war and the future-第7章

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conflict　with　the　immovable　object。　　And　the　outcome　has　been　the
biggest　military　mine　in　all　history。

The　business　began　in　January；　1916；　with　surveys　of　the　rock　in
question。　　The　work　of　surveying　for　excavations；　never　a　very
simple　one；　becomes　much　more　difficult　when　the　site　is　occupied
by　hostile　persons　with　machine　guns。　　In　March；　as　the　winter's
snows　abated；　the　boring　machinery　began　to　arrive；　by　mule　as
far　as　possible　and　then　by　hand。　　Altogether　about　half　a
kilometre　of　gallery　had　to　be　made　to　the　mine　chamber；　and
meanwhile　the　explosive　was　coming　up　load　by　load　and　resting
first　here；　then　there；　in　discreetly　chosen　positions。　　There
were　at　the　last　thirty…five　tons　of　it　in　the　inner　chamber。
And　while　the　boring　machines　bored　and　the　work　went　on；
Lieutenant　Malvezzi　was　carefully　working　out　the　problem　of　〃il
massimo　effetto　dirompimento〃　and　deciding　exactly　how　to　pack
and　explode　his　little　hoard。　　On　the　eleventh　of　July；　at　3。30；
as　he　rejoices　to　state　in　his　official　report；　〃the　mine
responded　perfectly　both　in　respect　of　the　calculations　made　and
of　the　practical　effects；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　Austrians　were
largely　missing　and　the　Italians　were　in　possession　of　the　crater
of　the　Castelletto　and　looking　down　the　Val　Travenanzes　from
which　they　had　been　barred　for　so　long。　　Within　a　month　things
had　been　so　tidied　up；　and　secured　by　further　excavations　and
sandbags　against　hostile　fire；　that　even　a　middle…aged　English
writer；　extremely　fagged　and　hot　and　breathless；　could　enjoy　the
same　privilege。　　All　this；　you　must　understand；　had　gone　on　at　a
level　to　which　the　ordinary　tourist　rarely　climbs；　in　a　rarefied；
chest…tightening　atmosphere；　with　wisps　of　clouds　floating　in　the
clear　air　below　and　club…huts　close　at　hand。。。。

Among　these　mountains　avalanches　are　frequent；　and　they　come　down
regardless　of　human　strategy。　　In　many　cases　the　trenches　cross
avalanche　tracks；　they　and　the　men　in　them　are　periodically　swept
away　and　periodically　replaced。　　They　are　positions　that　must　be
held；　if　the　Italians　will　not　face　such　sacrifices；　the
Austrians　will。　　Avalanches　and　frostbite　have　slain　and　disabled
their　thousands；　they　have　accounted　perhaps　for　as　many　Italians
in　this　austere　and　giddy　campaign　as　the　Austrians。。。。


3

It　seems　to　be　part　of　the　stern　resolve　of　Fate　that　this；　the
greatest　of　wars；　shall　be　the　least　glorious；　it　is　manifestly
being　decided　not　by　victories　but　by　blunders。　　It　is　indeed　a
history　of　colossal　stupidities。　　Among　the　most　decisive　of
these　blunders；　second　only　perhaps　of　the　blunder　of　the　Verdun
attack　and　far　outshining　the　wild　raid　of　the　British　towards
Bagdad；　was　the　blunder　of　the　Trentino　offensive。　　It　does　not
need　the　equipment　of　a　military　expert；　it　demands　only　quite
ordinary　knowledge　and　average　intelligence；　to　realise　the　folly
of　that　Austrian　adventure。　　There　is　some　justification　for　a
claim　that　the　decisive　battle　of　the　war　was　fought　upon　the
soil　of　Italy。　　There　is　still　more　justification　for　saying　that
it　might　have　been。

There　was　only　one　good　point　about　the　Austrian　thrust。　　No　one
could　have　foretold　it。　　And　it　did　so　completely　surprise　the
Italians　as　to　catch　them　without　any　prepared　line　of　positions
in　the　rear。　　On　the　very　eve　of　the　big　Russian　offensive；　the
Austrians　thrust　eighteen　divisions　hard　at　the　Trentino
frontier。　　The　Italian　posts　were　then　in　Austrian　territory；
they　held　on　the　left　wing　and　the　right；　but　they　were　driven　by
the　sheer　weight　of　men　and　guns　in　the　centre；　they　lost　guns
and　prisoners　because　of　the　difficulty　of　mountain　retreats　to
which　I　have　alluded；　and　the　Austrians　pouring　through　reached
not　indeed　the　plain　of　Venetia；　but　to　the　upland　valleys
immediately　above　it；　to　Asiago　and　Arsiero。　　They　probably　saw
the　Venetian　plain　through　gaps　in　the　hills；　but　they　were　still
separated　from　it　even　at　Arsiero　by　what　are　mountains　to　an
English　eye；　mountains　as　high　as　Snowdon。　　But　the　Italians　of
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　ce