The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-11
LINE
STREWN WITH
FORTRESSES
Austria and Italy Have Secretly
Made Mighty Defenses
for Years.

WASHINGTON. May d1.-That for
Bidding. dizzy. fort-strewn way
which. as the border. line between
Austria and Italy, goes dancing over
the peaks and passes of the South Tp-
rolese Alps. is pictured in its wonder
fuI scfenic splendors and in its stra-
tegic e1clusiveness by Florence
Craig Albrecht in a recent communi-
cation to the National Geographic
Society An ominous interest attaches
to the writer's report upon two care
free summers spent in exploring this
frontier country, as, in the threaten
ing relations now existing between
Vienna and Rome, its delightful area
may soon become region OF terror
the theater of the most costly noun
tain fighting of history. with each
hill a mound of destruction and each
valley a death-trap.
Costly Work.
For years, both Austria and Italy
have been keenly exerting themselves
10 see which could fortify its side of
the border the best. At great ex-
pense. and as secretly as possible,
this work has been pushed along
through the years of peace. until to-
day either defensive chain is a mighty
one. stronger than the Carpathian
line, stronger than the Argonne or the
Nosges. Speaking of the stragetic
exclusiveness of this way, sown
Tricky with forts, block houses. bat
teries and gun pits, and of her diff
culties in securing photographs dur
ing her two peaceful summer excur-
sions, MRS. Albrecht says:
Then only the real meaning OF
those grim fortifications 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 call:ng-we, to whom
the horrors of war were happily all
unknown. Forts until then Cthe out
break of Europe's war; had been un-
considered save as they interfered
with picture-making; the soldiers
life had appeared solely from its pic
turesque side.
BristIing Lines.
zone might think that the great
chain OF the Alps would themselves
J be sufficient fertilization. natural
hnlwark xorth and south, between
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
teasers upon a stone wall
Forts along the Swiss-Itaiian from
tier are inconspicuous. the writer
continues, though it is possible that
Italy maintains as proportionafely
strong defenses here as upon her
Austrian or French frontiers. How
ever. she makes less fuss about her
Swiss line of defense France, the
writer says. is a little more modest
for she requests the kodaker not 70
trespass upon certain territory nor
mhotograph in certain directions. But
there is far more earnestness on the
Austro-ItaIian frontier.
I'm Austria, Make no excuse. Tor
there is none, 'Verboten. expressed
worldly IN four languages. lines the
road for a mile on either side OF
qualifications or frontier. One may
not only sketch or photograph IN that
direction, but is forbidden to do 50
IN any other direction from that Vi
cfnity.
eBefore two thoughts have been
assembled a soldier appears out or
nowhere. and a more or less grun
voice admonishes the Iingerer TO move
on Ri1id as are the orders in Aus
ira and peremptory the notices, l
have nevertheless photographed more
than once in the shadow OF loFt
with no more rebuke than mischiev-
Gus threat from the finger of an OBJ
servant officer; yet a friend who
merely fingered for a moment 10
study the geographical conformation
near Pieye di Livinallonga vas pass
ca literally from hand to hand by
soldiers until he was safely away
from the frontier"
AIRS. Albrecht tells OF the wonderfui
efdcient soldiers of Austrian Tyrol,
the Kaiseriager Imperial hunters
of whom many notices have come
from the Carpathians and from Bos-
MIA. where Montenegrins. most famed
among mountain fighters, met their
match in Tyrolese kaiserJager- VI
these corpmen. Mrs ATbrecht says:
Oufck Mountain Climbers.
.Recruited solely in Tyrol, accus-
TONED to its high attitudes and IT'S
xfeeu moutnain sides from babyhood,
hunters by birth. they need little drill
save in the code and manual OF arms
Up the thickly wooded. steep noun
fzria sides they scramble quicker than
f15e sturdy, sure-footed ponies which
carry abe light artillery they use; and
n case of need. many of the men can
4hemselres shoulder small cannon
on a days climb. Insured to the naro-
Ell Of beds and of fare, imbued with
= deem love OF country. pious almost
"a supersfftion and superstitious al
most to a point of uncanny fear, fond
Of a rough joke and rouSher dane
ing singing marvelously wseet and
frne. not very quick-witted possibly.
a,.If swfft-f0oted and thorough, they
are an effective body OF men, both IN
s,.rvr,aarance- and service.