The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-03-11

| IMPRESSION InTiICIeo Wherever u
envy Set His Foot-Facts Gathers
by italian Committee Surpass Any
thing Hitherto Believed Possible
Exceeds in Atroeity Destruction
Suffered by France and Belgium.
| Especial to the Italian-American New
| Bureau. Chicago.)
The committee appointed to inves
tigate the violations of right perpe
trated In Italy, and the inhumal
treatment of prisoners of war ha
made its first report.
The material to be considered II
vast, and the preliminaries disclos,
the enormous damage done by tn,
enemy wherever he set foot In THU
country. The losses due to airplant
bombing and bombardment along thu
coast, already gathered by the mill
tary governors and placed on file
and of the ,nonmilitary buildings de
stroyed or damaged are receiving first
attention.
The public has received fragmen
tary news of Rhat was done. The
reality surpasses anything hitherto be.
lieved possible. 1t is the result OF
a systematic system Of cruelty and
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. It is estimated already that
the Italian merchant navy has lost
100000 tons of shipping, both Of sail
ing and steam vessels. I"
Heavy Loss In Vessels.
The value of the cargoes sunk Is
huge, and includes Italian shipments
by foreign as well as by italian YES
sells. A rough estimate places it at
billion. lire. The responsibility Of
Germany has been established clearly,
especially when it comes to shipping
belonging to neutrals 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 were several
causes: The density of the most &C.
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-
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
If what was worth carrying off. Thus,
when the Germans left Italy, the Aus
.rians followed in their footsteps and
redoubled their acts of oppression
md barbarity to give vent to their
nsensate and often deluded rapacity.
The depredations fell on the poor
Is 'well as the wealthy. Articles Of
wen the slightest value were the OBJ
ects of their cupidity. No house es-
'aped the iron hand of the invader.
III household linen was carried of
Without pity. Sheets and mattresses
we're torn from the sick and bed.
idden, and every sign of resistance
Gas met with inhuman cruelty.
The victuals, even in the poorest
ouses. were carried off. even to the
ables around which the families gath
red to eat their miserable food.
Food Carried From Tables.
In the country besides the damage
one to every crop, a complete dew
station was wrought, cutting down
ines and fruit trees purely from wan
IN savagery, or for the frewood the
nemy needed. Thus one Of the
ources Of agricultural wealth for
enturies was. destroyed.
All metals, as has been related,
ere the special objects of cupidity '
nd were taken without the least pre- {
,xt Of legality. The number of bells
ken from the churches is estimated
1900. 1t gives an idea of the c
ltent and thoroughness Of the pill r
ge committed in private houses and g
lblic buildings. q
The sanctity of sacred places was 6
It respected. In almost all the c
lurches religious paraphernalia were
Glen with sacred vestments and ar =
lies used in worship, often Of great !,
t historic or artistic value. G
CaAo Con- an crrA>n "