Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-05
ITALY EHAILED
AS SAVING WORLD
Judge Bonniwell Calls Ital.
ians Preservers of
Civilization
ENTITLED TO REWARD
Banquet Speakers Say Austria
Backs Jugo.Slav Prop.
aganda

BY timely Intervention In the war on
the side Of the Entente Allies, Italy
saved the civilization of the world, in
the opinion Of Judge Eugene C. Bonni-
we'll Of the Municipal Court
He spoke last night at a banquet given
by the Committee Italia Irredenta Of
Philadelphia. of which Ettore Martini
is president. at the Cafe LeoncavalIo
Twelfth and Spruce streets.
General Ugo P'zzarello. heading an
Italian military mission to the United
states, and Lieutenant Angelo Fanelli,
who served during the war with the
italian field artillery, were guests of
honor. Lieutenant Fanelli also is a
professor in the University of Milan.
Eugenio Alessa ndroni was toastmaster
The purpose Of the gathering was to
urge ITALIANS Of Philadelphia to combat
the Jugo-Slav propaganda in opposition
to Italys claims at the Peace Confer
ence.
Both General Pizzarello, who smoke in
Italian. and Lieutenant Fanelli addressed
the guests at the dinner. General Piz.
zarello is one of twenty-four living men
honered by their king with the gold
medal. with which he was decorated for
conspicuous bravery on the field Of
battle.
Two Bullet Wounds in Head
When still colonel. commanding a.
regiment of Italian troops In action
against the Austrians, General Pizzarello
was wounded In the head by two ma
chine-gun bullets, one of which never
has been removed While these wounds
were being dressed on the field, he was
wounded a third time in the head by
shrapnei. Refusing to yield his COM
inand and retire to hospital in the
rear, the then Colonel Pizzarello ordered
his regiment to advance. and met the
Austrians in a hand-to-hand encounter
and put them to rout with the bayonet
For his courage in that action he was
promoted to general.
= General Pzzarello was married only
three months ago, and brought his bride
to Amer'ca with him.
'If Italy had Joined the Triple ALI
ance in the war and assailed France
when the Germans were sweeping
through Belgium" said Judge Bonni-
well. there would have been no civiliza-
tioh left to save before England could
have landed n single soldier on French
soil. Once Italy's achievements in the
war are known to the people of the
United States, there VIII be a universal
demand throughout this country that her
claims at the Peace Conference be
recognized without further parleying.
Italy not only has the right TO ask, but
she has the right TO demand guaran-
tees against future aggression from the
north"
Praising the performances of the
Italian navy; Judge Bonniwell said that
IT the Italian navy had been in the
nf In hn q IL,
they would have dug the rats (the Gei-
man fieeO out of their hole instead of
letting them sleep in the Kiel canal for
nearly four years"
Says Austria Backs JuEo-Slavs
The Jugo-Slav propaganda is being
financed by the Austrians, declared Har-
old d. Eberlen, with the idea of Cheat
ing Italy out of it's reward" and to pre-
vent the restoration and redemption of
Italian lands, in which it's cla'm are
confined. He denied that Italy drove a
hard bargain in the treaty OF London.
and insisted that ltaly's claims on the
fruits of victory are absolutely just.
The inborn modesty of the italian
people and their reluctance 10 call at
tention to their achievements in the war
are responsible for the lack of response
in the public opinion of the world to
their claims at the Peace conference,
said Mr.. Alessandroni. the toastmaster
The world war, he declared. was won
by the timely Intervention of the United
States. but the greatest military victory
Of the war was that of the Italians over
Austria.
I'VE hear a great deal about the ideal
in all things" said Leslie w. Miller. an
other speaker. ITALY the ideal among
the nations Of the world"
Among others who spoke were Cheva-
lier Gaetano Poccardi, Italian consul
general here and Dean Mcclellan of the
Wharton School, University of Pennsyl-
yania.