The Nome nugget., 1928-03-03

Italian Armies during the world war. died last evening. He was stricken with influenza . few days ago and this was complicated with pneumonia. He was sixty-seven years of age. When Field Marshal Earl Haig. of Great Britain died recently, Diaz acclaimed well he is the first of us to 50: who will be next?" Today of the four all lied commanders only Marshal Foch of France and General Per- shing of the United States are alive
 Following is a biographical i sketch of the life of Marshal Diaz, as submitted to the Nugget by the Associated Press Bulletin Ser vice:
 I Italy's famous commander, Gen eral Armando Diaz, the man who retrieved his countrys military fortunes after the costly and ann aging disaster of Caporetto in which the Austro-Germans cap tured more than 100000 Italian soldiers and TOO guns, was the Phil Sheridan of the great war. When all the world was bewail- ing the debacle on the Isonzo front late in October. 1917, and declaring that "Italy, like Russia. is now out of the war silent. tenacious and daring Italian sol- dier. with the spirit displayed by the great American cavalry leader at Winchester Va. arose to snatch a marvellous victory from ignomin- ious defeat.
 He drove the invader back and aided by the British and French. struck such hard blows, that beau tiful Venice was saved from the despoiler and her plains swept of the barbarian hordes. Indeed. it was Diaz's smashing tactics that brought about the collapse of Austria and forced her capt.ula tion. to be followed shortly after by the downfall of the Hohen- zollern dynasty and the surrender Of Germany.
 A striking instance Of the cour- age and fortitude of Diaz was shown by him in the war with Turkey in 1911-12. Supposed to have been mortally wounded while leading his troops in the Libya campaign in Tripoli he called for the nag of Italy and asked to be wrapped within it's glorious folds. Although thought to be dying Diaz survived his injuries by sheer determinations; to win imperfsh- able honors seven years later as tthe conqueror of Austria in the plains of northern Italy and amid the Alpine snows.
 Armando Diaz's forbears had fought in the Napoleonfc wars and he had been student of the art of war since childhood. Born in Naples in 1861. the boy was des- tined to bring the hereditary en- emy of Italy to her knees. free his long expatriated fellow country men of Trieste and Trentinc.
 Diaz was educated at the cele- brated military schools in Naples and Turin. Outside of military circles. for years the future com mander-in-chief of the Italian ar mics was unknown. He made quite a record in the war with with Turkey: in the Abyssionian ,nd in the L'n.'aG campaigns the plans of the last named of which was largely Of his own devising.
 Promoted to command of the Twenty-third Army Corps on the Ia. nzo after bln::art gene:a!slip D in handling a division of troops against the Austrians in the Carso in 1915, General Diaz attracted further attention to his great ab- ility as an organizer. From Aug ust 1926 1916 until he was chos- en to succeed General Cadorna. in November 1s17. Diaz utilized his talents in building up the morale of the Italian troops and inspir-