Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-07-27
Germans Working in Turkey.

On the road to Entity, three kilo-
meters east Of one of the dirtiest lit
tie towns in Anatolia. in q group of
drafted Armenians engaged In road
building. The Associated Press CORE
spondent found a young German en-
gineer, clad in the uniform OF Turk
ish pioneer officer.
Yes replied the young German to
the question put to him, Il am build
ing this road. Here is a place where
there have been many waShouts.
am revetting the embankment and hope
that the road will stay for while
after that, It's dreary life, of course.
But il has to be done. I'd rather be
in the firing line in Flanders, or any
old place, for that matter. But nova
days we all have to help where best
we can"
That the road was needed, and that
| it was best to keep it in good repair
was shown little later, when regi-
ment of Turkish artillery went over 1t
at a lively clip.
At the foot of the Amanus Pass there
was another German engineer doing
similar work.
I am taking the kinks out of the
road he replied. You see, these old
ramps up the mountain have been
used from time immortal. / suppose
some donkey first discovered that as
being one way of getting over the hill.
1 mean four-footed donkey, in the days
| of Nebuchadnezzar. Since then all the
| armies of antiquity and a few modern
ones have used the road without know
| ing that the hill can be assembled in an
| easier way"
| Then he showed the correspondent
a new survey he had made. The old
road took eight turns to get over the
pass, many of them very steep. The
new road takes only one, and it re-
duces the possibility OF accidents A
cut, or two. a little revetting, and the
/ trick was done.
AT Ishlaiah the correspondent met a
German medical officer. The man had
formerly been in the employ Of the
Bagdad railroad. When the war came
he entered the service of the Ottoman
army, because physicians and sur
geons were needed. He was put in
comAlaDd Of the sanitary troops OF
1 SYRIA
They have had scSae typhoid fever
and typhus around here" he explained
! 81 am trying to get rid of both. Max
ing fair progress. Getting place clean
ed up. Most places now safe. Moth
| ing to fear
The nan talked as If he had to turn
in certified voucher for every word
he uttered in the course of a day. He
was serious. It is doubtful whether
he had ever smiled In his life.
In Aleppo another German officer
was met. He too had his niche in
the Ottoman army affairs. He is look
ed upon as somewhat of an expert in
base and line of communication mat
tiers, but, to judge by his appearance
one could swear that he had just
stepped out of the best drawfng-roon
in Berlin. He said he was doing his
best. The Turkish base commander
said he was doing wonders. He had
just managed to find several tons OF
railroad spikes where nobody suspect
ed them-in a clothing store belonging
to an Armenian.
How they got there, don't know.
he unused ref1ectively in the casino
Got some water piping in the same
place"
Everywhere the correspondent found
the German officer. almost always sin
glehanded, and always in charge o.
some department of war and mflitar,
affairs that must not go wrong.
In Adana two German ofi1cers wer'
training the troops of the viiayet O
that name. Other German officer
were met here and there. They wer'
all doing the same thing to differen
tune-preparing Turkey for the wal
or putting the finishing touches Oh
work already done.
No data On the number Of German
officers and non -commisSioned men Il