Avalanches; Senussi

Despite several days of storm and blizzard that had stopped trains, sent ships to port, at Bardonecchia (some eight miles from the French border) three companies of Alpine troops with jaunty eagle feathers in their hats and skis slung over their shoulders marched out of barracks for a practice ascent of Monte Galambra. Snowfall was so heavy that two companies turned back. The leading company, officered by a Major and two Captains, pushed through the blizzard, attained the summit. Halfway down they were forced to take shelter in a rest house, were marooned there nearly 36 hours without food or firewood. Three times the shivering company tried to fight their way through to the valley, each time a roaring avalanche swept down, buried soldiers alive. All the officers and 18 men were killed. Nine exhausted soldiers got back to barracks.

Hundreds of miles from the snows of Bardonecchia, other Italian soldiers died fighting in the Sahara. In Libya for over a year Italian troops have been waging private war against revolting Senussi tribesmen. Last stronghold of the Senussi is the Oases of Kufra, 350 miles across the open desert from the oasis of Zella, Italian base. Three columns, containing several regiments of native troops and a squadron of armored cars, escorted by a squadron of airplanes, moved against Kufra by forced march. Last week they struck. Every man and boy who could hold a rifle fought in the Senussi ranks but they were no match for planes and armored cars. After three hours the Senussi broke, fled east toward the Egyptian frontier, pursued by Italian cavalry and planes. Marshal Pietro Badoglio arrived on the scene just as the Italian flag was being raised over Kufra, as Fascist correspondents were burning the cables with rousing stories of the victory. Official casualties: two Italian officers, two native soldiers killed, 16 wounded. Hundreds of Senussi died, scores were captured.

Hero of the battle in the Italian press was 32-year-old Amadeo Umberto Isabella Luigi Filippo Maria Guiseppe Giovanni, Duke of Apulia, cousin of the King, son of the Duke of Aosta, who commanded a squadron of pursuit planes. While the defeated Senussi, with their wives, children, oxen and asses fled like Joseph and Mary into Egypt, Duke Amadeo harried them mightily from the sky, raked them with blazing machine guns, whistling bombs. "Along the route," cabled a correspondent, "water wells at Matea, Bisciara, and elsewhere are filled with bodies."

France followed the victory of Kufra with mixed feelings. The southern boundary of Libya which adjoins French Africa has never been definitely settled. As long as Italy was unable to control Southern Libya the question was purely academic but last week's victory put actual Italian troops uncomfortably near actual Frenchmen.

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