Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-09-09
LACK OF HATRED
Fighting Men Have Little Feel
ing Of Enmity.
Soldiers In Opposing Armies in Eo-
rope Exhibit Spirit Which Would
at First Seem a Little Hard
to Comprehend.

Serving his country until wounded
by a Cossacks lance at Lemberg.
Fritz Kreisler has recorded his ex-
periences as an Austrian lieutenant In
a little book. Reaching Lemburg in
early September his regiment awaited
the Russians. who, he says. were moi
long in coming.
AT last the Russian infantry sue
ceeded in establishing a number OF
trenches. the one opposite the Aus
TRANS being not more than 500 yarus
away. They were almost within hail
ing distance and for four days stayed
opposite each other, neither side gain
ing a foot of ground.
After the second day. relates Mr..
Kreisler, we had almost grown to
know each other. The Russians would
laughingly call over to us, and the Aus
trians would answer. The salient fea-
ture of these three days fighting was
the extraordinary lack of hatred. In
fact, it is astonishing how little actual
hatred exists between fighting men.
One fights fiercely and passiOnately,
mass against mass, hut as soon as the
mass crystallizes itself into human in
dividuals whose features one actually
can recognize, hatred almost ceases.
OF course, fighting continues. but
somehow it loses it's tierceness and
takes more the form of a sport, each
side being eager to get the best OF
the other. One still shoots at his op-
ponent, but almost regrets when he
e e him drop,
BY the morning of the third day we
knew nearly every member of the op-
posite trench, the favorite of my men
being a giant red-bearded Russian
whose constant pastime consisted in
jumping like a Jack-in-the-boX from
the trench, crying over to US as he did
so. He was frequently shot at, but
never hit. Then he grew holder, show
ing himself longer and longer, until
finally he jumped out of the trench al
together. shouting to us wildly and
waving his cap. His good-humored joI-
lily and bravado appealed to our boys
and none of them attempted to shoot
at him while he presented such a
splendid target.
Finally n of the men, who did not
want to be second in bravery, jumped
out of the trench and presented him
self in the full sunlight. Not one at
tempt was made to shoot at him
either, and these two men began to
gesticulate at each other, inviting each
other to come nearer. All fighting had
suddenly ceased, and both opposing
parties we're looking OF laughing like
boys at play. Finally the Russian
would draw a step nearer, and our
man boldly advanced, too. Then the
Russians urged on their nan with
shouts and laughter, and he would
make a big lead forward, and so, step
by step, they approached until they
nearly touched each other.
They had left their rifles behind and
we thought they were going to indulge
in a fist fight, all of us being sorry
for our champion, for he was a small
and Notwithstanding man, who
looked as if lie could be crushed with
one blow by his gigantic opponent.
But 10, and behold! The big Russian
held out his hand, which held a pack
age of tobacco, and our Austrian
grasped the hand of the Russian and
Their reaching into his pocket pro-
duced a long Austrian cigar. which he
tremendously presented to the Rus
sian. 1t was. indeed, a funny sight to