South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-19
ITALIANS QUICKLY
REBUILD REGIONS
WAR DEVASTATED
Ambassador Johnson Lauds
PrOgress-2O Percent
Restored.

ROME, Dec. 1S.-Robert Under
wood Johnson, American ambassa-
dor, who has returned from a visit
to the Piave, Isonzo and Asiago sec
tors Of the Italian war front. in
Guiding much of the devastated
region, declares that the Italians are
progressing well in their efforts 10
make these war areas again fit for
habitation.
4 doubt whether any other region
Of the war would make a better
showing of recuI Grafton" said Mr.
Johnson 20 correspondent.
I'm April l saw the devastated
regions of France from Chateau
Thierry 10 Rheims, an awful sight
which may be commended TO those
who are willing to take the risk Of
another great war. Save for a few
barracks and isolated pieces of re-
pair little had been done to rebuild.
20 Percent Restored.
To-day in the midst of equal de-
vastation, there is hardly a town in
Italy in which 20 percent Of the
houses have not been renewed or
repaired for occupancy, and the
proportion is usually from SO TO 65
percent. The refugees, most OF them
still liyinS IN the government bar
racks, are hard at work. New houses
on handsome Italian models are go
ing up every week. The second story
may have been destroyed. but If the
first has walls il is rooted and made
habitable for the time.
The courage and resourcefulness
of war time was not greater than is
that OF peace, and both call for the
admiration of the world. This needs
TO be accumulated because Italy has
mad SO much TO contend with, first
in the failure of this years crops of
wheat and corn; next, from the
ClOudbursts and flooCs: and. third.
from the disturbing industrial con-
ditiOns. Fortunately. the season has
been good for building and every
man in Friule seems to have become
a carpenter or mason. Still, this
region. with all the aid TO recon
strucuOn that the government can
give. faces a winter of hardship and
severe cold.
Trieste Industrious.
THE people OF Trieste are not
only brave and industrious, but gem
tie and courteous. and like most Ital-
lans they respond 10 treatment. We
saw no evidence OF current violence,
which indeed is not directed against
travellers. but IS either industrial
or political. and is local. The mach
inery for silk and cotton manufac-
ture was all carried off by the Aus
trians.
Most Of the inhabitants have had
TO beSin at the bottom, but they are
used 10 the conflict Of nature, and
with fairly normal conditions, and
q good harvest or two, the region
viii be we'll restored.
Lands Taking OF PodgOra.
Ambassador Johnson com pared
the Italian battlefield on the Carso.
with the fields Of famous battles Of
the American Civil war, and de-
clared that nothing ut Gettysburg or
Bloody Angle was more difficult
than the assault by which the Ital-
ians won PodgOra, the preCipiCe,
700 feet high which commanded
Goriza and with il that important
town. The devils den on the un-
ion left at Gettysburg IS not 70 be
mentioned with these Bad Lands
that form SO strong a defense Of
Trieste" he added
let IL not be forgotten that the
Italians held q front OF 420 miles.
that they lost half a million Killed
and a million and a half wounded
and that they held a million md q
half or Austrians from reinforcing
the western line.