Evening star., 1943-09-05


whistling In the dark, Pvt. George G.
King of North Salem Mo-; Robert G.
Wolfe of Elgin, H.. former Chicago
Daily News circulation employee. Then
along comes Aubrey Quinn OF Al Torres,
Calf. He Is a Mexican looking fellow
singing I'm an Old Cow Hand He
has q piano cushion for saddle atop
nice old horse he found locked In
burning barn In the hills but with the
key In the door He is going to give II
to the infantry as pack animal. he says,
until he sees the bicycles, then tries to
trade for one Of them. Grand fellows,
all these stragglers from the companies
In town.
There's Joe Deleo Of Bristol, Conn,
who last night got three italian pris-
oners with horse and buggy, drove to
an MP station and traded the lot for
cup OF coffee. The Mrs probably
cursed their bad bargain. There's Mau.
rice Mcclure, SO Royal street, Providence,
an artilleryman, going through town to-
day, got ripe tomato in the face from
q welcoming citizen. There's Cecil Ham
son Of Piedmont, Ala; John Botti Of
Wilmerding. Pa: Donald Demerssemar
of Clarkf1eld, MINI. All were mad ct
being kissed by Italian men. Before they
we're favorably disposed toward fallen
foe. Now they say shooting is too good
for them. All agree they can't de-
scribe the sense of horror that kiss
intended as courtesy arouses.
CL.1d~a,, yxJ:xl, El1
During lull in the bombing we start
out to see the town and cook lunch out
side Albergo Ristorante Dolcerio, once
a swanky roadhouse. On its front walls
are mottos of Italian Fascists as one
vast legion marching to glorious future
and dying for their country. Seeking
peace and water we turn up a road
into the hills. A shell hits Just q safe
distance In the front. Driver Glenn
Cleppinger, 6942 Holman avenue, HAM
mond. Ind, keeps singing Stella. the
Belle Of Fideila." We pass German "rast-
PLACES" probably now mined. and come
to the mountain village Our progress
has been signaled somehow ahead and
as the first Americans stop ell the
populace Of ST. Filipa di Mela appears,
the school children carrying flowers The
village belle, q cross-eyed girl in an
orange dress, is leading by the hand their
prize exhibit, 12-year -old Giuseppe
Caezoro, born in Clinton, Mass. And he
looked 1t.
Neat clothes. olive eyes, olive skin,
white teeth. black hair, he Is swell
little boy. He says his father sent him
back to Italy when his mother died.
He was then. He Is a brave little
fellow and my heart goes out to him.
youth In sailor pants nmps by to fill
his water cans by the village shrine, q
glass tnclosed Virgin with artificial
flowers looking like an aged hornets
nest In horseshoe shape around the
head, and wax gardenias, but bouquet
OF fresh zinnias at the feet. Poor old
village hags point to their mouths
piteously and say one word "mangere,"
meaning eat. Sorry, c'est la guerre."
The railroad station looks the quietest,
cleanest and safest spot. -Four carloads
Of fresh lemons stand there In box cars
marked Deutsche Reichsbahn, Intended
Tor Germany. It is safe now to indulge
In . little fantasia. If I had AlIadin's
lamp to take those three rotting car
loads to England could probably buy
London, and would settle cheap for
Bloomsbury. Here no one could give the
damn lemons away.
There are sleeping cars and Cleppinrer
takes the first-class cushions to make
him bed. Hansen and now prefer
the bare station platform. pick up a
magazine on the station platform by
garden with palms and potted trees that
looks graveyardish. It's professional
law magazine, nothing like it In the
United States. Noted italian lawyers
have articles on late notorious cases.
One quotation in defense of Murderess
Ancarani I wish could read. On such
a find Robert Browning wrote "The
Ring and Book" Hell, I'm not
Robert Browning. Italian lawyer Wit
torio Zeno contributes a 20-page blank
verse poem, something about moonlight
traversing black rectangle of window.
There Is photograph OF Poet zeno hold
Ing pipe in his hand. Also a reprint
OF Poe's "Clock and Pendulum What's
all this to do with advance to Messina?
A Lot of Souvenirs.
Somehow or other think 1t is i'm
portant. (See st. Elizabeths superin-
tendent0 Cleppinger is cooking meat
balls and spaghetti That's important.
too. While I'm working, Hansen comes
in excited. Some GIs and colonel
have found block away radio station
with three machine guns and lot OF
souvenirs. Too bad, Gen. Patton says
no looting.
The smoke is thicker and blacker over
Sodaforo. More of the 7th Infan-
try boys come in from the hills over
Niceto where we advanced in the face
OF the fire yesterday-Leslie Farmer
of Lewisburg, KY; Corpl. John T. Par
tin, Barboursville, KY. I say to Partin,
What in hell's old man like me doing
in mess like this?" He says money
couldn't buy the experience for me.
Partin is indignant. having just talked
to former waiter of the Atlantic CITY
Hotel Traymore who told him the Ger
mans offered the Italians meat for beans.
then poured gasoline and set match
to the meat stores when they left. This
Is the end for today, getting tired sweat
ing out the shellfire.