ITALIAN WAR GRAVES

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1929, Page 8

ITALIAN WAR GRAVES

Sill FABIAN WARE’S IMPRESSIONS LONDON, June 20. Major-general Sir Fabian Ware, vice-<\hairman of the Imperial War Graves Commission, has prepared a report oil a recent visit to the British war cemeteries in Italy. On arriving unexpectedly at Montechio Cemetery on the morning o’ May 23 (he writes), I found a row of children lined up before bur graves. I was informed by the gardener that these were the upper classes of the village school, which had been brought there by the schoolmaster to salute the British dead on the eve of the anniversary of Italy’s entry into the war. The cemetery was looking very beautiful, the horticultural treatment being similar to that which characterises our cemeteries in France, and the white headstones standing out brightly in the sunshine. The school-master told me the children had expressed wonder t° one' another as they came through the gate, saying that it was a garden and not a cemetery. BEAUTIFUL EFFECT. It is five years sjnee I inspected the cemeteeries. on the Asiago Plateau Sir Fabian Ware continues, and 1 was therefore, able to form some opinion as to the durability of the structure and the effect bf weathering on their general appearance. Few things I have seen in our horticultural work in any part of the world have given me such satisfaction as the complete success which has resulted from the proposal (made by Dr. Hill, of Kew Gardens, in consultation- with Sir Robert Lorimer, the architect) to fill the interstices between the rough marble blocks of which the.enclosing'walls are formed, with rock plants. The effect, particularly .in its harmony with the surroundings, is very beautiful, and is. enhanced by the carpet of gentians and other mountain flowers which covers the space within the walls. On)e .very great imp/ovement has been effected in' the general appearance of all these cemeteries since my last visit, and that is by the placing of large square blocks of stone on top of the pillars at the gateways. On these are inscribed in large lettering on a polished surface names of the cemeteries. These capitals pull the whole design together.

These five cemeteries are unique memorials of their kind, and me to my mind as impressive and artistically peilect as anything in the world.