ALT DURING THE WORLD WAR SALVATORE A. COTILLC flass jL c )2.Q Book L Copyright N? CQEffilGIIT DEPOSIT. Ital>> During 4ie World War SALVATORE A. COTILLO ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR BY SALVATORE A. COTILLO, LL. B., M. A. Member NevJ York State Senate, N«! York Bar Association Knight Commander of me Crown of Italy, Grand Ofjicer of me Crown of Italy, Etc WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY GENERAL A. DIAZ The Christopher Publishing House Boston, U. S. A. .0 Dj Copyright 1922 By The Christopher Publishing House JUN 17 Ib22 ©CI.A6 746 2 6 Dedication To the Heroes of the World War INTRODUCTION (Translation) The idea of a book meant primarily for Americans and which would gather the living description of the spirit and talk of Italy and her achievements during the war, was bound to appeal to and inspire the high mind of a man whose personality includes these two nations and who, having gone to Italy as an Ameri- can charged with the work of research and propagan- da, felt and understood as an Italian the essence of the events and of the men who were their exponents. Like all truths this book does not appear too late, for the light that has gradually pierced through the public consciousness finds in it a warm affirmation and, above all, a precise and eloquent documentation. A summary of its subject matter would do it but scant justice ; it must be read as it is, for nothing else could be effectively substituted for what is written in its pages and nothing can take the place of what is set forth in the last chapter ''Lest we forget." Italy is marching forth securely to her future, con- scious of having accomplished her full duty towards all, and proud of having again found in her people, those virtues which have always predestined her to be, in the world, a firm and steadfast element of civ- ilization. To Senator Cotillo the merit of his book, to the Americans and all other chosen minds the perusal of it, to the Italians the all-pure satisfaction of having been understood by a mind that has been able to so nobly comprehend and appreciate. /o.xir- "?2s INTRODUZIONE Un libro destinato essenzialmente agli Americani, e che raccoglie la viva descrizione dello spirito e del pensiero italiano e le opere dall'Italia compiute durante la guerra, ben meritava di inspirare la mente elevata di un uomo che le due Nazioni rac- coglie nella sua personalita' e che, recatosi in Italia come americano con incarieo di indagine e di pro- paganda, come italiano ha sentito e compreso l'es- senza degli avvenimenti e gli uomini che ne erano l'esponente. E, come tutte le verita', questo libro non giunge in ritardo, giacche' la luce che man mano si e' fatta nelle coscienze trova in esso una calda affermazione, e sopratutto una documentazione eloquente e pre- cisa. Un riassunto non raggiungerebbe lo scopo: bisog- na leggerlo, giac che' nulla puo' phi' efficacemente sostituirsi a quanto in quelle pagine e' scritto e nulla puo' far le veci di cio' che e' raccolto nelT ultimo capitolo, scritto "per non dimenticare." E 1 'Italia cammina sicura verso il Suo avvenire, nella coscienza di aver compiuto verso tutti ogni Suo dovere, nella fierezza di ritrovare nella sua gente quelle virtu' che l'han sempre destinata ad essere nel mondo soldo e costante elemento di civilta', umanita' e di progresso. Al Senatore Cotillo il merito del libro, agli Amer- icani ed a tutte le menti civili il meditarlo, agli Ital- iani la soddisfazione purissima di essere stati com- presi da uno spirito che ha saputo nobilmente intendere ed apprezzare. J0 .%u- *1U AUTHOR'S NOTE The purpose of this book is to give in a concrete way a vivid picture of Italy during the World War. It is hoped that through this narrative, which is based upon the author's personal observation and information which he gathered in part from inter- views with prominent men in England, France and Italy, a contribution may be made which will bring about a better and more sympathetic understanding between our two peoples. The writer endeavors to convey to the American readers something of the unusual sacrifices and hardships made not only by Italy's military popula- tion but also by her civilian population. He also hopes to convey the finer appreciation of Italy's character that those who were actually in the field gained. Italy's work of reconstruction is hard, and imposes severe austerity on the life of the Italian people, but these, with patriotic sentiments, are ac- cepting the sacrifices and the heavy taxations, being confident in the bright future of their country. No one who saw the whole Italian people rally to stif- fened resistance after Caporetto, and in less than one year, in the face of difficulties that seemed insuper- able, prepare the final glorious victory on the Piave, can but have confidence in the gradual and certain restoration of the financial order of the State and of the economic structure of the nation. The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebted- ness and extend his thanks to his friend, the late Professor Alessandro Oldrini, Comm. Francesco Quattrone, High Commissioner for Italy, whose in- formation regarding the needs of Italy was most helpful, to the Italian Bureau of Public Informa- tion for the use of some statistics, and to Mr. Agos- tino De Biasi of II Carroccio for the use of some of the illustrations. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page Dedication 5 Introduction (Translation) 7 Introduzione .. 9 Author's Note _ _ 11 List of Illustrations 15 I. My Special Mission to Italy 17 II. The American Red Cross in Italy .„ 33 III. The Italian Soldier 44 IV. The Italian Navy 60 V. Italian Women During the War 74 VI. Italy's Industrial Development During the War _ 82 VII. Fiume — Its Industrial Status 107 VIII. Dalmatia— Its Historical Status 114 IX. Italy's Right to her Claims 120 X. Italy's King „ 135 XI. Italy's Needs 140 Lest we Forget 150 Appendix 153 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Photograph of Salvatore A. Cotillo ^Frontispiece Photograph of General A. Diaz ^Frontispiece Senator Cotillo Kepresenting America, July 4, 1918, in Rome, Addressing Thousands in front of the Victor Emanuel Monument 26 At Army Headquarters of General Diaz, at the Front ~ 30 Devastated Region — San Dona di Piave — 38 Some of the Valiant Soldiers of the Piave 44 Aerian Cableway at 2000 Metres 46 One of Italy's Many Mutilati 48 Unloading of Munitions at 2800 Metres 50 A Telephone Station at 2900 Metres 52 The Alpini Soldiers in the Alps 54 The Alpini „ 56 Senator Cotillo with a Group of Tubercular Ital- ian Soldiers who had been Austrian Prisoners — 58 Italian Sailors ~ 62 Piercing Holes — 74 Women making three inches (75MM) and two and one-half inches (65MM) cast iron shells 74 In the Fitting Shop ... - 76 The King, Italy's most Democratic and Best Be- loved Citizen ~ 134 Italy During the World War CHAPTER I MY SPECIAL MISSION TO ITALY When I left America on May 18, 1918, to explain to the Italians the reason that im- pelled us to plunge into the Great War after three years of neutrality, my mind was en- grossed with many perplexing questions. Could we, in view of the German propa- ganda to the contrary, convince the Italians that we had joined the Allies, heart and soul, for the defense of democracy against barbarism; for the defense of the principles of nationalities; for the right of all nations to shape their own destinies'? Could we show the Italians that we were with them in the fight as much as we were with either France and England we, who until Capo- retto had thought of the war only in the terms of the Western Front, that is, "the French front," forgetting that Italy, a small nation by comparison with the other Allies, was waging a Titanic struggle over the most difficult terrain of this war? Had we not both forgotten the magnitude of Italy's task and also to the effect harbored slanders of unmistakable German origin that Italy was in the war for selfish reasons % The hydra-headed monster of German propaganda had spread its malignant influ- ence in all allied countries. In America, it 18 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR had won a certain section of our public to the idea that Italy had sold herself to the highest bidder. In Italy, it had employed the same identical tactics. America, accord- ing to the German version of our war mo- tives, was a "kolossal" bluff, and the ulti- mate aim of America's bluff was America's own aggrandizement. With characteristic German psychology, German propagandists explained that America's idealism was a mask behind which lay America's lust for dollars and more dollars. Had I been sent to address the intellectu- als my mission would have been purposeless and vain. For it was the intellectual class that raised the hue and cry which resulted, first, in the declaration of war against Aus- tria, and then by the declaration of war against Germany. These intellectuals knew our motives and the causes that resulted in our entrance into the conflict; but the igno- rant masses, who knew of America only as the place " where wealth accumulates," where idealism is unknown, where nothing is attempted without counting the material reward, these masses, were they not easy prey for the German propagandists'? The spread of false and malicious remarks, our apparent slowness in getting started, our complete oblivion of Italy until Caporetto, these facts surely reacted unfavorably upon the minds of the people. They became skep- tical of our might and out of this skepticism grew a feeling of hopelessness which re- sulted ultimately in a general weakening. The ship on which I voyaged was a troop- ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 19 ship, carrying a contingent of Southern troops. Never have I seen a more deter- mined, athletic, soldierly looking body of men. Those boys made life cheerful on a trip that was always perilously near the end of things. Even when in the most danger- ous portion of the zone, they maintained their good spirits, and they fortunately transmitted them to all the other passengers aboard. They seemed always unafraid of the many dangers ahead. They were on their way to get over with a difficult job, and whether they went under while on the way, or in the performance, mattered little to them. I blessed those boys for the many peaceful hours which might, under differ- ent circumstances, have been restless, and I prayed that every one of them would re- turn unhurt. Arriving in London, I was impressed with its appearance. This made me at once re- alize the immensity of the great conflict into which we had been plunged. Every male of military age wore a uniform and the streets were filled constantly with the wounded and the permanently crippled. Camions and ambulances filled with the wounded drove through the streets in never-ending proces- sion. The dark, dismal nights filled with the fear of Boche air raids made peaceful repose impossible. But the people on the whole went about their accustomed work, apparently indifferent and unperturbed by what was going on around them. I must say, nevertheless, and this is based upon what I was able to gather from those in a 20 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR position to know, that the morale of the English people was dangerously low as a result of the successes of the German army. But whatever may have been their attitude toward the outcome, they scarcely gave any visible sign of the feeling of apprehension which must surely have crept into their minds as a result of the German advances. What I have said of London was true of Paris, though the people of Paris had suf- fered more intensely than the English. Throughout the long, terrible days, when Paris seemed destined to fall into the hands of the Huns, throughout the horrors of the nightly air raids and the daily shelling by long range guns, their stoicism and faith never diminished. What anguish, what mental torture the French must have suf- fered, few only know. Unlike the English, the French women were permitted to wear mourning garb ; and few, if any, were with- out it. The maimed and the wounded were everywhere. Every step brought one face to face with the horrible deeds of the treach- erous Boche. While in Paris I held conferences with Generals Bliss and Pershing, relative to the despatching of American troops to Italy. I had become convinced after my talks with men lately returned from Italy that the best and most effective propaganda would be to send a body of our boys there. The Italians were apparently going through a period of patriotic regeneration since Cap- oretto, and nothing would have helped to spur it on than the presence of American ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 21 troops. Both Generals were decidedly against the plan, because of the perilous situation confronting the Allies on the Western front; every man available was needed to help stave off the German thrust at Paris and let me say right here, that Paris was dangerously near capture during the days of June, 1918. Allied strategists had given up hope of saving her and plans were made for retreat. But events do not always follow as strategists insist they must: many times in history the indomi- table spirit of the private has refused to accept the cocksure opinion of the battle- planners, and the result has not infrequent- ly turned out as the private had hoped, fought and died for. I was greatly disappointed at the decision of General Pershing for all my plans had been based on the hope that troops would be sent. There was nothing to do, however, but to accept his decision. He did promise to send troops later, and he fulfilled this promise in July. Their arrival produced just the effect we had hoped it would. Before my departure for Rome, I had the good fortune to visit the Chateau-Thierry sector. That was at the time when Chateau- Thierry was held on the north by the Ger- mans and on the south by the Marines. With Captain Weeks of the Intelligence De- partment, Martin Green of the New York World, Arthur Ruhl of Collier's and Charles Selden of the New York Times, I motored to the Second Divisional Headquarters along a road that was jammed with refugees 22 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR fleeing to Paris, ammunition trains, troops, guns, camions of every description and am- bulances carrying their wounded to the rear. The road from Meaux, called the gateway to Paris, was on both sides lined with shell- torn and devastated homes. We arrived at headquarters. A minor engagement was going on at the time. We heard the deafen- ing roar of the guns behind us and the whiz- zing sound of the enemy's shell hurtling above us. During the engagement a de- tachment of Marines brought in about three hundred Bodies and the thing about them that has remained most vivid in my memory was the look of relief upon their faces. They bore the unmistakable signs of having suffered severe hardships, and their air of weariness probably explained the expression of relief that they wore. I left Paris on the night of June 14th, and arrived in Rome on the 16th. The discom- forts of the hard travelling were more than compensated for by the wonderful Alpine scenery. Its beauty made one rejoice in- wardly, and momentarily forget the horrors of war. My arrival in Rome was marked by scenes that will live long in my memory. The Eternal City was resplendent with flags and decorations, in celebration of the won- derful victory achieved by the Italian army on the Piave and the people gave themselves up to wild rejoicings. On June 15th the Austrians launched a formidable attack all along the Piave and the Asiago plateau, their objective being to ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 23 bring about a decisive defeat of Italy and render her helpless. Hurling her seventy divisions against fifty-five Italian and three Allied divisions, possessing a superiority in guns and material, as well as in position, she sought by the swiftness and intensity of her attack to overwhelm the Italians. But in- stead of overwhelming them Austria sus- tained defeat. Five days before the attack began, the Italian High Command, using the excellent system of espionage at its dis- posal, had knowledge of the date, the place of attack, and the number of troops to be used by the Austrians. Acting upon this information the Italians massed their troops at the expected point and began a violent bombardment of the Austrian lines five hours before the Austrian attack was to be- gin. This was followed by a massed attack, causing the Austrians to break ground and retreat. Thirty thousand Austrians were made prisoners, large quantities of booty were seized, and a considerable portion of the ter- ritory lost to the enemy during October was regained. In addition to these gains the greatest result of this, I might say, unex- pected victory was its effect not only upon the morale of the Italians, but upon the morale of all the Allied troops. We must admit that until these brave Italians made their heroic stand, the morale of all the Al- lies was at its lowest ebb. The victory, how- ever, instilled new hopes in the Allies and assured them of Italy's determination to stand firm. Before the battle, many grave 24 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR doubts were uttered by Allied officials re- garding Italy's power to keep on fighting. Many thought that she could not withstand another attack, because of the demoraliza- tion of her troops : many said she was ready to make a separate peace. Her victory proved the contrary. Immediately upon my arrival at Rome, I consulted with Ambassador Page. I found him to be a man of deep sympathies, pos- sessing a broad vision, and a warm love for Italy. I delivered my first address to an audience of about 3,000, made up largely of Socialists. My subject was " America and the World War." I confined myself to an outline of America's motives in entering the war, her armies, her accomplishments during the war, the aid she was giving the Allies and her friendship for Italy. We had decided that Turin, a large indus- trial center and the home of the defeatists, would be the first large city for intensive propaganda. In August, 1917, a serious up- rising had occurred there, which was quelled only after a considerable number of men and women had been killed and thousands wounded. This disturbance was a result of the defeatist propaganda which was being spread among the people by pacifists, Social- ists and Germans. The scarcity of food was also one of the causes. The Government seized a large number of the men who had taken part in the uprising, drafted them in- to the service and sent them to the front where they mingled with the other men, ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 25 spreading their socialist and defeatist prop- aganda. Reaching Turin, I spoke to large groups of workers in the various munitions facto- ries. Chief among these was the Fiat Fac- tory, which employed over 42,000 workers. These men and women left their tasks vol- untarily to listen to me. While I cannot say that I aroused great enthusiasm, for my audiences were as a rule cold and dispas- sionate, still I went away conscious that I had set them thinking, which after all was what I had set out to accomplish. But I addressed one gathering of about three thousand in Turin's largest theatre. The enthusiastic reception which they ac- corded me gave me great joy and even the applause which greeted my reference to America and to our soldiers was small in comparison to the outburst that acclaimed my narrative of America's accomplishment during the war. Never have I seen a group of people become so wrought up over the re- cital of mere facts, though this can be ex- plained by stating that whatever America did would in turn benefit Italy. Few of us can realize what America's entrance with her unlimited resources meant to those poor Italians. To the women, young and old, toil- ing in the munitions works or in the fields, producing the supplies to sustain their men at the front, to the aged and the infirm, the children and the sick who suffered at the hands of the raiding Huns, to the poor suf- fering for the want of food; to the agonized and wearied hearts of the mothers and wid- 26 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR ows of those who had fought and died, America was truly the beacon light of hope and peace. Turin, as I have before stated, is a large industrial centre. The plants that I visited were equipped with best modern machinery. The organization and efficiency were all that could be expected and the methods used would equal our own. Italy, because of her lack of raw materials and capital, was for a long time the object of German commercial interest. It was this despotism that kept her from expanding, industrially and com- mercially, but the moment she broke loose from German industrial dominion she began to grow. It will not be long before Italy will be recognized not only as an agricultural country but also as one of the leading com- mercial powers. Her men are possessed of brains, initiative and ideas; and with the proper and disinterested financial backing she must surely expand. I returned to Rome, where I was one of the principal speakers at the Fourth of July celebration in honor of America. If one ever doubted the affections and sympathy of the Italians for America, all doubts would have been dispelled after witnessing the spontaneous, generous, and whole-hearted manner in which the Italians celebrated our day of independence. And what was tak- ing place in Rome was occurring all over Italy. Never have I witnessed denser and more enthusiastic crowds than those gathered be- fore the Victor Emmanuel monument in ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 27 Rome and before the American Embassy to listen to Ex- Ambassador Page. The Victor Emmanuel monument is situated on the fa- mous Capital Hill fronting an immense square. The vast multitude occupied every available space. Everywhere floated the flags of our Allies and principally the Amer- ican flag. Every mention of America and President Wilson was the signal for tremen- dous applause. I delivered a short addresss which seemer to meet with general approba- tion. I was followed by Major Byrnes, of the American Red Cross and a member of our State Board of Regents, and Captain De Roody of the United States Marines, one of the heroes of Chateau-Thierry who had been dispatched to Rome with thirty-one of our wounded boys, all of Italian birth. I want to relate an incident which will give an illustration of the Italians ' feelings toward America and at the same time dem- onstrate the democratic spirit of the people. After the celebration was over, Mr. Moses, attached to the American Bureau of Infor- mation in Rome, who had charge of the Cap- tain and his party, discovered that two of the boys were missing. He finally located them in a cafe standing against the bar, an Italian General between, drinking as mer- rily as though one of them. After the ceremonies in the Square the whole mass moved to the American Em- bassy, preceded by a cortege made up of civic and military organizations. Mr. Page delivered a splendid address in Italian, which was received clamorously. 28 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR Leaving Rome, I travelled to Naples to begin my series of lectures through the southern provinces of Naples, Avellino, Sa- lerno, Catanzaro, Reggio, Messina, Palermo, and then through the northern provinces of Genoa, Perugia and Padua. I must say that the approach to Naples filled me with a tense excitement, for Naples is particularly dear to me, in that it was there I first saw the light of day. I was received at the sta- tion by the Mayor and other city officials, and escorted to the hotel. Though I had left the city when but a lad of six, somehow the place seemed familiar and unchanged. I delivered two speeches in Naples, one on July 14th, at the celebration in honor of the French Bastile Day, and the other on July 22nd at the celebration in honor of Belgium. The former took place in the large Piazza Plebiscita, before an audience of approximately 50,000. A delegation of numerous patriotic societies escorted me to the Piazza. Though the celebration was in honor of France, it really developed into a demonstration for America. The shouts and cheers were all for America, and when I arose to speak the crowds cheered for fully ten minutes. My second effort was in the San Carlo Opera House in Naples, one of the largest and most beautiful opera houses in the world. The immense auditorium was filled to capacity and on the stage were gathered all the city and government officials. I was the principal speaker and, as on the former occasion, the applause turned into an ex- ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR 29 pression of sincere and generous affection for America. Naples, at the time of my arrival, was just recovering from an Austrian air raid which had caused considerable destruction. Up to the time of the raid, the people had been going about as during pre-war days with the jollity and festivity that are Naples' chief characteristics. Departing from Naples, I travelled through all the surrounding towns and vil- lages and addressed gatherings, generally in auditoriums, but sometimes from the top of an automobile. An intense interest and en- thusiasm was shown everywhere by all those whom I addressed. This was not only true of the province of Naples, but it was true also of every place visited in southern Italy. Here, more so than in Turin, my hearers were spell-bound by the narration of America's mighty achievements since her entrance into the war. It is customary to depict the Italian as highly emotional and more easily aroused by an appeal to his feelings than to his rea- son. That is true in part; but as a result of the awful reverse at Caporetto, the Italians had begun to doubt the result of the War. There were many who openly advocated a separate peace: many reasoned that it was futile to continue inasmuch as the Allies were not aiding, and as American help seemed far away. Rumors had been spread by German agents about the efficiency of the German submarines in preventing our soldiers from landing in France; of our un- 30 ITALY DURING THE WORLD WAR preparedness, and of the difficulties we were experiencing in getting started as well as of dissension in our acts. All of these things naturally tended to discourage the Italians but they never really believed, as had been told them, that America was bluffing. They were merely surprised that we were not do- ing things in proportion to our resources. It all seemed inexplicable to them, who knew America and her capability so well. But when they were told about the things we were doing, the ships we were building, the troops that were arriving in France, the vast quantities of food and materials we were sending across, the guns, the aero- planes and other implements of war that were being produced in vast numbers, it reassured their faith in America in the vic- tory she was bringing to them. The thing that impressed me most of all was the sincere, unselfish love of the Ital- ians for America which they manifested on every occasion. I have no hesitancy in say- ing that no nation loves and worships Amer- ica more than does Italy. The gratitude of the people for the aid given by us is un- bounded and everywhere I went the name of America brought forth expressions of reverence and respect. I have on other occasions stated that there was never any need to stir up enthusi- asm for America. A deep sympathy for us always existed and I might say that fully nine-tenths of the population of southern Italy recognizes America as a second father- land. On another occasion I ran across an N _, ' 3 < .- o o u .-! . n o < 3J a Ph rt c W -^ 'Si fe ,. Q C C ca c (U « U 00*- (h 5r! ^ O o A O) o Hi O PS~ ;- T5 o c O P Q (-U < C3 ■g W c ffi *-• 03 Uh ca O ^ O x PS PS