such beautiful old places and Vicenza； Marostica； and Bassano
could watch the Austrian shells bursting on the last line of
hills above the plain； and I have no doubt they felt extremely
uneasy。
As one motors through these ripe and beautiful towns and through
the rich valleys that link themit is a smiling land abounding
in old castles and villas； Vicenza is a rich museum of Palladio's
architecture and Bassano is full of irreplaceable painted
buildingsone feels that the things was a narrow escape； but
from the military point of view it was merely an insane escapade。
The Austrians had behind themand some way behind themone
little strangulated railway and no good pass road； their right
was held at Pasubio； their left was similarly bent back。 In
front of them was between twice and three times their number of
first class troops； with an unlimited equipment。 If they had
surmounted that last mountain crest they would have come down to
almost certain destruction in the plain。 They could never have
got back。 For a time it was said that General Cardona considered
that possibility。 From the point of view of purely military
considerations； the Trentino offensive should perhaps have ended
in the capitulation of Vicenza。
I will confess I am glad it did not do so。 This tour of the
fronts has made me very sad and weary with a succession of ruins。
I can bear no more ruins unless they are the ruins of Dusseldorf；
Cologne； Berlin； or suchlike modern German city。 Anxious as I am
to be a systematic Philistine； to express my preference for
Marinetti over the Florentine British and generally to antagonise
aesthetic prigs； I rejoiced over that sunlit land as one
might rejoice over a child saved from beasts。
On the hills beyond Schio I walked out through the embrasure of a
big gun in a rock gallery； and saw the highest points upon the
hillside to which the Austrian infantry clambered in their futile
last attacks。 Below me were the ruins of Arsiero and Velo
d'Astico recovered； and across the broad valley rose Monte Cimone
with the Italian trenches upon its crest and the Austrians a
little below to the north。 A very considerable bombardment was
going on and it reverberated finely。 （It is only among mountains
that one hears anything that one can call the thunder of guns。
The heaviest bombardments I heard in France sounded merely like
Brock's benefit on a much large scale； and disappointed me
extremely。） As I sat and listened to the uproar and watched the
shells burst on Cimone and far away up the valley over
Castelletto above Pedescala； Captain Pirelli pointed out the
position of the Austrian frontier。 I doubt if the English people
realise that the utmost depth to which this great Trentino
offensive； which exhausted Austria； wasted the flower of the
Hungarian army and led directly to the Galician disasters and the
intervention of Rumania； penetrated into Italian territory was
about six miles。
III。 BEHIND THE FRONT
1
I have a peculiar affection for Verona and certain things in
Verona。 Italians must forgive us English this little streak of
impertinent proprietorship in the beautiful things of their
abundant land。 It is quite open to them to revenge themselves by
professing a tenderness for Liverpool or Leeds。 It was； for
instance； with a peculiar and personal indignation that I saw
where an Austrian air bomb had killed five…and…thirty people in
the Piazza Erbe。 Somehow in that jolly old place； a place that
have very much of the quality of a very pretty and cheerful old
woman； it seemed exceptionally an outrage。 And I made a special
pilgrimage to see how it was with that monument of Can Grande；
the equestrian Scaliger with the sidelong grin； for whom I
confess a ridiculous admiration。 Can Grande； I rejoice to say；
has retired into a case of brickwork； surmounted by a steep roof
of thick iron plates； no aeroplane exists to carry bombs enough
to smash that covering； there he will smile securely in the
darkness until peace comes again。
All over Venetia the Austrian seaplanes are making the same sort
of idiot raid on lighted places that the Zeppelins have been
making over England。 These raids do no effective military work。
What conceivable military advantage can there be in dropping
bombs into a marketing crowd？ It is a sort of anti…Teutonic
propaganda by the Central Powers to which they seem to have been
incited by their own evil genius。 It is as if they could
convince us that there is an essential malignity in Germans； that
until the German powers are stamped down into the mud they will
continue to do evil things。 All of the Allies have borne the
thrusting and boasting of Germany with exemplary patience for
half a century； England gave her Heligoland and stood out of the
way of her colonial expansion； Italy was a happy hunting ground
for her business enterprise； France had come near resignation on
the score of Alsace…Lorraine。 And then over and above the great
outrage of the war come these incessant mean…spirited atrocities。
A great and simple wickedness it is possible to forgive； the war
itself； had it been fought greatly by Austria and Germany； would
have made no such deep and enduring breach as these silly； futile
assassinations have down between the Austro…Germans and the rest
of the civilised world。 One great misdeed is a thing
understandable and forgivable； what grows upon the consciousness
of the world is the persuasion that here we fight not a national
sin but a national insanity； that we dare not leave the German
the power to attack other nations any more for ever。。。。
Venice has suffered particularly from this ape…like impulse to
hurt and terrorise enemy non…combatants。 Venice has indeed
suffered from this war far more than any other town in Italy。
Her trade has largely ceased； she has no visitors。 I woke up on
my way to Udine and found my train at Venice with an hour to
spare； after much examining and stamping of my passport I was
allowed outside the station wicket to get coffee in the
refreshment room and a glimpse of a very sad and silent Grand
Canal。 There was nothing doing； a black despondent remnant of
the old crowd of gondolas browsed dreamily among against the quay
to stare at me the better。 The empty palaces seemed to be
sleeping in the morning sunshine because it was not worth while
to wake up。。。。
2
Except in the case of Venice； the war does not seem as yet to
have made nearly such a mark upon life in Italy as it has in
England or provincial France。 People speak of Italy as a poor
country； but that is from a banker's point of view。 In some
respects she is the richest country on earth； and in the matter
of staying power I should think she is better off than any other
belligerent。 She produces food in abundance everywhere； her
women are agricultural workers； so that the interruption of food
production by the war has been less serious in Italy than in any
other part of Europe。 In peace time； she has constantly exported
labour； the Italian worker has been a seasonal emigrant to
America； north and south； to Switzerland； Germany and the south
of France。 The cessation of this emigration has given her great
reserves of man power； so that she has carried on her admirable
campaign with less interference with her normal economic life
than any other power。 The first person I spoke to upon the
platform at Modane was a British officer engaged in forwarding
Italian potatoes to the British front in France。 Afterwards； on
my return； when a little passport irregularity kept me for half a
day in Modane； I went for a walk with him along the winding pass
road that goes down into France。 〃You see hundreds and hundreds
of new Fiat cars；〃 he remarked； 〃along heregoing up to the
French front。〃
But there is a return trade。 Near Paris I saw scores of
thousands of shells piled high to go to Italy。。。。
I doubt if English people fully realise either the economic
sturdiness or the political courage of their Italian ally。 Italy
is not merely fighting a first…class war in first…class fashion
but she is doing a big； dangerous； generous and far…sighted thing
in fighting at all。 France and England were obliged to fight；
the necessity was as plain as daylight。 The participation of
Italy demanded a remoter wisdom。 In the long run she would have
been swallowed up economically and politically by Germany if she
had not fought； but that was not a thing staring her plainly in
the face as the danger； insult and challenge stared France and
England in the face。 What did stare her in the face was not
merely a considerable military and political risk； but the
rupture of very close financial and commercial ties。 I found
thoughtful men talking everywhere I have been in Italy of two
things； of the Jugo…Slav riddle and of the question of post war
finance。 So far as the former matter goes； I think the Italians
are set upon the righteous solution of all such riddles； they are
possessed by an intelligent generosity。 They are clearly set
upon deserving Jugo…Slav friendship； they understand the plain
necessity of open and friendly routes towards Roumania。 It was
an Italian who set out to explain to me that Fiume must be at
least a free port； it would be wrong and foolish to cut the trade
of Hungary off from the Mediterranean。 But the banking puzzle is
a more intricate and puzzling matter altogether than the
possibility of trouble between Italian and Jugo…Slav。
I write of these things with the simplicity of an angel； but
without an angelic detachment。 Here are questions into which one
does not so much rush as get reluctantly pushed。 Currency and
banking are dry distasteful questions； but it is clear that they
are too much in the hands of mystery…mongers； it is as much the
duty of anyone who talks and writes of affairs； it is as much the
duty of every sane adult； to bring his possibly poor and
unsuitable wits to bear upon these things； as it is for him to
vote or enlist or pay his taxes。 Behind the simple ostensible
spectacle of Italy recovering the unredeemed Italy of the
Trentino and East Venetia； goes on another drama。 Has Italy been
sinking into something rather hard