Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1915 — LIKE PICNIC PARTY [ARTICLE]

LIKE PICNIC PARTY

Italian Faces Death With a Smile and a Joke. •j*;f ju,‘iH —Jjhl Austrian Officers Aettfiilshed at the Easy, Cheerful Ways of Italian Soldiers —Comradeship Between Officers and Men. BY CAMILLO CIANFARRA. (International News Service.) T7dine>. ttftly-—A stay of a few days at any of th® sectors into which the Italian front is divided will convince the neutral .observer of several things. Two of thjese will suffice as chiefly ,characteristic of the Italian army, viz.: ,;,The good humpr oj the Italian troops even in the face of the most desperate straits: and the excellent relations which exist at all times between the officers and men. * i Shrapnel shells may explode at regular intervals in and around the. Italian trenches, the roar Of the guns may be> deafening and- awe-inspiring, .the rain of * bullets--* may raiße clouds of dust 1 and send pebbles and chunks of rocks hurtling through the air—ifend yet the Italian soldier will always be ready to get all the fun he can out of the situation. In fact the clammy hand* of■< death may be lurking in every corner andyehhto spt*TßsVfill*ri€Nr)|afe*ert hinj.ithe fire V* ll ) never leaf! his fyesj fsvill be reauy 'for' a' joke at the expense of the« unsuspecting comrade standing. Erifle in han'ft,T*t t hilffide,‘ kt the of real danger. 1 This good humor, the radiant smile ■ and the easy cheerful ways of the Italian “Tommy,” even after the most bloodcurdling operations, In which he may have Hiked his life a doten times, excites the wcrtider of the Austriai49vßrß’ sv'noy pu* stfl] brthe latter in a. letter to his mqther tfhich was found on the battlefield declared that' he could not ;fcjjaj£o' -up his mind- whether these t were cynics ; of enI *m* ' ; -sbiJift , FbE&li Mrhole day,” Acer, A/flToiit. Catholic. “I . training a'gun agaiqkt ’a OwfSte spot, I ' because I-t»w through my field glasses that an am-, munition wagon was ’ guarded by a prie« ’ arined 1 with a long shining cross.” I When ! lhe Italians evacuated the spot It was djpeovered that the priest was nothing more-nor leas than a black cassock and a widebrimmed .hat. atlcks and the cross formed out of a n'tnber of tin %ni Music however, fofm the chief diversions of the Italfen troops, officersA Duin, i militarf f tfftaA?rat «nI bassy; remarked after a short v: dt. te the Italian front, “These encar p firing )M are uujrc I r W3s«j«e restless to sleep. | As to the relatims existing betwc m if HaVshi, member of the Japanese military of I ip First, thi officers Invariably treat

*1 -! 1 »>!'* i. 1 *1 !) : <lO - I*l I -'7 l their men as. they deserve,, to be treated; kindly, humanely. Moreover, they do A\u, without ■ lQ?s of dignity. Hence, the. spldlers respect, honor ,and even,lov,e44qlr superiors. , : . In the trenches and everywhere on the firing ljfle,, wbere dapger is, greatest, the feeling of devoted comradeship between officers >and. men is admirable 1 and ->it is saffe' to say that every soldier-IS-“ready and 'Willing tb liyi down his life tot his superior. Stories of soldiers who risked their 'liVes - 16 ! save those Of tbefr oflicers are a daily Occurrence at ihe Italian ! u '< '- ThO iait soldier to be ; decorated was U certain Guido Vitelli who, 1 bn - engage mettt his 1 lieutenant fall grievously woilnded, left the tranches accompanied by a comradC'and rushed to the rescue, TJiq spot where ths officer lay was quite a distance fi;onq the trench and Vitelli was struck twice in the hahd and in the cheek, while his. conyade was slightly wounded’in the leg. i Nevertheleiss, the» two ( Wounded soldiers succeeded i 4» carrying their, superior officer into the Italian , lines. At the hospital wbjore he .is now recovering* Vitelli related, his ad,ventures tp the captain of bis , company, , adding that :ha. was gjad of the opportunity .of proYing the devotion ho felt for the gallant.,ypung lieutenant. Nat-' urslly, the captain A has recommended him for the medal. 3 ,j, 1