Show VENICE DURING WAR practically closed to visitors of every nationality the gondola and the pigeons of S st marks square the cites two chief characteristics threatened with destruction by CAMILLO CIANFARRA international news service venice of all the threats and pe perils 1 which the exigencies of 0 modern progress and the requirements ol of modern life have heaped on vented venice and her unique quant quaint beauty those resulting from war are practically the worst as they threaten to destroy two of Ve nices chief characteristics the gondola and the pigeons of st marks square venice saw her last brillia brilliant nl season in the spring of 1914 As to the summer bathing season it was hastily interrupted at its height by the sudden outbreak of hostilities owing to her position to the tact fact that the he possesses one of the most import atIt military arsenals of italy and that she Is the seat scat of tile the maritime defense of tho the adriatic the city has since then been practically closed to visitors of every nationality after italis intervention venice became a sort of asiatic forbidden city and not even italians are admitted without a special permit from the commander in chief this p permit ermit however Is only issued issued to those who can prove to the satisfaction of the inquisitorial authorities that they have legitimate business to transact within the city boundaries and Is invariably labI y temporary idlers curiosity mongers bongers mon gers and the so caled lovers of the picturesque are inexorably excluded As to the newspaper newspaper men well admiral cutiney it regards them as the most undesirable of all whether they be italians or from the allied countries the first result pt of the stringent measures adopted by the military a authorities u thorit ties les concerning the 0 of f foreigners was a general closing of all large hotels and the transforming of the lido into a sort of huge sanitarium where thousands of convalescing soldiers now bask in the sun wrapped in long white tunics s and nd await the time tor for returning t to 0 t the he front to finish the job with the hotels scores of curio lace and other shops closed to save expenses while waiting for the return of the good times but those who have suffered buffered most from the absen absence C e of visitors are the thousands of pigeons nestling in the buildings and towers of Ve nices famous square it Is a well known fact that the few pounds of indian corn the municipality provides tor for their maintenance are anything but sufficient properly to nourish the poor creatures and that it was the charity of the tourists which in former years and at all seasons provided them with substantial food but now the familiar sight of the old english lady or the young american misses feeding the pigeons in the center of the square is no longer to be seen and the poor birds vainly cluster around the man who stops to admire tills this or that facade or the frescoes of st marks the corn venders benders ven ders known to thousands of americans by their first name are there as usual but the purchasers are few and the cooing pigeons fly back disappointed PC oblate II 11 bate the pigeons have begun to emigrate to 01 arpid starvation As to the gondolas and the gondo liers 1 suffered terribly from 10 wan iye and their thein fate faie resembles much hat of le it was the tour litand the wealthy visitor who pat joni ionized zed the gondolier and their absence serica from the city for lnor inore thans than a YM af ha coronel led scores of gandola k I 1 proprietors io P eletor s to eb go out of bu business si ness and 1 outfit at a sacrifice the the thickset thicket thick set et I 1 sun birned nir ned muscular pus muscular cular app specimen imen of af hilman r liti ity thai sent the gondola skimming 20 yards over the glassy surface at s vj ery stroke stoke pt of ig oai oar bast basadis dIs appeared appear ei wath x the mobilization andels ff now aw eiter eit lr r L at at we th 0 front or s serving erving on of I 1 1 he men of war cruising the adriani adriatic only a few 0 old 1 4 loii Aj aej left t anal and the visitor walo now er arn n ases Is painfully impressed hy by the s mali number it if gondo gondol lasi astin in service at sun sunset se i w when it en the he cupolas cu the and sib d the th tt venice i gilt lie 11 pr under rays afi the parting itan sun th ho spectacle presente cited dj bal the squares J i e even evermore en more saddening aade ng navy cers 14 n i 1 l and arm replace di the afie variegated fashionable wea wealthy athy bowd that I 1 ta A former years year added I 1 19 venace Vent ce ch armand picture 1 and tell word de at story 1 0 0 of f tay italy at tv yar al j i tc ajr ej aval 1 y aft t ve venice ce 1 resigned I 1 g no ane com i clasil has 8 a ori the atar of patrio patriotism its own VB |