The Tomahawk., 1919-03-20


Copyright. 1919. by W
-RENT, in the upper valley of
the Adige, has just been re-
stored to Italy. and at the
peace conference the final
pact between the nations that fought
Germany will undoubtedly give Trent
to the Italian nation for all time.
Leaving Padua early In the morn
ing in one Of the powerful automobiles
Of the Italian supreme command, In
the first party of newspaper men to
visit these lands reclaimed from Aus
trla, I arrived in Trent by way Of
Verona after five-h0ur ride, during
which We passed through the wrecked
villages that mark the old mountain
battle fronts Of the Austrian and Ital-
ian armies.
Along the fine rock roadways that
run along the Adige river. a swift
flowing moutain stream, q small line Of
refugees was plodding along. on foot
for the most part, returning to home
steads deserted during more than two
years Of war.
Just a few miles north of Verona
the first sight of wars destruction
was the little wrecked village of Mar
co, for two years under shell fire. As
we passed through the place the evil
dences of battle were still ample. Aus
trian trench helmets. clips of car
tridges and discarded trench spades
were to be seen scattered among the
piles of stone and timber Of wrecked
homes. The beautifully frescoed viii
lage church was nothing but shell
of walls.
On the roadway leading up to Marco
hundreds of Austro-Hungarian prison-
ers were busy repairing the roadbeds.
Some wore their very ornamental
dress overcoats lavish in the display
Of knotted braid and fur.
Towns of the Trentino.
Trent In itself is q rather inconsid-
cradle town. It had q wartime pop
ulation Of some $4,000 persons, large
majority Of whom were Italians, we
were told. In peace times the popula-
tion is around 10000. But in the
whole province Of Trentino there are
more than half q million people. and
It is the province, as we'll a. the town,
that Italy fought for at the cost Of
4oO. 900 men killed and nearly million
wounded.
Back Of the Italian demand for the
Trentino IL q Sentimental reason. and
q practical commercial reason. For
the sentimental and national side drst,
Italy points out, through her biggest
statesmen, generals and propagaDdists,
that 10000 Of the 100000 persons liv-
ing In the Trentino are Italians speak
Ing the Italian language. Trent as
well a. the smaller towns In the
Trentino, such ~ Rovereto, Ala, Arco.
Levico and Pergine, are llled with
buildings Of Italian design, decorated
with Italian art and using the Italian
language In the schools and oflices.
We passed through several Of these
towns. The people on the streets were
rs Italian a. the street crowds Of
Padui, Verona and vlncen1a, cities Of
the Venetian plain through which We
passed in the earlier stages Of our trip.
Signs, decades old, on the buildings
Of the Treotino were In Italian, adver-
tising the wares certain Italian mer-
chants were trying to sell.
The practical reasons that Italy has
for keeping her tricoaor Tying from
the mountain cities Of the Trentino
ere numerous and vital.
Every Availabss Ineh Titled.
First Of all the Trentino II . very
productive region where vineyards and
grain fields flourish on both sides Of
the Adige, producing large quantities
= foods. It can be said truthfully
hat every available inch Of land In
his section Is In q state Of cultivation.
% an American farmer the intense
,ethod Of soil tQinS would prove Q