentioned the Comitatos
ICivile. a loosely federated group of
local organizations, created to develop
various forms of aid for the families
of soldiers.
Thes have in nan local centers
developed a wide range of social
work; and. in some localities. at once
expanded their scope. to care for
refugees. Usually. however, a distinct
committee. called by some such name
as Comitato del Profughi, has been
formed under The auspices of prefetto
or sindaco (mayor) to raise a relief
fund and to carry or work through
subcommittee on housing. employ
ment and the like. Apart from these
general organizations. personal lead
ership Or group action has brought
special activities into play or gave
them color-such Is a sculptor, in