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Show Soldiers Paint Their Faces. The Italians holding down trenches in the Alps have two enemies to deal with, the Austrians and the snow. Of the two the Italians prefer to encounter the Austrians. Aus-trians. As it is, they have to face both and get along as best they can. says the Popular Science Monthly for Sentemher. In order to do this they supplv themselves with gunpowder and rifles for the Austrians Aus-trians and black grease and glasses for the sun. The photograph shows four members of an Italian scouting party about to partake of their midday meal.. Their faces and hands are besmeared with black grease to protect them nsainst the burning burn-ing rays of the sun. which are doubly strong when reflected from the snow. They prefer to use vaseline, hut. that is too expensive. The snow not only burns the faces of the troops but it injures their eyes so that sun glasses have to be worn. Needless to say. the. black grease and the sun glasses make the Italians excellent targets against a background of white snow. However, the Alpine Italian troops do not always use grease and sun glasses. When there is hot fighting to be done In the Alps, they don snow-white suits and even paint their rifles white. In such a uniform they are practically invisible. |