Evening star., 1943-07-31
Palermo Ruins Offer
An Example Of Havoc
Wreaked on Germany
BY Staff Correspondent of The Star


WITH UNITED STATES AIR
FORCES IN SICILY, July Is De-
layeO Dramatic scenes abounded
as we spent day amid the ruins of
Palermo, which disclosed an area 2
miles long and half q mile deep
along the waterfront smashed worse
by Allied air bombing than Tunis
or Bizerte. It probably is a fair ex-
ample of the havoc wreaked on the
Axis-held continent.
Palermo, a soidly-built city COM
pared to North African towns, had
many churches so built that from
the air they were indistinguishable
from business houses and dwellings.
One of the most impressive scenes
was a church covered with a 17th
century painting of the Alteration of
the Virgin. This stood out undam-
aged, midst devastation for blocks
around.
At the same church, large blue
and white statue Of the Virgin was
erect and untouched. ack-shawled
women knelt before it. They said its
preservation undoubtedly was mir
acle, and all day they came to pray.
Cats Haunt Ruins.
Hordes of starving cats haunted
the ruined areas. Small boys were
killing them with clubs and selling
them for food. One kindly woman
with a can of cooked macaroni was
distributing it to the cats while with
the other hand she held by the
collar dirty urchin with club,
angrily berating him.
Although blocks Of devastation
surrounded 1t, the medieval Cathe-
dral of the Coronation, one of Pal
ermo's glories, stood out unscathed.
United States bombardiers could
distinguish it as a church from the
air. The big Jesuit House of
Studies, much frequented by Amer
lean Jesu!ts In the past, with its fine
collection OF incunabula, was un-
damaged.
People from the ruined district
were drifting back home, with all
their possessions on their backs.
Hundreds of italian prisoners set to
work to make the area passable for
trafic. They worked willingly.
A curious sidelight of the Sicilian
campaign was revealed in the great
early Christian catacombs at Agri-
gento, which was taken early last
week. 1t was found the enemy Rad
set up message center there and
soldiers had been sleeping on bones
covered with straw.
Little Civilian Damage.
The port towns of Sicily, although
bombed steadily for month, showed
little damage to civilian property
and apparently inspired little resent
ment among the people. This was
largely due to the precision used in
concentrating entirely on military
objectlves. All these towns remain
habitable. and few homes have worse
damage than broken windows. Onlv
here and there does rubble still re-
main In the streets. All churches
are intact.
This precision bombing is paving
dividends. At least on the surface,
the American invaders were treated
more as deliverers than conquerors.
While the degree Of sincerity in the
warm welcome given our troops by
the peasants is difficult to assess, a
convey journey from Celia north
brought no evidence of hostility.
ms 1rlendliness was not 50 eH-
thusiastic it might seem false.
This writer had "bummed" a ride
with a lieutenant. colonel going
north as civil administrator MOST
italian enlisted men we encountered
were Of Sicilian parentage, and they
talked freely of the pathos of the
country.
Men Loaf in Streets.
In village after village, black
shaWled women led hordes of dirty
children, while the men loafed In
crowds by Victor Emmanuel statues
IN squares. The people gathered
around our trucks asking for rel
atives in the United States. It
seemed that everybody had an
emlgrant son or other kin in Amer
lea. A lot Of the men had been In
the United States, and they cursed
themselves for returning to a pov-
erty stricken land and Fascist
slavery.
A fellow riding a mule, carrying
panniers filled with wine bottles.
proudly displayed the passport of
an American citizen, given him in
1929. He never returned to Amer
lea because of his aged parents.
He called Mussolini a vile epithet
and made gesture of cutting the
Duce's throat. adding: mo clothes,
no food, no nothing till you come"
Men and small boys beg cigarettes.
Town walls are covered with painted
Fascist slogans fading fast. 1t is
mostly a land Of bad roads and
poorer towns. dirtier than Tunisia,
but more homelike to Americans,
who fraternize freely with the peo-
pie. The Sicilian police are CO.
operative. They direct traflc.
Prisoners in cages along the roads
seem far from unhappy. Some
talked with kinfolk among our SOL
diers. The guards have an easy
time.
Nazis Destroyed Reservoirs.
Municipal governments were found
in good shape all along the way,
but some towns had no water, and
the people said Germans blew up
the reservoirs. Invading officers
did not place too much trust in town
officials, despite their protestations
OF friendliness. Strong Fascist
tinges were suspected here and
there, perhaps not shared by the
townsmen, and Is were jailed in
one town when their Fascist record
was learned.
Country folk threshed wheat un-
der the shadow of Norman castles
and rocky hills, as if the harvest
routine had never been disturbed.
The invasion passed lightly over the
countryside. In places, bridges were
blown up, and there were dead
horses here and there, but little
more debris of the war.