The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-03-18
Italian Artillery Observatory in the Dolomitea.

ciety, Washington, D. Co
-P HE Bremen pass, one of the
best and lowest over the Alps
between Italy and central Eu-
rope, has become, because of
speeches in the Italian and German
parliaments, the storm center of Euro
pean politics. Across this pass runs
the revised boundary between Italy
and Austria-revised by force of arms
during the World war, North of it
lies the Austrian Tyrol; south lies
what the Austrians called Southern
Tyrol." But the Italians had another
name for 1.-THE Trentino-and looked
upon it through the years of Austrian
control as the most important part of
italia Irredenta" (Unredeemed Italy).
1t was chiefly in the hope of redeem
ing Trentino that Italy went into the
war ON the side of the allies.
The Bremen Is one Of Europe's
passes richest in military history. 1t
is the Thermopylae Of the Tyrol, and
the trough through which northern in
vasion has most regularly descended
upon the sunny fields of Italy. From
times immemorial, the northern tribes
have sought the rehnements and cul-
ture of the south over this wonderful
Alpine saddle, first in fame among all
the gaps in the rugged Alpine de-
lenses against the North; and way
which has echoed to the dying cries of
warriors, and the clashing accoutre-
ments of myriad Roman legions, and
to the noisy disorder of the passage
of many armies through more than
1000 years of restless history.
Innsbruck, the Austrian Tyrolean
capital, is at the northern terminus of
this way, while BoIzano (the Aus
trians called it Bozen) is the Latin
metropolis near the southern end.
Innsbruck is exclusively of the north
land, surrounded by plums apples
and fir trees, and Bolzano, like the
rest of Italy to the south, is in the
midst of a region of vines, figs and
olives. Bolzano lies 5000 feet lower
than the summit of the pass.
Full of History.
Historic points crowd one another
along the Bremen. Many barbarian
tribe has come this way in search of
the ease and plenty of the mild eli
mates beyond, and many Roman le-
gions have sought the wild tribes in
their homes over the saddle of the
Bremen. Guidestones of the time of
Caracalla and Septimius Serverus
have been found buried here. Some
of the worlds greatest generals have
travelled this path, north and south.
Memories Of 1000 years of stirring
happenings fill the pass with roman
tic interest for the tourist who goes
this way by carriage or on foot. A
splendid roadway crosses the pass, as,
ALSO one of the most important rail-
way lines in Europe, wonderful mas
terpiece of engineering skill. over
which. in peace times, careless tour
lists from the North speed through the
pass at 80 miles an hour, to Verona,
Venice and Palermo.
The fact that the Trentino, between
Bremen and the late Italian border
to the south, has become italia Re-
denta" since the victorious northward
push of the italian armies and the
signing of the peace treaties has not
altogether solved the problem always
created when two peoples of divergent
culture must live together; nor has
the shifting of the international bor-
der number of miles to the north
ward greatly altered the attitudes Of
the hereditary enemies whose lands 1t
divides.
The Trentino region has had more
checkered career even than Alsace-
Lorraine. Civilized by the Romans
and made province Of the empire to
which the italians love to feel they
have fallen heir, the district remained
under one or another form of Roman,
italian or Lombard control until 1927
when it was severed from Italy and
given into the hands of prince bishops
OF Trent under more or less nominal
German control. In 1903 the country
became Austrian, in 1905 Bavarian.
The French under Napoleon captured
| It in 1909 and held 1t until 1914 when
| It was again handed over to Austria.
It remained Austrian until Italy's sol
1iers ''redeemed'' 1t during the World
war.
During all these vicissitudes, how
ever, the italian language and Italian
culture persisted. with especial tenac-
Ity, OF course, in the South. toward