Grants Pass daily courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1919-1931, 1919-07-11

Suffered by France and Belgium.
Especial to The itaiian-American News
Bureau. chicagoj
The committee appointed TO Inves-
tigate the violations of right perpe-
trated In Italy. and the inhuman
treatment OF prisoners OF war has
made IFS first report.
The material TO be considered Is
vast, and the prelIminaries 1lsclose
the enormous damage done by the
enemy wherever he set foot ia this
country. The losses due 10 alrplane
bombing and bOmbardment along the
const. already gathered by the miIi-
tary governors and placed on file.
and OF the nonmlitary buildings de
stroyed or damaged are receiving first
attention.
The public has received fragmen-
tary news Of what was done. The
reality Nurpasses anything hitherto i;s.-
lieyed possible. II Is the result OF
n systematic system Of cruelty and
oppression intended TO iniimidate or
massacre the inhabitants.
Al the same time steps were being
taken 10 get all data about the loSs
Of shipping due tO submarine war
fare. Il is estimated already that
the Italian merchant navy has lost
100000 tons OF shipping, both OF sail
Ing and steam vessels.
Heavy LOGS in Vessels.
The value of the cargoes sunk Is
huge. and Includes Italian shipments
by foreign as well as by Italian YES
sells. rough estimate places II at
billion lire. The responsibility OF
Germany has been established clearly.
especially when u comes to shipping
belonging 10 neurrals or allied coun-
tries. carrying Italian cargoes. and
frequently also the Italian ships.
whenever the submarines did not
show their colors before attacking.
The devastation of the invaded
parts of Italy exceeds perhaps in
atrocity and intensity the analogous
destruction suffered by Belgium and
French departments. For this cir
cumstance which must be set forth
In strong relief there We're several
causes: The density of the most ac.
tive Industrial life; the highly devel.
oped Intensive agriculture. and the
raising of every kind Of domestic ami
NAL on large scale.
In an area smaller than one-fifteenth
Of Belgium, there was laborious and
moderately wealthy people, about one
sixth OF that OF the whole OF Belgium.
Workshops gave employment and
wealth to every village. Villas and
stately palaces with priceless collee
tons Of art and important libraries
graced the countryside and cities.
At the beginning OF the Invasion.
the German soldiery wanted the first
fruits of pillage. and, from the ties
timony gathered, the other troops were
prevented from giving way to ex-
cess In order to let the German lead
ers and soldiers have the first pick
of what was worth carrying OFF. Thus,
when the Germans left Italy. the Aus
trlans followed In their footsteps and
redoubled their acts of oppression
and barbarity to give vent to their
insensate and often deluded rapaclty.
The depredations fell on the poor
as well as the wealthy. Articles of
even the slightest value were the OBJ.
jects Of their cupidity. No house es-
capped the iron hand of the invader.
All household linen was carried of
without pity. Sheets and mattresses
were torn from the sick and he'd.
ridden. and every sign Of resistance
was met with inhuman cruelty.
The victuals, even In the poorest
houses, were carried OF, even to the
tables around which the families gath.
cred to eat their miserable food.
Food Carried From Tablea
In the country besides the damage
done to every crop, complete dew
astation was wrought cutting down
vines and fruit trees purely from wan
ton savagery, or for the frewood the
enemy needed. Thus one of the
sources Of agricultural wealth for
centuries was destroyed.
All metals, as has been related.
were the special objects Of cupid,ty
and were taken without the least pre-
text Of legality. The number of bells
taken from the churches is estimated
at $4,000. 1t gives an Idea of the
extent and thoroughness Of the pill
lage committed In private houses and
public buildings.
The sanctity Of sacred places was
not respected. In almost ali the
churches religious paraphernalia were
stolen with sacred vestments and ar.