The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-30
u. s. Must Stand Firm Till Italian
Row is Cleared Up, Says Captain Here

A great feeling of hopefuiness for a
desirable STRENGTHENING out Of the pres
emit Italian situation, and the opinion
that Americans should stand firm and
steady until such a contamination of
affairs is gained was expressed by Cap
tain Carl w. Wenke, of the United
States army ambulance service. re-
turned from Italy April %, in an in
terview this morning. Captain Wenke
declined to discuss further the politi-
cal situation, but talked freely Of the
military conditions during the war.
Captain Wenke's wife, sister OF
Mrs. David NJ. Edwards. Is at present
official nurse at Earlham. He is
spending a few days furlough with
her at the home OF president and Mrs.
Edwards.
In Charge Of Hospital.
Captain Wenke was formerly an eye,
ear and nose surgeon at Battle Creek,
Mich. He went to Italy with his out
fit, a part of the Three hundred and
thirty-first Ohio Infantry, June II. last,
and was stationed most of the time In
a convalescent hospital in Genoa. This
hospital was turned into an evacuation
hospital at times during the heavier
campaigns, when the convalescent pa
tients were moved to a larger base
hospital In France, he explained this
morning. One hundred and fifty pa.
tients was the average to receive care
in this hospital, although at times as
many as two hundred patients were
cared for
while not definitely stationed on
the field, had extreme pleasure and
experience on October 26 Of being tenn
porarily in action" said Captain Wen
Ike. Standing on Mt. Grappa, over
looking 7,000foot drop, during one Of
the heaviest italian offensives, l saw
1000 feet below massed troops vary
ing from $4,000 to 10000 men take and
retake Mt. Pertica four times in four
hours" he related. Il assure you
this was an unique experience for me.
but unconsciously l felt very keen
amount Of interest in what was going
on, and all there was to see. and for
got, at least for the time being, the
danger. -.
Seem to Fight In Clouds
1.-THE day was rather cold, and as a
result, clouds obscured the lower
mountain so that the troops had the
appearance Of fighting in the clouds
The firing from our own men came
from back Of me and enemy fire went
over my head. The casualties Of those
mately 10000 for Italians, Americans
and Austrian" said he.
THE main purpose Of American
troops in Italy," said the captain in
answer to this question, was propa-
talt haV
selves had no idea how many Ameri-
cans there were on the Italian front.
The idea they held was that a great
many divisions were with them, and
this spurred them on and no doubt
did great work in bringing not only
the Austrians to their feet, but 1nspir-
ing them with new confidence and
hope. The Austrians. l know for l
heard them say so, thought that the
were everywhere; that
there were numerous American divis-
ions in Italy. Everywhere they fought
they found Americans, and they nat
urally came to such decision. But,
as a matter of fact, there were only
/ 200 Americans in action in Italy.
These were marched up and down the
Asiagi plateau from Venice on west
and in this way put forward first in
one place. then in another, giving the
very excellent impression that there
were a super-abundance Of American
troops opposite them. The Italians
did not realize the Importance of pro-
paganda work until after the Capiret-
to failure Of 1917.
Discard Their Wounded.
Zone of the strangest things about
the Austrians is, however, their heart
less method of discarding their