Photograph by courtesy of the Italian Military Mission 

 THE WW TO AN OBSERVATION POST IN THE 

 CADORE DISTRICT 



These stairways were constructed for hundreds of 

 feet up the almost impassable heights from the barracks 

 to the artillery observation posts in the uttermost crags 

 of the Dolomites. In the section shown there are more 

 than 300 steps covering an ascent of perhaps a hundred 

 yards almost straight up. The observatory at the top 

 is about 9,000 feet high and 1,600 feet above the nearest 

 barracks. 



terical with merriment for nearly 

 two hours. I am soon giving a 

 show for a hospital in which 

 Contessa Cadorna is especially 

 interested. The show costs me 

 between 50 and 60 francs each 

 time, but it is money well spent. 



HOSPITAL ON MULE-BACK 

 FOLLOWS TROOPS 



Since becoming one of the 

 representatives of the Surgical 

 Dressings Committee (Contessa 

 de Robilant is the other repre- 

 sentative), I find myself in touch 

 with several hundred hospitals 

 all over Italy, especially up at the 

 front, and you cannot imagine 

 how agonizing it is to be sud- 

 denly in this position and with 

 comparatively so little to dis- 

 tribute. 



Our work is recognized by the 

 War Office, and we are given all 

 sorts of rights of free transpor- 

 tation to the front, of course. 

 Contessa de Robilant goes up 

 about once a month to the hos- 

 pitals herself, and has arranged 

 for soldiers to take up our sup- 

 plies about once a week. Her 

 husband is the general who com- 

 mands all the troops up in the 

 Dolomites. Two of her daugh- 

 ters, splendid girls, nurse in a 

 hospital which is packed upon 

 mules and follows the army 

 every time it advances. They 

 work high up in the mountains, 

 and are in Rome on leave now, 

 as the snow is so deep in the ad- 

 vanced posts where they are sta- 

 tioned that there is at present no 

 fighting. 



The cold is so intense that their 

 sheets freeze at noon when they 

 hang them out to dry in the sun. 

 They have 200 men or so come 

 down daily from the trenches to 

 get baths and changes, and I try 

 to send them woolen clothes, 

 fresh socks, etc. ; for when there 

 is an ample supply of these the 

 men leave their soiled ones to be 

 washed and mended and return 

 greatly refreshed. The girls are 

 so pretty and such competent 



62 



