The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-11
BORDER LINE
STREWN WITH
F0RTRESSES
Austria and Italy Have Secretly
Made Mighty Defenses
for Years.

WASHINGTON. May 1d.-That for
bidding, dizzy, fort-strewn way
which. as the border line between
Austria and Italy, goes dancing over
the peaks and passes of the South Tp-
rolese Alps. is pictured in its wonder
full scfenic splendors and in its stra-
tegic exclusiveness by Florence
Craig Albrecht in recent communi-
cation 10 the National Geographic
Society. An ominous interest attaches
to the writer's report upon two care
free summers spent in exploring this
frontier country, as, in the threaten
ing relations now existing between
Vienna and Rome, its delightful area
may soon become a region Of terror
tain fighting Of history, with each
hill mound of destruction and each
valley death-trap.
Costly Work.
For years. both Austria and italy
have been keenly eXerting themselves
to see which could fortify its side OF
the border the best. At great ex-
pense. and as secretly as possible,
tlais work has. been pushed along
through the years of peace. until to-
day either defensive chain is a mighty
one. stronger than the Carpathian
line, stronger than the Argonne or the
Vosees. Speaking of the stragetic
exclusiveness of this way, sown
thackly with forts. block houses, bat
Series and gun pits, and OF her DIM
cu1ties in securing photographs dur
ing her two peaceful summer excur-
sions, MRS. AIbrecht says:
s.Then only the real meaning OF
those grim fortiacations which face
each other in long rows across Al
pine valleys came home to us; then
only we sensed the bitter reality of
the soldiers call;ng-we, to whom
the horrors of war were happily all
unknown. Forts until then Gthe out
break of Europe's war; had been UNI
considered save as they 1nterfered
with picture-makirg: the soldiers
life had appeared solely from It's pic
4uresQue side.
BristIing Lines.
zone might think that the great
chain Of the Alps would themselves
be sufficient fertilization. natural
,Rulwark Sorth and south. between
saxon and Latin. But the pine has
ever yearned for the palm. the palm
dor the pine; invaders there nave
been from either side; so today
line of forts runs bristling over
peaks, passes, and highways like cat
.feasers upon stone wall.
Forts along the Swiss=Italian from
tier are inconspicuous. the writer
continues, though it is possible that
italy maintains as proportionately
strong defenses here as upon her
Austrian or French frontiers How
ever, she makes less fuss about neF
Swfss line of defense. France, the
wrfter says, is a little more modest;
for she requests the kodaker not to
fresnass upon certain territory noT
nbofograph in certain directions But
there is far more earnestness on the
Aastro-Italian frontier.
I'm Austria, Make no excuse. foI
there is nonei Verboten,' expressed
worldly in four languages, lines the
road for a mile on either sioe o.
4ortSfcations or frontier. One may
not only sketch or photograph in thai
direction. but is forbidden to do SC
IN any other direction from that VI
Must Move On.
Before two thoughts have bee1
assembled a soldier appears out o.
nowhere, and a more or less srun
voice admonishes the lingerer to move
on. Rigid as are the orders IN aus,
ira and peremptory the nouces,
have nevertheless Photographed more
41an once in the shadow OF for
Tfff no more rebuke than mischev-
ous threat from the finger of an OBJ
servan4 ohicer; yet a friend who
merely fingered for a moment &C
s4udy the geographical conformation
near Pieve di Livinallonga was pass
81 literally from hand TO hand o!
soIdiers until he was safely ava!
from the frontier
Mrs. AIbrecht tells OF the wonderful
efacient soldiers of Austrian Tyroi
4he Kaiserjager Imperial hunters
OF whom many notices have COM
from the Carpathians and from Bos
MA. where Montenegrins. most fameS
among mountain fighters. met tnel'
match in Tyrolese KaiserjaSer y
these corpmen, Mrs. AIbrecht says:
Ouick Mountain Climbers.
sRecruited solely in Tyrol, accus
toned to its high attitudes and ~
rteeu moutnain sides from babyhooo
hrTnterS by birth, they need little orll
save in the code and manual OF arms
IN the thickIy wooded, steep noun
tin sides they scramble quicker tina,
the sturdy. sure-footed ponies wnlci
carry the light artillery they use; ant
b; case OF need. many OF the men cai
themselves shoulder a small canno,
an a DAYS climb Insured to the HARD
EST of beds and of fare, imoued VIII
deem love of codntry, pious Amos
fo4 superstition and supersdtious al
most to q point OF uncanny fear. oon'
az 4 rough joke and rougher dane
ing. singing marvelously wseef ant
tr1e. not very quick-witted POSSIBLY
out swift-footed and thorough, the!
are an efective body of men. both Il
appearance and service