Title: The Mentor: Italy Under War Conditions, Vol. 6, Num. 23, Ser. No. 171, January 15, 1919
Author: Newman, E. M.
Language: English
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*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Mentor: Italy Under War Conditions, Vol. 6, Num. 23, Ser. No. 171, January 15, 1919" ***


Transcriber's Note:

  Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have
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     LEARN ONE THING
     EVERY DAY

     JANUARY 15 1919

     SERIAL NO. 171

     THE
     MENTOR

     ITALY UNDER WAR
     CONDITIONS

     By E. M. NEWMAN
     Lecturer and Traveler

     DEPARTMENT OF
     TRAVEL

     VOLUME 6
     NUMBER 23

     TWENTY CENTS A COPY



TO ITALY


     You had to choose 'twixt liberty and guilt;
     There is no half-way house for human kind
     If human kind is still to breathe God's air.
     And so you placed your lips upon the hilt
     Of Freedom's sword, devoted soul with mind
     To this great task which frees sad Europe from despair.

     Hence we who loved and love you, Italy,...
     Send winged words of greeting. You are free;
     Sun-smitten the cloud that hid the soaring dome
     Of Liberty, your Palace and your Home.
     We who are free greet you from sea to sea.

       *       *       *       *       *

     Mazzini, Garibaldi, great Cavour
     Watch now and greet you from their timeless place,
     Whence they behold the growth of your great race
     Which so they knit that long it should endure.
     Spectators of eternity, whose pure,
     Untarnished brows recall their ancient grace,
     Behold them once again, and in them trace
     The soul of freedom, splendid, patient, sure!

                          J. E. G. DE MONTMORENCY.

In _The Contemporary Review_.



THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ESTABLISHED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POPULAR INTEREST IN ART,
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CENTS EXTRA. CANADIAN POSTAGE 50 CENTS EXTRA. SINGLE COPIES TWENTY
CENTS. PRESIDENT, THOMAS H. BECK; VICE-PRESIDENT, WALTER P. TEN EYCK;
SECRETARY, W. D. MOFFAT; TREASURER, J. S. CAMPBELL; ASSISTANT TREASURER
AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY, H. A. CROWE.

     JANUARY 15, 1919
     VOLUME 6
     NUMBER 23

Entered as second-class matter, March 10, 1913, at the postoffice at
New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, 1919, by
The Mentor Association, Inc.

  [Illustration: A BANK IN VENICE PROTECTED AGAINST ATTACK

   PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN]



_ITALY UNDER WAR CONDITIONS_


     PREPARED SPECIALLY FOR THE MENTOR BY E. M. NEWMAN
     ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 6, No. 23, SERIAL No. 171
     COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.



_The Business of War_

ONE


None of the Allied Nations has had more or greater problems confronting
it than Italy has. Manpower has not been lacking, but the want of raw
materials for the making of munitions has been a serious handicap, and
one that has been most difficult to overcome. Italy has been absolutely
dependent upon her allies for steel and coal. After her declaration of
war against Germany, she was left helpless. Badly as France and England
needed these raw materials, they had to come to the assistance of
their ally. For a long time the quantities received were insufficient,
and a sustained offensive against Austria was impossible, for want of
ammunition.

This condition was greatly improved when the United States entered
the war, and Italy received from us vast quantities of steel, and
sufficient coal came from England to supply her needs.

It must be borne in mind that when war was declared (August 1, 1914)
practically all the industrial and commercial organizations in Italy
were controlled by Germany. The largest banks and financial houses were
German-owned. One of the most prolific sources of income, the electric
and other plants operated by water-power, were in German hands.

Germany had a firm grip on the resources of the country. Her agents
carried on a propaganda which required the utmost courage of the
Italians to overcome, and let it be said to the credit of the Italian
people, they risked financial ruin when they decided to enter the war
on the side of the Allies.

The first result of their entry into the World War was to demoralize
their securities and almost to destroy the value of their money.
The _lira_, a coin which, before the war, was worth about 19 cents,
decreased in buying power to about 11 cents. Bonds dropped alarmingly.

With the United States as an ally, loans have been made to Italy, her
credit has been re-established, the _lira_ has gradually increased
in value, and with steel and coal in sufficient quantities for all
purposes, prosperity is returning.

It was the shrewd Bismarck who arranged with Signor Crispi, twice
Premier, to come to the assistance of Italy. A loan was made, and
the best Italian securities were obtained for a song. Ever since,
the German grip has tightened. As a result of the war Italy will be
restored to commercial freedom and she will have a new and much needed
opportunity to expand.

The Ansaldo Company, a new and gigantic corporation, is now one of the
largest munition plants in the world. Italy has tremendous resources in
her water-power which is now being developed. Like her allies, she will
be able to manufacture many of the things she needs.

Her airplanes are among the best that are made. Her engines are
wonders of mechanical perfection. Her motor cars are unexcelled. Italy,
prepared as she never was, is ready for the future.



  [Illustration: A MARKET SQUARE IN ROME

   PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN]



_The Food Problem and How It Is Met_

TWO


How to keep the soldiers supplied with sufficient nourishing food
was one of the first and most serious matters the Italian Government
had to consider. As everyone knows, the principal articles of food
consumption among Italians of every station, rich or poor, are macaroni
and spaghetti. The staff of life of the Italian people, they are made
almost entirely of flour.

Italy never has grown enough wheat to supply her needs. Under war
conditions her imports fell to such an extent that little or no wheat
could be obtained. Hence the country faced a critical situation.

The first step was conservation. It was ruled that macaroni and
spaghetti could be served only on certain days. Manufacturers were
restricted in the amount they could make. Then flours of mixed cereals
were used.

Italians are great lovers of bread. To meet a shortage, every available
acre of ground where wheat would grow was cultivated. If the men on
the farm had gone to war, the women took their places. The Government
encouraged and aided the farmers in every possible way, and then
when aid came from the United States, in addition to sacrifices and
restrictions in Italy, the situation improved.

Fruit and vegetables are plentiful and, for these times, reasonably
cheap. Italians are not great meat-eaters; they have sufficient meat
for their needs, and by adhering rigidly to the regulations they have
been able to keep the army fully supplied.

The Adriatic and the Mediterranean abound with fish of almost every
variety. Fishermen are therefore able to meet the country's needs. Next
to macaroni and spaghetti the Italians like fish, and as it is far
cheaper than meat, for the poorer classes it forms a food which they
can afford to buy.

Olive oil, formerly used in great quantities, many of the people even
drinking it, is now on the restricted list, and can be obtained only in
limited quantities.

Bread, as in America, is mixed with other cereals, and for civilians
practically no white bread can be obtained. In the army, there are no
restrictions--the best of food is given to the soldiers. They obtain
meat, butter, milk, sugar and other edibles denied wholly or in part to
civilians.

As in France, wine is a part of the regular rations. Various welfare
organizations see that the people do not suffer for want of food.
Irrigation and intensive farming, in which representatives of all
classes are now helping, is aiding in the solution of the food problem.



  [Illustration: AN ITALIAN KINDERGARTEN SHATTERED BY AN AIR BOMB

   WESTERN NEWSPAPER UNION PHOTO SERVICE]



_Educational Conditions_

THREE


War did not seriously interfere with the grammar and high schools
throughout Italy. It is in the higher schools, such as the
universities, the medical colleges and in the technical schools that
a changed condition is seen. Women came to the aid of the country in
the crisis which called so many men to the colors. Many of the teachers
in the elementary schools are women and girls, who are ably taking the
places of the men whose positions were made vacant.

For the schools where higher education is taught, it is quite a
different and more complex problem. To teach in a university or in a
medical college certain qualifications are absolutely essential. Years
of study and preparation are needed, and for this work but a limited
number of women were available.

On the other hand, the necessities of war called to action thousands
of young men who otherwise would have attended the various schools for
higher education. As a result the number of students in practically all
of these schools has fallen off materially, and there has not been the
need for so many professors.

The Government is anxious not to discourage higher education; in
fact, it is doing all it can to maintain it, as was evident in the
establishment of the Camp Universities. It was inevitable that the
attendance at the higher schools could not be maintained as in peace
time, and the reduction in the number of pupils fortunately made
possible a corresponding diminution of teachers.

By a system which permitted the return of professors in service at
the front, although only for a limited period, the efficiency of
the various universities and colleges was continued through the war.
Students co-operated with the Government, some even giving up their
furloughs to attend school.

Education for the youth of the land is still compulsory. The standard
of wages among teachers remains very low, and out of proportion to the
increased cost of living, but the recipients seem willing to sacrifice
comfort for the general good.

Old men, who in their youth taught school, volunteered to return to a
labor of love. It was this spirit which made possible the maintenance
of education. Italy is a poor country, but her sons and daughters
are eager to learn, and, poor as they are, they are willing to make
sacrifices rather than give up attending school.

Many of the art students are gone, and some of the schools are closed.
Beppo the model is no longer to be found on the steps of the Piazza
Espagne, but the love of art has sufficed to keep some of the art
schools going, no matter how rigorous the conditions.

Music is in the soul of the Italian, and the conservatories will
continue in session as long as there is a pupil left. On the whole,
educational conditions are as good as present-day circumstances will
permit.



  [Illustration: TAKING DOWN THE HORSES OF ST. MARK'S, VENICE

   ITALIAN OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH]



_Protection of Art Work_

FOUR


When Italy entered the war, a commission was immediately appointed by
the Government to consider measures for the protection of the country's
art treasuries. Under the direction of the curators of galleries and
museums, a civil engineer or architect was placed in charge of each
principal building in all the art centers of northern Italy. The
persons so appointed set about devising individual means adapted to the
shielding of walls, towers, statues and pictures from attack by air and
water, from shell and fire. In Venice the chief works and structures
selected for protection were the Doges' (Dukes') Palace, with its rich
arcades, sculptured façade and splendid halls, the superb Church of
St. Mark, the medieval Loggetta, or vestibule, on the east side of the
Campanile, the Church of St. John and St. Paul, the San Rocco School,
the noble equestrian statue known as the Colleoni Monument, and the
Academy of Fine Arts, with its canvases by Bellini, Carpaccio, Palma
Vecchio, Tintoretto and Titian.

At Padua, Donatello's equestrian monument of Gattamelata, erected
in 1453, and the sepulchral church of St. Anthony of Padua received
special care; likewise the Gate of the Scaligeri, Verona; the early
Renaissance Colleoni Chapel and some precious frescoes at Bergamo;
Leonardo da Vinci's immortal canvas, "The Last Supper," in the
refectory of the abbey-church of Santa Maria della Grazie at Milan;
the Fountain of Neptune and the Church of San Petronio at Bologna; the
early Christian edifice of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
(a queen of the fifth century) and the Tomb of Dante, in the deserted
old city of Ravenna; and at Cremona, in the Church of Sant' Agostino,
the famously beautiful altar-piece of the Madonna and Two Saints, by
Perugino. The most renowned works of art in Rome, including the statue
of Caesar in the Capitoline Museum, were padded and boarded up, and
from Firenze and Naples rare examples of Italian craftsmanship, guarded
through the centuries--manuscripts, statuary, paintings, tapestries,
metalware, mosaics, glass--were carried away to safety, some of them to
the vaults of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Titian's masterpiece, the "Assumption of the Virgin," was laboriously
removed from the Academy of Fine Arts at Venice and transported by
boat and wagon to a place of security against attack by the Vandals.
Tintoretto's "Paradise," the largest oil painting in the world (72
feet by 23 feet) was unframed and removed from the wall of the Hall
of the Great Council in the Palace of the Doges. Ceiling paintings
were taken down, rolled around great sticks thirty inches in diameter,
hermetically sealed in copper cylinders, and stored in crypts to rest
until the joyous day of their unrolling. Altogether, seven thousand
square yards of canvas were thus protected from attack and pillage.
Statues were wrapped in mattresses and covered by brick flooring;
the beloved horses above the doorway of St. Mark's were lowered and
taken away. Domes were roofed at an angle of sixty degrees, so that
aerial bombs would glance harmlessly off. In the defence of Venetian
art treasures alone, sixty men worked for three months to wall in
everything delicate and beautiful.

"Even Rheims and Louvain could not offer such tempting morsels to the
vandal wrecker as Venice and Rome," writes Herbert Vivian in "Italy at
War." "Venice, mistress of medieval art as well as queen of the sea,
girded her armor on,--like the army, donned a vesture of gray-green.
Just as in Holy Week the more signal emblems veil themselves in
respectful mourning for the Passion, so, in war time, the monuments
of Venice hide in their hoods, as though to proclaim sympathy with
the nation's anxiety. At St. Mark's ... the venerated mosaics on the
lunettes are blotted out by modern masonry, the golden cupolas are
shapeless bags, the pillars and arches have become a brick fortress
that goes on to engulf all that fairy portico of the Doges' Palace
hard by. Where are the four famous horses of golden bronze, brought
from Constantinople to defy the world through seven centuries from the
portals of St. Marks? It was a sad scene when on May 27, 1915, a silent
crowd watched their descent for conveyance to a safer stable. In the
interior of the holy house heaps and heaps of heavy sandbags huddle
against the porphyries and malachites and alabasters, throttle the
carved columns, scale walls, bury pulpit, choir, altars and baptistery.
Such are the bulwarks which Italian foresight provided against probable
forays of the Hun."



  [Illustration: CHURCH OF ST MARK'S, VENICE. BOARDED UP FOR  PROTECTION

   PHOTOGRAPH BY CENTRAL NEWS PHOTO SERVICE]



_Venice in War Time_

FIVE


In time of peace all the world flocked to Venice. In war time many
changes were necessary. Many of the people who make up the inhabitants
of the earth were barred from the city, not only by regulations, but by
cannon and walls of steel. It required influence even for an Italian to
get into Venice. For an American to enter the city, it was necessary
to get special permission from the Minister of Marine, and he had to
present the best of reasons before that permission was granted.

Several times the city was menaced by the Austrians and once it was
near capture. Time and again, fleets of airplanes dropped bombs,
destroying churches, hospitals and other property, as well as killing
non-combatants.

The strain was more than many of the inhabitants could bear and they
sought safety in flight. The result was almost to drain the city of its
normal population, which was evident in its almost deserted canals and
streets.

The soft, musical voices of the gondoliers were occasionally heard.
A few gondolas were left, but very few, and there was no longer any
singing. The beautiful hotels, where so many of us had lived in comfort
and luxury, were either closed or converted into hospitals.

Most of the shops around St. Mark's Square closed. The famous glass and
lace factories shut their doors. Picture postcards and photographs were
taboo. The Government did not permit them to be mailed.

No damage has been done to the Basilica of St. Mark. A bomb dropped
in front of it, but did not hit it. During the war this famous temple
was, however, but a shadow of its former glory. It no longer glistened
with Byzantine mosaic. Its golden covering was removed or covered
with sandbags. Beside the Doges' Palace was a thing of brick supports,
destroying its beauty. The ugliness of boarding and sandbags saddened
the visitor who recalled the Venice of former days.

Motor and passenger boats plying along the Grand Canal were
discontinued; there were no passengers. A few ferries remained for
those who still lived in the city.

Venice has not been seriously marred. Much damage has been done to
churches and hospitals, but most of this can be repaired. Only a
careful search of the city would reveal the damage done by bombardment.

Within a few churches and buildings art objects have been destroyed
that can never be replaced. It should comfort the lovers of Venice
to know that the city gives no outward evidence of destruction. The
inhabitants will soon return, the hotels will reopen, St. Mark's and
the Doges' Palace will be restored to their former appearance, and
Venice will once again reign in splendor as the Queen of the Adriatic.



  [Illustration: PIAZZA DEL POPOLO (PEOPLE'S SQUARE), ROME

   PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN]



_Rome in War Time_

SIX


Rome still sits proudly on her seven hills, undismayed, undisturbed by
the ravages of war. There is little real difference to be seen in the
Italian capital as it is and as it was before the war. In the evening
hours, when all Rome goes for a promenade or a drive, the Corso is as
crowded as ever. One sees more uniforms, but otherwise the scene is
similar to that of peace times.

Romans still love to dine on the sidewalks, partake of their ices, and
sip their wine and coffee at little tables placed where pedestrians are
supposed to pass. They attend the theater, the opera and the various
other places of amusement of which they are so fond.

The main difference in the city's aspect is in the dress of the people.
Officers are seen only in field uniform, privates in the gray of
the battle-field. Women no longer attempt display, only the simplest
effects are seen. All ostentation in the wearing of gowns and jewelry
is frowned upon.

None has suffered more than the nobility. Most of them being of
moderate means, the war brought many sacrifices, endangering slender
purses and curtailing most needed comforts. A number have had to sell
their prized art treasures to keep from actual want.

The beautiful Palace on the Quirinal is now a hospital. Many of its
nurses are the noble women of Italy. The city is filled with welfare
organizations.

Buried in the heart of Rome, its ruins telling us the story of the
birth of civilization, lies the Forum, unchanged, unaffected by the
world struggle. It speaks of days that were, of other wars, of Caesar,
who, like the Kaiser, was ambitious, of Marc Antony who sacrificed
everything for love of a woman, of Cicero, and others whose deeds and
words have made history.

Above the ruins of the Forum is the Palatine. Here once lived the
Caesars. Their palaces once covered the hill from which they looked
down upon Rome. The Golden Palace of Nero has been obliterated by time,
just as the chateaus and beautiful structures of northern France have
been leveled by the invading Germans.

Fortunate is the world that the treasures of Rome are intact. St.
Peter's and all the wonderful churches still stand unharmed. The
Vatican with its storehouse of treasures remains as it was. Art
galleries containing world's masterpieces are preserved for posterity.

Rome is still the Rome familiar to travelers. Its hotels are filled,
not with tourists, but with officers and their families. Its streets
are still throbbing with life, it remains one of the most interesting
cities on this spinning globe.



THE MENTOR · DEPARTMENT OF TRAVEL SERIAL NUMBER 171

Entered as second-class matter March 10, 1913, at the postoffice at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, 1919, by the
Mentor Association, Inc.



  [Illustration: A "BABY NEST"--A retreat for children of Italian
   soldiers in service

   By courtesy of the Italian Embassy, Washington]



ITALY UNDER WAR CONDITIONS

By E. M. NEWMAN, _Traveler and Lecturer_

_MENTOR GRAVURES_--A BANK IN VENICE, PROTECTED AGAINST ATTACK · A
MARKET SQUARE IN ROME · AN ITALIAN KINDERGARTEN SHATTERED BY A BOMB ·
TAKING DOWN THE HORSES OF ST. MARK'S · CHURCH OF ST. MARK'S BOARDED UP
FOR PROTECTION · PIAZZA DEL POPOLO, ROME


Italy has played a far more important part in the World War than is
apparent to one who has not given the subject special consideration.
The neutral nations have directed most of their thoughts to England and
France. To do Italy full justice, the fact must be emphasized that she
came into the war at a time when the Allies were in great need of her.
The outlook for England and France was most serious when the Italian
people, roused by love of liberty and democracy, demanded that their
Government cast its lot with the Allies and declare war.

As a result, Austria was compelled to mobilize and mass her forces
on the Italian frontier, and she was no longer able to give aid and
support to the Germans on the western front. The entire course of the
war was then materially changed.

  [Illustration: PEACE IN THE MIDST OF WAR

   This picture of Italian children playing with dolls was taken in
   Italy's darkest hour before the turn of the fortunes of war

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

Austria's army and navy were thereafter kept busy trying to hold the
Italians in check. What happened in the fall of 1917 will always be
more or less of a mystery. After two years of the hardest kind of
fighting, during which time the Austrians were being gradually pushed
back until Vienna itself was threatened, there came a retreat, one of
the most disastrous in the annals of war. The Italians lost in two
weeks all that they had gained in two years. Worse still, Italy was
invaded and a considerable area occupied by the Austrian army.

Consternation ensued, the Italian people were dazed. Something had gone
wrong; no one could understand it. But one thing every Italian knew,
and that was that no braver soldiers were to be found in any country,
and that when Italy had time to recover from her surprise Austria would
pay the price.


_How the Italian Army Came Back_

  [Illustration: BOOKSTALLS IN ROME

   War did not drive the booklovers from their favorite haunts

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

The retreat of the Italian army was followed by a wave of patriotism
that swept from one end of Italy to the other. If there were some
that were lukewarm before, they were roused to the highest pitch of
enthusiasm for the prosecution of the war. Italy had been invaded, and
that was sufficient to stir the blood of every Italian.

When, in the spring of 1918, Austria launched her great offensive,
she faced an army wholly changed. Indifference had vanished, every man
thirsted for revenge. No Italian would breathe freely until the stain
of the retreat was wiped out. Not an Austrian must remain on Italian
soil. The Austrians were bewildered when, instead of encountering a
demoralized and beaten army, they found themselves face to face with a
new and rejuvenated force.

Instead of advancing, the Austrians were swept off their feet. Instead
of a crumbling line, they met a wall of steel against which their
onslaughts were of no avail. On came the infuriated Italians, crushing
the Austrian offensive and forcing them to beat a hasty retreat.
Austria will never forget the punishment she received on the Piave
(pee-ah-vuh), along the Asiago plateau, and in the vicinity of Monta
Grappa.

  [Illustration: AMONG THE COLUMNS OF ST. PETER'S, ROME

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

Fields were strewn with Austrian dead. So precipitate had been their
flight that they had to abandon guns, ammunition, supplies, in fact
everything they possessed. When, a few days later, I crossed the delta
of the Piave, I saw thousands of Austrian helmets, overcoats, and
supplies of every description covering the ground that extended for
many miles to the Little Piave, across which the Austrian army had been
driven.

It had been impossible in their retreat to bury their dead. Heaps of
bodies still lay where they fell. Every ditch was filled with slain
Austrians, the roadways were lined with them. It was a gruesome sight,
but it told the story of a changed Italy, of a new army that meant to
retrieve the honor of the country, and bring to the Italian arms the
glory to which they were entitled.

Italy needed coal, she wanted steel for ammunition, and these
deficiencies threatened her effort. Her allies came to her assistance,
and equipped and replenished her for the prosecution of the war to a
successful conclusion.

  [Illustration: A HUMBLE FOUR-FOOTED CITIZEN OF ROME

   His voice was never for war

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

In relief work the Italians are particularly efficient. The central
organization of the Italian Red Cross has naturally assumed the
responsibility and direction of all relief work, both for soldiers and
civilians. Numerous other organizations have sprung into existence;
chief among them is "_Le Samaritane_," which is under the presidency of
Her Majesty, Queen Helena of Italy. In this organization are thousands
of women who are members of the best Italian society, and they have
rendered effective and generous assistance in many ways, relieving
distress wherever they find it.

A hospital for wounded soldiers has been established at the Royal
Palace of the Quirinal, which is under the direct supervision of the
Queen. The Duchess of Aosta, wife of the King's cousin, is General
Inspector of the Red Cross nurses, and both of these noble ladies
give actual, effective, and intelligent service to the various relief
organizations to which their names are attached.

  [Illustration: AMERICAN RED CROSS HEADQUARTERS, PADUA

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

Italian women have proved themselves worthy mates and daughters of
the heroic sons and soldiers of Italy. To them is due the initiative
in the forming of several patriotic organizations, such as the "White
Cross," for the protection of little children, "The Sowers of Courage,"
and "The Smile to the Strong," formed for helping and encouraging the
fighting sons of Italy. Soldiers' huts have been erected and put in
charge of the members of an association known as "Soldiers' Mammas."
The members are women that have sons at the front, and may therefore be
expected to give affectionate and maternal care to the young soldiers.
There are other organizations, such as "The Mothers of Fallen Soldiers"
and "The Widows of the War," whose object is mutual help among the
women that have suffered the loss of son or husband.

Men who, because of advanced age, have been compelled to remain at
home, have not failed to take up the burden of assistance and relief.
Local committees have everywhere been formed under the name of
"_Assistenza Civile_." There is also the "_Segratariato del Popolo_,"
besides many others. All these societies are banded together to
assist the families of soldiers, to care for the mutilated, and to aid
wherever help is needed.

The Italian Government has enacted special laws for the benefit of
those stricken by the war. For instance, the Government furnishes shoes
below cost to Government employees earning less than four thousand
_lire_ per year (about $800).

  [Illustration: TRAMWAY IN ROME

   Showing women as conductor, motorist, and despatcher

   Press Illustrating Service, Inc.]


_Education_

School life continues practically as in normal times, with the
exception that, in the elementary schools and in the grades of the
grammar and high schools, there is a larger proportion of women
teachers. Many instructors who had been retired have asked to re-enter
service, thus relieving the young men called to the colors.

In the universities a few distinguished professors of military age have
been permitted to retain their chairs, but a considerable number have
gone to the front. Naturally the number of students has been greatly
reduced.

  [Illustration: THE SMALL CANALS OF VENICE WERE ALMOST DESERTED

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

Special dispensations have been made for the schools of medicine, so
that the services of the more advanced students may be utilized while
at the same time they are enabled to continue their studies. This has
been made possible by the establishment of the so-called "_Universita
Castrense_," or Camp University, situated in the war zone, where
distinguished physicians who are also university professors teach the
young students, while teachers and pupils alternate the hours of class
with those of service in the camp hospitals. The change caused by
the war in the condition of women has probably been more profound and
more keenly felt in Italy than in other countries, such as England and
France, where women have for many years been engaged in various useful
pursuits. In Italy the women of the middle class, with rare exceptions,
remained at home. Those of the lower class, when they worked at all,
generally chose some occupation such as teaching. Most women had no
economic independence. Unmarried girls usually lived with their parents
or some married brother or sister.

  [Illustration: ST. MARK'S PLACE, VENICE

   Though the beautiful buildings were protected, crowds gathered daily
   and regular occupations were pursued

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

An ardent group of Italian women prepared the ground and labored for
years to convince their sisters that they were wrong in the belief that
under all conditions "a woman's place is in her home." This belief was
almost a religion in the southern provinces of Italy; the prejudice
there was so strong that it required the utmost courage of the women to
combat it. Intelligent, progressive and cultured Italian girls are now
to be found in almost every occupation in which their English, French
and American sisters are engaged. This revolution in the attitude of
Italian women is accepted, not as a temporary war necessity, but as
a permanent change that cannot fail to have a deep and, on the whole,
beneficent effect upon social conditions in Italy.


_Food Regulations_

Conditions in civil life are comparatively good. Of course, there are
many restrictions, above all in food conservation and supply. Prices
have increased, but so have salaries. There are no unemployed, and the
working classes generally are prosperous.

War conditions required three meatless days per week, as in the other
countries of the Allies. Cards were given for bread, sugar, coal, olive
oil, macaroni and rice. That the quantity allowed to each individual
was sufficient was proved by the fact that the authorities often
received offers to diminish the rations of some families who found they
had more than they needed. The use of gas was limited to meal hours for
heating, and for illumination until ten o'clock at night.

  [Illustration: Hall of the Great Council, Ducal Palace, Venice.

   On the floor may be seen in rolls paintings taken from ceiling and wall

   NOTE--The pictures on pages 6, 7, 8, 9, are printed
   through the courtesy of the Italian Embassy, Washington. They are
   reproduced from photographs owned by the Italian Government.]

  [Illustration: Ceiling showing spaces from which art masterpieces have
   been removed]

No restrictions were placed on the use of electricity in most city
homes, although street illumination was diminished and in certain
cities in the advanced zone was abolished entirely, as a defensive
measure. The abundance of electricity is explained by the fact that it
is very often generated by water power, as, for instance, in Rome.

Restaurants must send to the authorities a list of food furnished,
with prices charged for each portion, or for the whole meal, or for
the week. They must indicate also any extra charges, and the reason
for such charges. The authorities will approve the menu only if it
corresponds with normal or prescribed prices, and a copy, stamped and
signed by an authorized person, must be exposed to the public where it
can easily be seen.

No food can be served unless it is on the approved list. In large
cities, there is a committee of control, composed of five citizens
appointed by the mayor, whose duty it is to see that the restrictions
are rigidly observed. If the police authorities do not approve of a
certain menu, it is submitted to the committee, and unless they put
their O. K. upon it, the restaurant is not permitted to use it.

Two factors combine to keep prices of necessities and even luxuries
down to a reasonable level. One is the so-called "_calmiere_," or
government regulation, that certain products may not be sold at a
higher price than that fixed by the regularly constituted authorities.
The other factor is the prevalence of co-operative societies that sell
to their members at cost or almost at cost. Retailers have to compete
with these societies, and there is a consequent curb on profiteering.
Nearly every trade or profession has its own co-operative stores. The
entrance fee which must be paid to join a co-operative society is very
moderate, in some instances as low as five _lire_ (about one dollar).

  [Illustration: THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN

   Titian's great masterpiece in the Academy of Fine Arts, Venice]


_Amusements and Sports_

Theaters, cinematograph theaters, and other places of amusement had
to close at midnight. Restaurants and cafés closed an hour earlier.
This did not apply to the war zone, where the military authorities
made their own regulations and imposed all kinds of restrictions for
defensive purposes.

  [Illustration: TITIAN'S "ASSUMPTION" BEING TAKEN OUT]

  [Illustration: TITIAN'S "ASSUMPTION" BEING TRANSPORTED ACROSS COUNTRY
   TO A SECURE PLACE]

In general, theaters and motion-picture shows in Italy are well
patronized. Opera is still popular, and performances are given in
various cities. Society does not consider it good form to wear evening
dress. It would not be in taste for women to be elaborately gowned, or
to attempt to give dances or house parties. Officers do not wear their
dress uniforms, no matter what may be the function they attend. Ladies
avoid the use of jewels, and there is, generally speaking, a soberness
in the dressing of both men and women. Italy, however, is not gloomy
nor depressed. On the contrary, the Italians are vivacious, and their
sunny dispositions are manifested throughout the troublous times.

Sports generally have been abolished. There is no horse-racing, but,
for the purpose of breeding fine animals, horses are still being
trained.

Travel is freely permitted, though, of course, the war zone has been
carefully guarded. In the restricted area a pass was necessary, and
vital reasons had to be given for permission to travel. On account
of the shortage of coal, the number of trains has been reduced, as
well as the number of cars in each train. Travel is therefore lacking
in comfort, and it is not uncommon to see people standing even in
first-class compartments throughout journeys lasting six or seven
hours. The discomforts are accepted good-naturedly, and there is far
less grumbling than one would expect.


_Conditions in Venice_

The morale of the Italians has never been better. Caporetto has been
avenged, the Austrians were thrown back across the Little Piave, and
brought to their knees. Venice has been saved. The city by the sea
has had its trials. Severe, indeed, have been some of the air raids,
and three-fourths of the population fled. About fifty thousand of the
inhabitants remained, but this represents but one-fourth of the people
that lived along the canals of Venice before the war.

  [Illustration: THE LAST SUPPER. By Leonardo da Vinci

   This famous painting has been half effaced by the ravages of time]

  [Illustration: THE LAST SUPPER PROTECTED BY PADDING

   Da Vinci's great picture is painted on the wall of the Refectory of the
   Church of Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan, Italy]

Many hotels are closed, tourists come no more. No Italian city
has suffered from the effects of war so much as Venice. Industries
have been ruined, its commerce depleted. Its churches and hospitals
have again and again been bombed from the air. Frescoes have been
obliterated that can never be replaced, though much of the damage done
will soon be repaired.

All about the populous Square of St. Mark heaps of sand-bags were piled
to protect the arcades. The beautiful façade of St. Mark's Cathedral
has been, for some time, hidden from view. The famous horses were taken
down, the wonderful Byzantine mosaics were removed, and the entire
front of the building covered with sand-bags and protected by huge
timbers.

  [Illustration: THE COLLEONI STATUE UNDER PROTECTIVE COVERING]

  [Illustration: THE FAMOUS EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF BARTOLOMMEO COLLEONI, BY
   VERROCHIO--VENICE]

The Doges' (Ducal) Palace was supported by columns of bricks;
everywhere evidence could be seen of the attempt of the Italians
to save the most remarkable city in the world. Inside the sumptuous
Cathedral of St. Mark's, the effect was startling--all the works of
art gone, the altar covered beyond recognition, mounds upon mounds of
sand-bags heaped around the columns. It was more like a cave than the
interior of one of the most beautiful of churches. Along the Grand
Canal the large hotels have been converted into hospitals. Vast palaces
have been closed and deserted. Life on the Canal is so quiet that it
is almost painful. It is not the same Venice so many travelers recall.
Only one good-class hotel is open. There are a few boarding-houses,
but all the magnificent hotels are either closed or filled with wounded
men.

It was difficult in war times to get into Venice, and more difficult
to get out. Everyone was looked upon as a spy until he proved that
he was not. Officials inquired into your life history, traced your
every movement, watched every step you took, and if finally you passed
muster and got away without a long delay, you knew that there was not
a suspicion of your ever having even dreamed of being a spy.

  [Illustration: THE MADONNA AND TWO SAINTS BY PERUGINO-CREMONA

   At the right, the painting covered with timber and sand-bags]

It was, of course, more difficult in the war zone. Once inside the
restricted area one became a suspect, and it sometimes took weeks to
obtain police and military permission to leave Italy. The Italians were
in earnest, they had had a severe lesson, and they did not intend to be
caught napping.

An Allied victory was the one object, and Italy was ready to pay her
share of the price. No braver men ever faced an enemy than the Arditi,
and no enemy army ever forgot an encounter with these "shock troops" of
the Italian army. These men were born and brought up in an atmosphere
that has taught them how to fight. They are as hard as nails, as
fearless as lions--the pick of Italy's best troops.

  [Illustration: MARKET WOMEN OF ITALY

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]

Italy, though needing food, is not starving, nor is she depressed. She
has recovered from the shock of 1917, and there is no disaffection
among her people. All are united. Socialists cannot overturn the
conditions of the nation. As for their military stamina--Austrians can
testify to the fact that the Italian army is a foe worthy to engage
itself at any time, against any hostile power.

  [Illustration: LACE MAKERS HOLD TO THEIR TRADE

   Island of Burrano, Venice

   Photograph by E. M. Newman]


_The Spirit of Italy_

We cannot close more fittingly than by quoting Mr. Sidney Low's highly
informing comments on the spirit of Italy:[2]

"Of all the belligerent nations I have seen, Italy seems to me the
most tranquil, contented and serenely confident. She has endured heavy
losses and is called upon to make great sacrifices, but her people
have counted the cost and they pay it resolutely, cheerfully, almost,
one would say, gaily. They have no love for war and on this one they
entered with hesitating and doubtful steps, but now, I think, they
feel, not only that it was necessary and right, but that it will give
them some things which were wanting in the years of peace. War is a
monstrous evil; but from its furnace of pain and suffering Italy, with
other nations, may emerge hardened and tempered. She will gain a larger
unity and that not merely by annexing the unredeemed territory. The
war has gone far to obliterate that division of classes and localities
which was the inheritance of her troubled past. The common effort and
the common burden have crowned the edifice which the makers of Italy
built up in the nineteenth century....

"What Italy needs is security, sufficient to develop to the full her
economic resources and her national individuality; and that she intends
to obtain. She is resolved to be independent of external patronage,
protection and supervision of any kind, and to enjoy all the rights,
privileges, ambitions, which belong to the greater nations of the
earth. She believes herself capable of excelling, not merely in art,
science, letters, philosophy, laws, but in production, manufacturing,
commerce, the exploitation of waste and backward lands. She is not
content that her people, so intelligent, so industrious, so capable,
should be packed off year by year in shoals to form the ill-paid labor
helots of wealthier communities; she prefers that they should be kept
at home to develop the riches and intensified vitality of their own
land. She has watched the rise of Germany from poverty and weakness
to strength and industrial magnificence; and she believes that the
Latin capacity for organization, invention, scientific adaptation and
enterprise, is not inferior to the Teutonic. She thinks she can do
many of the things that Germany has done, and some things which Germany
will never do; and she means to try. It is for the great free nations,
with which she is now associated, to survey her effort with sympathetic
eyes, and extend to it all the aid and encouragement in their power."

     [2] From "Italy in the War"

  [Illustration: WOMAN LETTER CARRIER, ROME

   Copyright, Western Newspaper Union]

  [Illustration: SCHOOL INSTITUTED BY AMERICAN RED CROSS

   At the Italian front, behind the war zone

   Press Illustrating Service. Inc]


_SUPPLEMENTARY READING_

     ITALY IN THE WAR.          _By Sidney J. M. Low_
     ITALY AT WAR.                     _By H. Vivian_
     EUROPE'S FATEFUL HOUR.           _By G. Ferrero_
     THE BOOK OF ITALY.  _Edited by Raffaelo Piccoli_
       A book of story, essay, verse and picture, interpreting the spirit
       of Italy.

*** Information concerning the above books may be had on application to
the Editor of The Mentor.



_THE OPEN LETTER_


In the coming months of reconstruction and restoration in Europe,
Italy will have special problems of her own to solve. Victory in the
world war means for Italy five million additional mouths to feed in her
redeemed territory. Close rationing will, therefore, be necessary for
a long time, and a liberal food allotment from outside relief sources
must be made.

Italy cannot be accused of having neglected her land. The total area of
the country comprises 70,820,197 acres, only a little over 7 per cent
of which is unproductive land. In her agricultural production, however,
cereals do not play an important part. Her wheat product did not meet
her domestic demands even before the war, and annual importations of
grain were always necessary. The situation, therefore, today, after
the terrible toll that war has taken, is acute and distressing as
far as the main "staff of life" is concerned. Italy produces fruits
in quantity, but a starving nation cannot live by fruit alone. The
traveler in Italy today may feast his eyes on twelve million acres of
vine-covered slopes, but the children of the land are crying for milk
and bread. The wines of Italy are famous for their flavor and quality,
and her olives and lemons are known throughout the world, but the
people cannot survive on wine and olives. They need more substantial
food, and, under the present strict rationing, each person receives
only seventeen pounds of bread a month.

       *       *       *       *       *

Italy's exports have been chiefly olives, lemons and cheese--Gorgonzola
and Parmesan being among the famous brands. These fine Italian cheeses
are made from goats' milk, and, as there is little enough of that now
to feed wounded soldiers and children, the exportation of cheese has
been stopped. Before the war olives and olive oil were shipped in huge
quantities. There are miles and miles of olive trees to be seen from
train windows when traveling through Italy. Today just as many olives
are grown, and as much olive oil is obtained, but it is needed at home
and is carefully guarded there. The Italian government practically
controls the output and very little is permitted for export. Lemons are
grown in great quantities and are still exported to some extent. The
difficulty in obtaining boats, however, has made it impossible to ship
any considerable quantity of lemons, and so this source of income has
been virtually eliminated.

       *       *       *       *       *

Italy has found it necessary, therefore, to cultivate her products
exclusively for home consumption, and, in this cultivation, thought
is given only to the supply of things necessary for the maintenance
of the Italian people. Things that are most needed,--that give most
sustenance, are being cultivated to the exclusion of things that
brought income from outside, but did not fill the hungry mouths of
the people. Also, food products that formerly had to be imported, are
now being home grown. Fortunately, this is made easy by the fact that
Italy is a "clime where every season smiles." It is favored by climatic
conditions to a degree comparable to those of Southern California, and,
accordingly, a great range of crops, both of a temperate-zone and of a
tropical kind, can be grown readily. In the southern part of Italy the
climate is semitropical. The soil is fertile and garden-truck grows
in abundance--and many kinds of fruit, including oranges, lemons,
grapes, apples, plums and pears. In the fertile plains of the north
are fields where cereals are grown and these are being extended and
prepared for intensified cultivation. The delta of the Piave, captured
and held for a short time by the Austrians, is again in possession
of Italy. Comprising some of the richest soil in the world, it will
soon be flourishing with growing crops, and its fields will contribute
substantially to the solution of Italy's food problem.

       *       *       *       *       *

We may be sure then that Italy, plucky and staunch, will "carry on"
through hardship to renewed prosperity. With the sympathetic assistance
that is her due from the United States, there can be no question of
the future. Italy's firmly booted leg will continue to kick its sturdy
way down into the "warm waters" that Germany so desired; her fair
domains will continue to enjoy that "place in the sun" that Prussia so
imperiously demanded. With all her advantages of land and sea, Italy
must "come through" and find plenty in the wake of peace.

  [Illustration: W. D. Moffat]



NEW YEAR GREETING


The Mentor receives friendly messages from its readers daily, and, at
the turn of the New Year, many cordial greetings come in--for all of
which thanks! full hearted and fervent thanks! These messages are a
great encouragement and inspiration to us. With such endorsement of
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knowledge human_." Think of it, making knowledge human! That is a new
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reader says, it has "made knowledge human,"--we shall feel that we have
accomplished something well worth while.

       *       *       *       *       *

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       *       *       *       *       *

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maintained in every number issued. I certainly enjoy reading The Mentor
and the beautiful pictures accompanying each issue are most delightful.
I simply cannot speak too highly of the merits of your excellent
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       *       *       *       *       *

Another message comes from Quebec. A member of our Association, with
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       *       *       *       *       *

A well-wishing friend out in middle Pennsylvania, carrying out what
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     W. D. MOFFAT.



THE MENTOR

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       *       *       *       *       *

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*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Mentor: Italy Under War Conditions, Vol. 6, Num. 23, Ser. No. 171, January 15, 1919" ***

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