Show S it bel fa W 71 7 1 j i john terser e 11 1 1 wu iT ilyf yf is TUB THE STORY THUS SPAR FAK american taking ilac Il nc part P in 1 the invasion of it tro ciris italy ay iy arrived at 1 the seaport town lown 0 ol 01 1 adhn 0 1 major victor coppolo Jop polo ironi from arn alb nw ev ork h was ri ln in charge as ahe alsol officer with ith him was ser emiil t ln leonard 1 il rth irth to serve as ai MP charge of 0 security ity the major immediately I 1 hi bega n to interview the clu jens py of adano adana in order to determine their needs ile was determined that gothing would be left undone torild uld improve their conditions an and d make she lliter fives more ore pleasant with north borth macir coppolo inspected the former ormer nazi nail ia aich lie was to use as his lil lie he spent his first hours get ung lint CHAPTER 11 II major coppolo said do not bow there is no need to grovel here I 1 bin am only a major borth here is a sergeant are you a man little zito was getting very mixed up no sir he said cautiously then he saw by the majors expression that he should have said yes and he did the major said you may greet me ine by shaking my hand you will greet sergeant borth in the same way borth said and his expression showed that he was teasing the italian an first I 1 will find out if hes a dangerous fascist little zito did not know whether to laugh or cry he was frightened but he was also flattered by these men he said 1 I will never lie be to you mister major I 1 am anti fascist mister sergeant I 1 will be usher here major coppolo said be here at seven each morning seven said zito A brief burst of machine gun and rifle fire echoed from distant streets zito cringed borth said you are perhaps a man but you are also frightened major coppolo said has it been bad here zito started jabbering about the bombardments and the air raids we are very hungry he said when he had cooled down a little for three days we have not had bread all the important ones ran away and left me here to guard the palazzo the stink of dead is very bad especially in the piazza san angelo some people are sick because the drivers of the water carts have not had the courage to get water for several days because of the planes along the roads we do not believe in victory and our bell is gone major coppolo said your bell zito said our bell which was teven seven hundred hundred years old mussolini took it it rang 0 with a good tone each quarter hour mussolini took it to make rifle barrels or something the town was very angry everyone begged the monsignor who is the uncle of the mayor to offer some church bells instead but the monsignor is uncle of the mayor he be is is not the sort to desecrate churches he says it meant we lost our bell and only two weeks before you came why did you not come sooner where was this bell right here zito pointed over his is head the whole building tin lied when it rang major majo r coppolo said to borth 1 I 1 saw aw the framework for the bell up on the tower did you then he added to zito that is your reason lor for wanting us to have come sooner is it zito was careful partly he said laid now major coppolo said in eng lish more or less to himself its a nice ice picture I 1 wonder how old it is maybe its by somebody famous the major went to the desk pulled out the high backed chair and sat in it carefully putting his feet on the e scrollwork footstool borth said how does it feel duce the major said there is so nuch much to do I 1 hardly know where to begin 00 borth bort h said 1 I know what I 1 must do 0 o 1 ive I 1 ve got to find the offices of the me fascist party to see if I 1 can M nd ite more records may I 1 take the I 1 1 mister r usher and look for the fascio bior G go 0 ahead borth the major said when en the two had left major jop polo opened his brief case and took out t some papers he put them in a libat t pile on the desk in front of biarl m and began to read instructions TO CIVIL AFFAIRS OFFICERS first day en ter the city with the first column cooperate operate with CIC C IC in placing guards is and seizing records place all ui lood food warehouses enemy food dunios PS wholesale food concerns and wa other major food stocks under guard r secure an estimate from loc cal food distributors of the number of on en days ka of food fod supplies which are hand aw or available make a re port through moush channels situ ati on food atoil 1 in ln your area see that the fol und owing e establishments sh ments are placed der dries t guard or protection foun machine le shops electrical na borks breweries br chemical lical plants flour mills cement bement plants tili tin 11 plants lant sice ice plants warehouses 0 ve e oil ie a refineries sulphur refiner tac fac tunny 1117 oil ams soap P manu fracturing t luring turing plants and any other im ant er establishments locate and make fa available 31 to 0 port authorities all known local pilots and he read dont make your self cheap p always be accessible to tl the me public dont play f favorites amorite S speak italian wh whenever enaver possible dont don t lose your temper when plans fall down improvise that was as the one he wanted when e plans fan fall do down AM improvise the door opened A man came in in whose appearance was vaguely familiar to major coppolo Jop polo the M major realized later that he had seen not this man but several who looked look d just like him in bad american movies he was the type of the second rate italian gangster the small fellow in the gang who always stood behind the boss and who al always ways took the rap he had the bald head the 0 10 1 I could do a good job for you P weak mouth he had a scar across his cheek his eye was furtive and he had the appearance of being willing but in need of instructions he said in english you pull up a flag wars a finish herein herein adano huh the major said yes who are you the italian said im from a cleveland ohio I 1 been here a three year you got a work for me major coppolo said your name the italian said giuseppe in a cleveland call a me joe major coppolo said what can you do said im a good american im a hate these fascist I 1 could do a good a job for you major coppolo said it if youre such a good american why did you leave the states said im a kick out 4 11 why im a no passport howd you get in then 1 I got a plenty friends in a cleveland and a buffalo what did you do in the states 7 oh I 1 work a here work a there major coppolo was pleased with for not trying to lie about lis his illegal entry and repatriation he said okay ill hire you you will be my interpreter you dont a speak italian yes but therell be other americans here who dont and I 1 may need you for other things too do you know these people well do you know chos for us americans and chos against us sure a boss I 1 help a you plenty 91 all right what did you say your name was giuseppe just a joe for you no were in italy ill call you giuseppe here just two things now giuseppe youve got to be honest with me if youre not be in bad trouble the other is dont expect me to do you any favors I 1 do for anyone else see oh sure a boss you dont a worry now tell me what does this town need the most 1 I could a go for a movie house a boss no giuseppe I 1 mean right now food a boss food is a bad now in adano three days a lot a people no eat a nothing why is that because of a shortage of flour no everyone been a scared baker dont a work nobody seu sell a pasta water dont a come in a carts all a boss how many bakers are there in town but before giuseppe could answer this question there were two simultaneous knocks on the door one strong and one weak 61 6 1 I 1 open lem em up a boss giuseppe was at least eager please giuseppe giuseppe hurried down the long room and opened the door two men a almost tumbled in both were well dressed and had neckties on one of them was quite old the other was very fat and looked forty they hurried down the room and each seemed anxious not to let the other get ahead of him the old one said in in english with a careful british accent my name is is cacopardo at your service major I 1 am eighty two I 1 own most of the sulphurs sulp hurs in this place here cacopardo is sulphur and sulphur is cacopardo I 1 wish to give you ad vices whenever you need of it the fat one who seamed seemed annoyed with cacopardo fo for r speaking first said in english araxi my name I 1 have a telegram ma major j or coppolo said what can I 1 do for you gentlemen cacopardo said advices advises Ad vices araxi said telegram ca cacopardo capardo said the americans americana coming to italian countryside need some advices advises ad vices the old man looked straight at giuseppe the interpreter and added 1 I wish to advise you to be careful in adano are many men who were illegal in america some men too who were condemned to the electrical chair in brooklyn of new york major coppolo Jop polo seeing giuseppea Gius eppes embarrassment said giuseppe I 1 want to speak to the priest of the town will you get him for me giuseppe said which priest a boss cacopardo said in adano are thirteen churches major and in in some like san angelo and san sebastiano are two or three priests major coppolo said which church is best cacopardo said in churches ought not to be good and bad but san angelo is best because father is best of all major coppolo said to giuseppe get him for me will you yes a boss giuseppe said and left when he had left major coppolo said to cacopardo Cao pardo Is this giuseppe fellow not to be trusted cacopardo 0 bowed and said 1 I mention only the electrical chair I 1 am not one to name the names major coppolo spoke sharply you said you came to advise me I 1 must know about this giuseppe Is he to be trusted or not the old man bowed again and said giuse Giuseppe ppe is a harmless one the fat araxi was growing very annoyed that cacopardo was getting all the attention he said 1 I have a telegram please to deliver I 1 major coppolo said this a telegraph office theres a war go going on do you think we have nothing better to do than deliver telegrams araxi was apologetic 1 I am anti fascist I 1 have a telegram you are the one who can deliver it and he pulled out from his pocket a piece of ruled paper folded four ways and pinned shut with a safety pin he handed the paper to the major who put it down on his desk to the disappointment of araxi the major said you say youve come to advise me then tell me what does this town need the most right now cacopardo said it needs a bell more than anything araxi said foolishness a bell more than anything to eat is necessary cacopardo said the town needs its bell back you can always eat araxi who had been rather slighted in the conversation anyhow now became quite angry you can always eat you cacopardo he said you have a million lira you sulphur you can eat but not all the people here can eat and he turned to the major to eat here is most necessary more necessary than any bell cacopardo broke into furious italian fat one you think only of your stomach the spirit is is more important than the stomach the bell was of our spirit it was of our history it was hung on the tower by pietro of aragona it was designed by the sculptor r lucio de aej of modica araxi said in italian people who are very hungry have a ringing in in their ears they have no need of bells cacopardo said by this bell the people were warned of the dinv inv invasion aaion of roberto king of naples and he be was driven back araxi said people with malaria also have a ringing in their ears cacopardo said the bell warned the people when admiral bargout brought his french and his turks to this place in 1553 and burned many homes and churches and all that was left in the church of our mother was the little silver crucifix which you ww will see now in the church of san angelo the major said in italian we have no time for this recital I 1 wish to know what things are pressing and must be taken care of at once araxi said 1 I have spoken food is the first thing cacopardo said the bell must be taken care of at once the bell beh did not warn us of this invasion or we would have been in the streets with flowers to welcome you T TO BE CONTINUED I 1 |