The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-01-18

David Kalb, United States citizen, is
again at his home, 704 Pearl street, af-
ter compulsory military service in the
Austrian army. He arrived in Keno
sha Tuesday.
If ever there were an appreciative
American citizen it is he. In 1914 he
went back to visit his daughter in
Lemburg, Austria, after an absence of
twelve years here during which time
he had forgotten the horrors of de-
spotic government. He had taste of
what it means to be an Austrian sub
iect, although he is not one, and now
saws he wouldn u live in Austria again
if one were to give him the whole ma
tion as a price for exiting himself from
the United States. He was nabbed by
the Austrian recruiting officer and in
spite Of his protest that he was an
American citizen he was made to enter
tie army.
~ love the stars and stripes" he
said in his broken English yesterday
g and there is no flag that ever waved
that had half its glory or that means
one-half so much to the happy men and
women who enjoy its protection. 1t is
The only flag under which ever want
to be again. No more visits abroad
Cor me-"
lie says no love of kindred or any
other motive would ever tempt him to
set foot in Austria again. He has had
enough of that sort of government.
1T was only through the continued
effort of Congressman I'll. A. Cooper and
the American embassy and the deter
mination of relatives and friends in
Kenosha that his release from the ter
rible privations he endured in the Au-
strian army was effected.
He was made to join the army in
December, 1914, and he served until
his release, working in the trenches
about Garritza, an Austrian city which
the Italians captured. Often, he said,
the stencil of decaying human bodies
syas almost unbearable. The sight of
the dead, the cries of the wounded and
suffering and the terrible privations
are beyond description.
All the soldiers of the German ar
my that came in contact with were
disconnected. 1t was no unusual
thing Mr.. Kalb said, "to see sol
diers committing suicide rather than to
return to the fighting. 1t is horrible
life.
81 shall never forget the day that
{ received the news that my friends
had at last succeeded in securing my
release and that my commanding Off
Ger called me to his Office. When the
call came did not know whether I
was called to be shot or reprimanded
Or what it might be. had long given
up hope of ever being released from my
military slavery and expected only bad
news for that was what other men who
had been called to the office received.
! had been in the hospital for a week
and was faint. When the officer told
me the news fell senseless upon the
floor, The shock, although Of joy, was
more than [ could stand. My weight
had dropped from 200 when L went
into the service to 135 pounds and 1
was weak. 1t is doubtless if 1 could
have stood much more of it." He is
a man Al years old and looks strong
and sturdy now although out of the
service but nine months. His release
came April IL and since then until
able to get his passports he remained
with his daughter in Lemburg. Even
after the uniform was taken from him
and civilian dress restored he was not
out of trouble. The citizens spoke
scornfully and despitefully of him for
they hate Americans, although he says
the Austrian soldiers all are very glad
when one of the many American nurses
giving their services without charge in
the hospitals, take care of them, and
he says it is an axiom in the army that
an American nurse knows more than
the Austrian doctors, while all the
soldiers feel they are infinitely superior
to the Austrian nurses, and all are 10y
ally devoted to the American nurses.
When ] got back to New York
Gnally' said the Wanderer, CT ran to
the walls of the buildings and kissed
them, | was so glad again to be in the
best country the Lord ever made.
"Why, there we cannot even say