Americus times-recorder., 1915-05-12


Austria and Italy, goes dancing over
the peaks and passes of the South Ty-
rolese Alps, is pictured in it's wonder
full scenic splendors and in it's STRAIT
egic exclusiveness by Florence Craig
Albrecht in a recent communication to
the National Geographic Society. An
ominous interest attaches to the writ
er's report upon two carefree sum-
mers spent in exploring this frontier
country, as, in the threatening rela-
tions now existing between Vienna and
Rome, it's delightful area may soon be-
come a region of terror, the theatre of
the most costly mountain fighting of
history, with each hill mound of de-
struction and each valley a death
trap.
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 expense,
and as secretly as possible, this work
has been pushed along through the
years of peace, until today either de-
fensive chain is a mighty one, stronger
than the Carpathian line, stronger
than the Argonne or the Vosges.
Speaking of the strategic exclusive
ness of this way, sown thickly with
forts, block-houses and gun pits, and
of her difficulties in securing photo
graphs during her two peaceful sum-
mer excursions, Mrs. Albrecht says:
Then only the real meaning Of
those grim Notifications 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 calling-we, to whom the
horrors of war were happily all un-
known Forts until then (the outbreak
of Europe's war; had been unconsid-
cred save as they interfered with pic
ture-making; the soldiers life had
solely from it's picturesque
side.
One might think that the great
chain of the Alps would themselves be
sufficient fortification, a natural bull
wark between north and south, be-
tween Saxon and Latin. But the pine
has ever yearned for the palm, the
palm for the pine; invaders there have
been from either side; so today line
of forts runs bristling over peaks,
passes, and highways like cat-teasers
upon stone wall"
Forts along the Swiss-Italo frontier
are inconspicuous, the writer con-
tinues, though it is possible that Italy
maintains as proportionately strong
defenses here as upon her Austrian or
French frontiers. However, she
makes less fuss about her Swiss line
of defense. France, the writer says,
is a little more modest; for she re-
quests the kodake- not to trespass up
on certain territory nor photograph in
certain directions. But there is far
more earnestness on the Austro- Ital-
ian frontier.
In Austria! Make no excuse, for
there is none! 'Verboten, expressed
in four languages, lines the
road for a mile on either side of for
of frontier. One may not
only make scketch or photograph iu
that direction, but is forbidden to do
so in any other direction from that vi
cinity.
Before two thoughts have been as
sembled a soldier appears out of no.
where and a more or less gruff voice
admonishes the lingerer to move OIL. |
Rigid as are the orders in Austria and
peremptory the notices, l have new
ertheless photographed more than i
once in the shadow of fort with no
more rebuke than mischevious threat !!
from the finger OF an observant officer;
yet friend who merely fingered for /
to study the geological con-
formation near Pieve di Livinallonga
was passed literally from hand to