Show UKE LIKE PICNIC PARTY italian faces death with a smile and a joke austrian officers astonished at the easy cheerful ways of italian sold soldiers lars comradeship between officers and men BY CAMILLO CIANFARRA international news service udine italy A stay of a few days at any of the sectors into which the italian front is divided will convince the neutral observer of several things two of these will suffice as chiefly characteristic of the italian army viz the good humor of the italians troops even in the face of the most desperate straits and the excellent relations which exist at all times between the officers and men 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 raise clouds of dust and send pebbles and chunks of rocks hurtling through the air and 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 and yet his native smile will never desert hirthe him the unquenchable fire will never leave his eyes he will always be ready tor for a joke at the expense of the unsuspecting comrade standing rifle la in hand at his side alert at the first signs of real danger this good humor the radiant smile e end and nd the easy cheerful ways of the italian tommy even after the most bloodcurdling operations in which lie he may have risked his life a dozen times almes excites the wonder of the austrian officers one of the latter in a letter to his mother which was found ou on the battlefield tle field declared that he could not make up his mind whether these italian soldiers were cynics or enthusiasts for a whole day continued the of officer fleer who is a devout catholic 1 I vas w as prevented from training a g gun un against a certain spot because I 1 saw through my field glasses that an a ammunition in wagon was guarded by a priest armed with a long shining cross when the italians evacuated the spot it was discovered that the priest was nothing more nor less th than all a black cassock and a wide brimmed hat supported on two wooden sticks ks and the cross formed out of a number of tin meat cans music and singing however form the chief diversions of the ital italian I 1 an troops whenever and wherever the officers allow it As colonel dunn military at the american embassy remarked after a short visit to the italian front these encamp ments behind the firing line are more like a picnic party than soldiers on a battle front every contingent has its quota of guitar mou thorgan and mandolin players and night concerts follow each other on every side until the last post is sounded and the regiment retires under canvas but even then after the patrol has disappeared toward the farthest end of the camp a tender and touching melody steals through the air lulling the nearby restless to sleep As to the relations existing between the officers and the men in the ranks they form in the opinion of captain hayashi member of the japanese military mission a striking feature of the war italian military discipline is strict but not harsh it is maintained by kindness and justice rather than by fear first the officers invariably treat iian their men as they deserve to be treated kindly humanely moreover they do it without loss of dignity hence the soldiers respect honor and even love their superiors in the trenches and everywhere on the firing line where danger is greatest the feeling of devoted comradeship between officers and men is admirable and it is safe to say that every soldier is ready and willing to lay down his life for his superior stories of soldiers who he risked their lives to save those of their officers are a daily occurrence at the italian front the last soldier to be decorated was a certain guido vitella who on seeing in the course of an engagement his lieutenant fall grievously wounded left the trenches accompanied by a comrade and rushed to the rescue the spot where the officer lay was quite a distance from the trench and was struck twice in the hand and in the cheek while his comrade was slightly wounded in the leg nevertheless the two counted soldiers succeeded in carrying their superior officer into the italian lines at the hospital where he is now recovering related his adventures to the captain of his company adding that he was glad of the opportunity of proving the devotion he felt for the gallant young lieutenant naturally the captain has recommended him for the medal |