MANIFESTOES ON VIENNA

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 78, 28 September 1918, Page 11

MANIFESTOES ON VIENNA

SUCCESSFUL VENTURE,

The feat of dropping manifestoes on Vienna one day in the middle of August was accomplished by a patrol of eight Italian machines, and all returned safely except one. The airplanes were commanded by Capt. Gabriel d'Annunzio and the patrol was comprised of: one biplane and seven monoplanes. The total flight was about 1000 kilometres, of which 800 was over enemy territory.

The airplanes left their base at 5.50 o'clock and, after surmounting fairly serious atmospheric difficulties, reached Viean* at 9.20. They dropped to a height of 800 metres and threw out. several thousand manifestoes. Throrgs in the streets could be seen plainly by the aerial visitors.

The Italian machines returned by way ot Vienna-Neustadfc, Gratz, Laibach, and Trieste. A semi-official note says they wore not attacked. The --patrol kept close together throughout the journey wid arrived at its base again at 12.40 p.m. The missing machine, appears to h»ve been obliged to land near Vienna-Neustndt owing to engine trouble. OVER ALPS. IN GREAT WIND STORM. I' There were scenes of wild enthusi»sm when Capt. d'Annumio and' Els comrades returned. The. flight over the Alps was mado in a great wind storm and through strong mountain currents, at a. height of about 10,000 feet. The manifestoes dropped on Vienna contained a warning of what the Italians might do if they sjvvv fit to return on a bombing expedition. Capt. d'Annunzio gavo the following vivid description of the flight of hK 3quad-. ron:— . . i "When we left at 6 o'clock in the morning the weather was splendid, but we soon wero enveloped in thick mist. W« kept at a height varying from 3000 feet to 11,000 feet. In orossing our former frontier, I ; was deeply affected, at looking down upon Cividalo and trie wide stretches of our oountry that havo been held for the last! nine months by the enemy. . "We reached Vienna about 9 o'clock in I the morning and. descended to within. 1500 feet. The people in the streets were at first terrified and fled iv panic until they saw that we were throwing out only mani- ( festoes. Then crowds assembled end watched us with intenso curiosity. I particularly wished to approaoh olose to the museum that contains the authentic image ' of St. Catherine of Alexandria, and made a detour whioh permitted observation of this point. • "The weather became bad on our return I trip and we experienced dangerous air currents while crossing the Alps. Wo also were attacked by hostile artillery fire and a fleet of hydro-airplanes, but camo thiough safely by coon of the same day." D'ANNUNZIO ADVERTISES AMERICANS. ; | Among tho messages dropped into Vienna by Gabriel D'Annunzio, the authoy, in his recent flight with an Italian lir squadron, over the Austrian capital; was one in which the American effort in tbe war was emphasised, say 3 a deenatch .from •Rome. "The whole world," read this message, "is against you, while your Government, after its^ defeat in last. June, is hopeless of victory. To-day more thau 1,000,000 Americans are fighting in France, and America is building twice &i many ships as the submarines are sinking."