The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-11-03

mrs. higgins Brings Joy 10 One Bel
ligerent Faction by Her Rendering
of Observation-Disclosures Youth
With Hand Grenade Causes Conster
nation in Railroad Coach-Have
Fondness for "Tipperary"-Like 81,
Of Comic Opera.
Mrs. Charles H. Higgins OF 100 West
Fifty-ninth street, who recently re
turned from Europe with Mr. Higgins
gives an interesting account Of their
trip through Italy during the disturb
ances between the striking Socialists
and the Fascist. Mrs. Higgins writes
In the New York Times:
Few Americans travelling In Italy
during the last few months have been
able to understand the political crisis
which came to a head during the first
week of August. The Socialists were
trying to win out and probably would
| have succeeded If the fine young Fas-
cisti, burning with loyalty, had not
| sprung forward, manned the trains and
restored order.
1.-THE Socialists started their big
strike by cutting off all the railway
and street car service, and no news
papers were issued. 1t was very hard
for us Americans in Florence to tell
really what was happening In Italy,
a strike is rather different from one
in this country, for often they have
twenty-four-hour strike, but on the
day following service is resumed al
most as usual.
Scramble for Train.
1--WE started for Venice about 9 80
o'clock on glorious Italian morning,
three days after the big rail strike. We
had almost arrived at Bologna, quite
peacefully, when the guard told us
that we must change trains, and we
had to scramble to catch the train,
which was the last leaving for Venice
that day. There was only one first
class car, and it was teeming with
soldiers wearing the Fascist caps and
uniforms and supplied with a most
astounding array of fighting nipple
ments. We squeezed our way through
the corridor, my sleeve catching on
one side in a revolver stuck jauntily
in a sash, and my skirt being torn by
business-like looking knife thrust In
to boot.
There was only one compartment
which was not jammed with soldiers,
and this was already crowded with
some frightened-looking Americans.
We had barely started when l saw an
arm going out of the window next to
mine and then shot was fired, fol
lowed by another, and then ten OF
twelve
"Then a Withholding youth with
very long hair hanging over his eyes
came mall the Fascist wear their
hair much longer in front; he kept
throwing his head back violently only
to show more clearly his eyes dilated
with excitement, and in his hand he
held gOOd-sized hand grenade. /
saw the eyes of the six American men
in the compartment fixed on this |
article and one murmured Has it got |
the pin in?' From their looks I hoped |
not, though I didn't know what diff |
ference it made-I felt that immediate |
was close at hand, any /
way. After whispered consultation |
with the young sergeant who stood
in our doorway, our widest protector
moved out of view.
Socialists Fire on Train.
'Tn a lull between the shooting I
asked the sergeant in very poor Italian
what was happening. 1t seemed that
the train had been fired at by some
Socialists and this had enraged our
protector. AS the day grew hotter the
soldiers grew more restless and bored,
shooting at passing corn
fields to keep in practice. In the midst
Of my discomfort I had an inspiration
Italians love music. So again tried
he sergeant-'Do they sing "Stretti"?'
IAN Italian street sOng) 1 asked. He
shrugged his shoulders, but beloved
something down the corridor. Then
aces began to appear over shoulders
md under elbows and from the step by
ny window, and 1 realized that they
me to sing 'Stretti.'
"My heart sank, but was too fright
med to refuse. By the time I had
cached the chorus, however, their
rims had encouraged me. My voice
rev steadfer and l managed lively
male. Their noise and applause were J
o boisterous that 1 was frightened
gain, but they were started now and
or two hours they used the energy
hey had been expanding on Socialists
nd cornfields in singing Justify.
Their masterpiece, in our honor,
'as Tfpperary,' and strange indeed
'ere the words, but we made the train
ing with our applause. At the last
tation before we reached Venice,
crowd of peasants had
altered. AS the train started slowly
ut of the station these natives COM
fenced a song-a Socialist song-and
18th roar the firing began again.
eerfng from the corner of my window,
saw the crowd melt away as il by
agic, none of the bullets seeming to
Ike effect.
THAT evening when we were resting
LXurfOuafF In a graceful 10ndola no