Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-05-12
BORDER LINE BETWEEN
AUSTRIA AND ITALY.
Both Countries Have Been Fighting
Hard To See Which Could Fortify
Best,
Especial to The Bulletin.)

Especial to The Bulletin.)
washington, D. c., May 11.-That
forbidding, dizzy, fort-StreWn way
tria and Italy, goes dancing over the
peaks and passes of the South Tyrol-
csc Alps. is pictured in its wonderful
scenic splendors and in its strategic
excluSiveness by Florence Craig Al
brecht in a recent COMMUNICATIONS 70
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-
lions now existing between vienna
and Rome, it's delightful area may
soon become a region OF terror lne
theatre of the most costly MOUNTAIN
fighting of history, with each nil d
mound of destruction and each val
ley 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, strong
er than the Carpathian line, stronger
Speaking Of the strategic eXclusiveness
of this way, sown thickly with forts,
block-houses, batteries and gun pits,
and of her difficulties in securing pho
tographs 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 I'M
hn
break of Europe's war; had been un-
considered save as they interfered
with picture making; the soldiers life
had appeared solely from its pictur-
esque side.
zone might think that the great
chaip of the Alps would themselves be
sufficient fertilization, 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 a line
of forts runs bristling over peaks.
passed and highways like cat-teasers
upon stone wall"
Forts along the Swiss-Italo frontier
are inconspicuous, the writer contin-
ues, though it is possible that Italy
maintain as proportionately strong de-
lenses here as upon her Austrian or
French frontiers. However, she makes
less fuss about her Swiss line of de-
Tense. France, the writer says. is a
little more modest; for she requests the
kodaker not to trespass upon certain
territory nor photograph in certain
directions. But there is far more earn
estness on the Austro-Italian from
tier.
In Austria! Make no excuse, for
there is none! FVerboten,' expressed
worldly in four languages, lines the
road for a mile on either side of for
tffications or frontier. One may not
only not sketch or photograph in that
direction, but is forbidden to do so in
any other direction from that vicini-
ty.
Before two thoughts have been as
sembled soldier appears out of no
where, and a more or less gruff voice
adIinonishes the lingerer to move on.
Rigid as are the orders in Austria and
peremptory the notices, I have never
theIess photographed more than once
in the shadow of a fort with no more
rebuke than a mischievous threat from
the finger of an observant officer; yet
a friend who merely lingereds for a
to study the geological con-
formation near Pieve di Livinallonga
was passed literally from hand to hand
by soldiers until he was safely away
from the frontier
Mrs. Albrecht tells of the wonderful
efficient soldiers of Austrian TyroI, the
whom many notices have come from
the Carpathians and from Bosnia,
where Montenegrins, most famed
among mountain fighters, met their
match in Tyrolese Kaiserjager. OF
these corsmen, Mrs. Albrecht says:
Recruited solely in Tyrol, accus-
toned to it's high attitudes and its
steep mountain sides from babyhood,
hunters by birth, they need little drill
save in the code and manual of arms
Up the thickly wooded, steep mountain
sides they scramble quicker than the
sturdy, sure-footed ponies which car
ry the light artillery they use; and in
case of need, many of the men can
shoulder a small cannon on
a days climb. Injured to the hardest
Of beds and of fare, imbued with a
deep love of country, pious almost to
and superstitious almost
to a point of uncanny fear, fond of
rough joke and rougher dancing, sing
ing marvelously sweet and true, not
very quick-witted possibly, but swift
footed and thorough, they are an eff
fective body Of men, both in appear
ance and service"