A Bell for Adano - John Hersey - the Franklin Library - Gary Kelley Illustrations by Hersey John

Author:Hersey, John [Hersey, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical, Classics, War
Amazon: B00DVO8UZE
Goodreads: 167899074
Publisher: The Franklin Library
Published: 1944-06-27T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

HAVING weathered eighty-two winters, Cacopardo was not the least cooled in his desire to help the Americans by General Marvin’s behavior.

Every two or three days he would send a note to Major Joppolo. Many were silly suggestions. Many were about things Major Joppolo had already done. But one day he sent a note which caught Major Joppolo’s interest.

“To the Officer of CIVIL AFFAIRES:

“I beg to notify, for the necessary steps: Since several months, the small people at Adano does not receive the ration of olive oil, or other fats, but the officials both of commune, civil & military staf, have been largily provided for the families & personal friends.

“I am informed, that the small population is therefore compelled to pay at the black market any price, up to Lire 80 per liter (equal to 800 grams). The price fixed by the Fascist government for the supply is Lire 15 & an half per kilo (1,000 grams).

“You cannot allow any longer this tiranny against the poors!”

“Respectfully,

“Matteo Cacopardo.”

The thing which interested Major Joppolo in this note was the fact that old Cacopardo blamed the black market on Fascist graft. Now Major Joppolo was acutely aware of the black market. He had intended for some time to investigate it. Now he did, and what he found was disturbing.

The black market was not the fault of corrupt Fascists. It was not even the fault of the merchants who jacked their prices out of all bounds. It was the fault of the invaders. Demonstrably, it was the fault of the Americans.

There were two reasons why the Americans gave Adano its black market, and the inflation which inevitably went with it. One reason was American generosity. Apparently the Italians thought the Americans were coming to their soil armed mainly with cigarets and candies, for every grown person asked for cigarets and every child shouted in the streets for candies. And the Americans gave what was begged. They also gave C Rations, both cans which they had opened and had been unable to finish, and unopened cans. When they bought anything, they figured the price by their heart. And the second thing was that when they bought anything, and could not find an Italian-speaking pal to dicker for them, they just paid what they figured they would have paid in the United States.

Here are four examples that Major Joppolo dug up, which show exactly how the black market and inflation grew up:

He traced the black market in wine to the house of Carmelina, wife of the lazy Fatta. The very first person who bought wine from Carmelina, on the very first night of the invasion, was Corporal Chuck Schultz. Carmelina’s story to the Major was that the Corporal had just handed her a dollar and walked away. Schultz’s story was that the Italian lady had haggled and shouted and threatened to call the police. In any case, Schultz paid a dollar. The regular price for that grade of wine before the invasion had been twenty lire, or twenty cents.

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