Ripley County democrat., 1915-05-28
DOGS sent TO WAR
Vienna Has Great Sendoff for
/ Canine Army Recruits.
Austria Finds New Use for Stray
Pups--Housewlvc Called on TO
eaorlfice Pots and Pans
t, for War use. n
BY HAIRY HANSEN.

Vienna, Austria--When the dog
catcher Of Vienna runs across q we'll
built, wellfed, unregistered dog, he
no longer thrusts him into o wire
cage and hauls him of to the dog
pound. He says. Come along to
the recruiting sergeant"
For Austria has found new use
for stray dogs. They go to war. They
are going In squads, In companies and
in battalions out beyond the Carpa-
thians, to help Austrian soldiers stand
guard on the outskirts Of the army,
TO procure valuable information about
the enemy and to act as faithful mem
bers of the Red Cross relief corps.
Like the dogs Of the st. Bernard
mission high In the Alps, these war
dogs--eome Of them-are to rescue hui
man beings. It is well known that
wounded men frequently crawl into
the deepest underbrush Of the for
ests. To find these men, to carry them
temporary relief and finally to lead
the Red Cross men to their side will
be the principal task of the dogs, al
though some will assist the patrols or
stand guard with the outposts though
the watches OF the night. listening for
sounds from the direction of the en-
emy. Other dogs will be sent out to
determine whether trenches OF the
enemy have been evacuated or are
still occupied, information usually
gained only with danger to the SOL
diers.
A big force Of these dogs OF war
left Vienna with military banners the
other day. Twenty Red Cross men led
a great number of trained dogs through
the streets to the railroad station.
At the station the customary for
mal program, never omitted in Aus
tria, was given. A physician Of the
general stat Of the Red Cross for
replied. Both addresses we're deliv-
cred In polished rhetorical German.
What the words meant to the dogs no
one knows. but II Is safe to say that
they enjoyed to the full the distribu-
tion Of eatables that followed. They
left yeiping, barking and wagging their
tails furiously.
Austria is training more dogs. and
the increased demand Is likely to
make serious inroads on Vienna's dog
colony. But there is one consolation
for the Viennese-the dachshund, or
turnspit dog, has 90 far been declared
ineligible. It 10 said that at first the
dog catcher viewed the concourse Of
polished aristocratic "dachshunde" as
his legitimate prey. The cafe loung-
ers and the boulevardiers, who like to
lead the animals around. objected. The
dog catcher said he thought the dogs
would be valuable Ia the trenches, be-
cause they kept their stomachs close
to the ground. But the protests won
the. day.
Germany began using dogs for re
lief work on the battlefelds In 1870.
and when the present war broke out
various societies Of dog fanciers quick.
ly took up the movement to furnish /
dogs to the army. II Is said that Ger
many now has more than 1000 trained
dogs in the field.
War has called upon the Austrian
housewife to make another sacrifice
this time such pots, pans and house
bold articles OF brass. copper, nickel
and zinc as she can spare. The call
for metallic articles went out under |
the patronage of the minister Of war |
and was signed by Friedrich Won |
Georgi, minister for the defensA Of the |
ratherland. It bears out the belief that |
Ihe Austrian government, like that OF |
Germany, win not allow its soldiers to |
lay down their arms until even the
kitchen utensils Of the fatheriand have
been melted down and converted into
bullets and shells.
Ths government is providing for
$4,000 prisoners Of war at o per |
,apita cost of one crown tabout twen-
y ceuts) day, according to stats.
les that have just been made public
,y the ministry OF war II IL point
sd out that this is five cents . day
above the international agreements
md Is no small drain on the funds and
esources Of q nation that is making
hard effort to keep its own people :
supplied with food. More
yer. the number Of prisoners 10 being
daily. whereas tsere is
NAH opportunity for replenishing the
bod supply before the harvest sea
on.
The greatest danger In prison camps
the spread Of contagious diseases.
sr this reason the Austrian govern
tent has provided q large force OF
hysicians for each camp, and every
risoner has been vaccinated against
,olera and typhoid fever.
One Of the newest prison camps "a
at near Linz. In upper Austria, lit
lies west Of Vienna Work on this
mp was begun late in February.
ter victories In the Carpathians
led The hands Of the Austrians with
assian prisoners.