Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-02-09
A fine letter.
FROM ITALY
Carl Arneson, ~. orah Boy, Writes
His Parents H1.v Interesting
Letter From soto, Del
malta
SAYS LIVING is
CHEAP OVER TIL,
: A Meal of Turkey, Including Side
Dishes, Wine and Demitasse
Costs Only 28 Cents.

Mr.. and Mrs. Otto Ameson re-
ceived another very interesting let
ter from their son Carl who is in
the United States navy, and is To-
Gated in Italy. Carl acted as God
father at Christening of son of
one of the stewards of the navy who
married a Delmation woman.
Spalato, Jan. 5, 1920.
Dear Folks:
Have an idea this will be long
letter, hence the paper. Have been
working pretty hard as the ends of
the quarter and month both come at
once and because Harback's trans
fer to China doubled my work. The
weather has been lovely and quite
warm.
I wonder where my letters have
been going am sure have written
as to receipt of sweater, box and
many papers. They sure hit the
right spot all around. am sure you
received the lace long ago. The lady
who made it said it took her one
month at 10 hours per day.
Dalmatia is under martial law now
due to Bolshevik psychosis on the
part of 10000 Serbian troops in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. D'Annunzio
is reported killed. You wanted to
know what kind of place am in.
Here goes:
Dalmatia is a small state in the
Balkan group, north of Greece. The
coast is very irregular and well
seasoned with small rocky Islands. A
mountain range averaging 200O
feet in altitude extends along the
the whole coast, and the narrow
strip of coast between these noun
tains and the coast is very rich
though somewhat rocky, and crops
are in growth throughout the whole
year. The country inland of the
mountain range is practically iso'
lated by it from the sea coast, ano
is succession of rolling hills, with
small level plateaus, plains and ricf
valleys.
The country is rich in minerals
hut these, due to the unending war
fare have not been tapped. Coal boti
Anthracite and Bitunminous is foun(
in large deposits and is mined on ;
small scale, by very crude methods
The mountain range on the sea
coast is rich in calcium, and large
profitable cement companies are IL
operation day and night maxim,
Portland Cement from the pur
rock.
The natural beauty of Delmatia j
equal to that of any country, eve
Switzerland. The bays and narro,
long harbors are not unlike tn
fiords of Norway, though they ar
wider and have many small peninsu
las and islands. The gray stone o
the mountain is dotted with pin
and olive trees. AS far up the side
as the fertile soil reaches terrace
patches of gardens, vineyards an
grain fields are seen. Small hamlet
of stone houses with red tile roof
dot the coast and mountain side an
steeples meet the eye on all sides.
Spalato is built on an unprotecte
harbor of large bay. The land lie
around the harbor like the sides
a bowl and the growth of the cit
has caused the overflow of the bow
into the valley of Castelli. A breat
water partly protects shipping, br
during a blow the harbor is III
navigable.
The first construction on the si'
of Spalato was the Palace of Diocl'
tiar,, which was built and occupie
by the Romans before the time
Christ and which was not fnishe
until 800 A. ID. 1t covered an area
10000 square yards and at the pre-
ent time 5000 people live within tt
palace walls. Though much of II
palace is in ruins, enough remain
to point out the boundaries and COZ
struction, so that a visitor me-
easily distinguish the new construc
ion from the old Roman palace al
foi,ow the excellence OF the arch
Continued on last page.