The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-03-14
DAMAGE WROUGHT
BY FOE IN ITALY
Wanton Destruction and Fi||a3e
Revealed in Report.
FOR Which Run MUST PAY FAIL TO SUPPRESS Sheet

Oppression tAnlcteo "nefeVe' 6"
emy Set His Foot--Facts Gathered
by italian Committee Surpass Any.
thing Hitherto Believed Possible
Exceeds in Atrocity Destruction
Suffered by France and Belgium.
Especial to the I,alan-American News
Bureau. Chicago.)
The committee appointed to inVes-
tigate the violations of right perpe-
tratet in Italy. and the inhuman
treatment of prisoners OF war has
made its first report.
The material to be considered IS
vast, and the preliminaries disclose
the enormous damage done by the
enemy wherever he set foot in this
country. The losses due to airpiane
bombing and bombardment along the
coast. already gathered by the mill
tary governors and placed on hle'
and of the nonmilitary buildings de-
stroyed or damaged are receiving first
attention.
The public has received fragmen-
tary news of what was done. The
reality surpasses anything hitherto be-
lieved possible. 1t is the result OF
a systematic system of cruelty ana
oppression intended to intimidate or
massacre the inhabitants.
At the same time steps were being
taken to get all data about the loss
of shipping due TO submarine war
fare. 1t is estimated already that
the Italian merchant navy has lost
1,OOO.OOO tons of shipping. both OF sail
ing and steam vessels.
Heavy Less in Vessels.
The value of the carsoes sunk is
huge. and includes Italian shipments
Inv foreign as we'll as by Italian YES
sells. A rough estimate places it at
billion lire. The responsibility or
Germany has been established clearly,
especially when It comes to shipping
belonging to neutrals or allied coun-
tries. carrying Italian carsoes, ana
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 were 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 collec'
tions 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 tes'
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
TRANS followed in their footsteps and
redoubled their acts OF oppression
and barbarity to give vent to their
insensate and often deluded rapacity.
The depredations fell on the poor
as we'll as the wealthy. Articles of
even the slightest value were the OBJ
tects Of their cupidity. No house es'
caped the iron hand of the invader.
All household linen was carried OH
without pity. Sheets and mattresses
were torn from the sick and bed
ridden, and every sign of resistance
was met with inhuman cruelty.
The victuais, 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 Tables.
In the country besides the damage
done to every crop, a complete deV-
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 cupidfty
and we're taken without the least pre-
text of legality. The number of bells
taken from the churches is estimated
at 1900. 1t gives ali 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 all the
churches religious paraphernalia were
stolen with sacred vestmentS and ar
nf r.