Evening star., 1943-11-10
BY GUNNAR d. KUMLIEN,

STOCKHOLM, Nov. l0.-The Ger
man armies in Italy have driven ia
northward some 100000 shee]
which normally pasture every au
tumn on the plains of Foggia ant
supply Rome with winter meat. Th,
food situation in the capital is catas
trophic as a result.
The difference between Rome
which is in the field of operations
and Northern italy is best demon
strated by food, When I left thu
capital 10 days ago, the bread wa
a gray-yellow color, so full of popla
-four and other indigestible ingre
dients that it was almost uneatable.
Grapes from the citys environ
are exhausted and oranges, which
normally are available abundantly il
the winter, now are on the othel
side of the front.
Meat Is S5 a Pound.
The only meat obtainable is pur.
chased at the black market at stag.
eering prices, such as approximately
IS a pound The sale naturally i.
uncontrolled. and for that reason 2
roaring trade is done with meat from
eiling animals or livestock which
has died of illness.
Fish is more rare than bananas
which the Italians haven't had fol
three years. The civilian population
along the Tyrrhenean Sea was evac-
uated by the Germans in order more
easily to defend the coastline against
Allied landings. Consequently fish
Ing stopped.
When We left Rome by automobile
on our uncertain journey north, the
last train from Rome had returned
to the capital few days earlier
without even reaching Florence aftel
being bombed l8 hours following its
departure.
We travelled roundabout Wav or
the least frequented roads in order
not to be stopped or become involved
in German military transport, where
bombing danger is greater. Our two
cars had diplomatic license plates
and large Swedish flags on the roofs
Just outside Terni north of Rome
where are situated factories that
have often been bombed by Allied
aircraft, we had engine trouble
shortly after dark A column OF
German trucks came from the north
and as they rumbled by they sud-
denly sounded an afraid alert on
the sirens they carried with them
All Lights Put Out.
All lights had to be put out and
1t was with great difficulty that we
fixed the engine in the blackout
AS we resumed our journey We saw
flashes of bombs exploding and
lighting up the sky to the west.
Late at night We passed through
Assist. where everything was peace
full and arrived in Florence. Dur
ing the night We heard firing across
the Arno River between German
guards outside hotel and unknown
opponents taking cover behind the
parapets Of the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
In the morning nobody could tell us
what had happened.
We went on toward the ApennineS
at dawn, There are IL different
roads across this range and in order
to spare our engines We chose the
easiest-though it is tough enough,
anyway.
At 1000 feet we ran into clouds
and drove slowly UP the winding
road toward Futa Pass between Flor
ence and Bologna. This road crosses
innumerable bridges over yawning
chssms and We, could see every one
had been mined by the Germans.
There also we're Germans at the
summit of the pass.
It was obvious that once the
bridges of Futa Pass were blown up
one of the easiest roads across the
Apennines would be impa ssable TO,
mechanical troops from the south