FOREST LOSSES ON THE ITALIAN FRONT 



1321 



Photograph by courtesy of the Italian General Headquarters 



A COMMUNICATION TRENCH IN A HEAVILY SHELLED PORTION OF THE ITALIAN FRONT 

 THERE WAS FORMERLY A GOOD FOREST GROWTH IN THIS SECTION BEFORE THE WAR 

 ALL TREE GROWTH NOT DESTROYED BY THE TERRIFIC SHELL FIRE WAS IISED BY THE 

 SOLDIERS FOR FUEL PURPOSES, FOR TRENCH FACING, DUG-OUTS, DUCK-BOARDS, ETC, 



are famous, bread, coffee and tea, and a dish of vege- 

 tables, such as beans, potatoes, or meat hash. One might 

 ordinarily ask if there were no desserts served. How- 

 ever, no sweets, such as cake, pudding, pie, etc., were 

 served anywhere in Italy during the war. The only 

 dessert offered at the hotels 

 was fruit and occasionally some 

 cheese. 



By way of contrast with these 

 well-fed, happy and contented 

 prisoners, an opportunity was af- 

 forded at Genoa to see how some 

 of the repatriated Italian pris- 

 oners returning from Austria ap- 

 peared. We helped to feed a 

 whole trainload as they came 

 from Switzerland, and the poor 

 soldiers were the most emaci- 

 ated men that can possibly be 

 imagined. They fairly fought 

 for the food which was rushed 

 to them at the car windows. 

 Another trainload of returned 

 prisoners from Austria stopped 

 a short while later and the food 

 could not be served because the 

 men were in such serious condi- 

 tion that they could not be fed 

 the coffee, chocolate, eggs, 

 sweet chocolate, fruit, etc., which 

 the Red Cross organizations had 

 prepared for th.em. The men 



were too weak to rise from their 

 bunks on the train, and the glar- 

 ing eyes, sunken cheeks, and 

 pallid complexions bore silent 

 witness of their terrible treat- 

 ment in Austria. We were in- 

 formed that many of the poor 

 boys died before they reached 

 their destination at the hospitals 

 along the Italian Riviera. 



Many acres of land have been 

 reforested in Italy during the 

 war, not only by Austrian pris- 

 oners but by women, men past 

 the military age, and by young 

 boys and girls, but after the war 

 throughout Italy there will be a 

 great need for reforestation of 

 these devastated acres and the 

 denuded and bare mountain 

 slopes. No one appreciates these 

 needs better than do the Italian 

 forestry officials themselves and 

 there are plans already under 

 way to provide funds whereby 

 most rapid progress can be made. 

 By way of comparison with 

 forestry in this country, the situation in Italy is most 

 interesting. The first impression in visiting Italy is 

 the vast resources in timber growth in this country, the 

 great variety and individual size of the tree species, a 

 well defined and supported national forest policy and the 



Italian Official Photograph 



IN ONE OF THE BEST SPRUCE FORESTS NEAR THE LINES ON THE ASIAGO PLATEAU NEAR 

 THE VAL BRENTA SO OFTEN MENTIONED IN THE COMMUNIQUES FROM THE ITALIAN 

 GENERAL HEADQUARTERS. VERY LITTLE OF THE FOREST ON THE HIGH ALPINE FRONT 

 WAS AS FORTUNATE AS THIS IN ESCAPING THE ARTILLERY FIRE OF THE ENEMY. EVEN 

 THIS FOREST HAD BEEN HEAVILY CUT OVER TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED TRENCH TIM- 

 BERS, CAMOUFLAGE POLES AND FUELWOOD FOR THE TROOPS. 



