The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-11-07
BOCHE PRISONERS
SHOW LOW MORALE
(By Franklin j. Taylor United Press
Staff Correspondent.


With the American Army
France. Oct H. fBy mail -Ge
man and Hungarian soldiers captu
ed when the Americans swept OF
the ST Mihiel salient refuse to mi
in the prison pens behind the lines
| The apathy seems to be mutual, am
evidently the peoples of the centra
powers are too closely allied in spil
it,
Officers in charge of prisoners
were interested in the way Germans
and Hungarians avoided each other
particularly the officers. The ques
tion could not be one of language
since most Of the Hungarians spoke
German to the American Interpreters
quite freely, though they avoided us
ing il among themselves or with Ger.
mans.
The Hungarians were a friendly
and rather likeable group OF men,
particularly the officers Mentally,
they We're equal to German officers
and some were more intelligent.
The average mentality of men in the
Hungarian divisions was much high
er than that of the Germans.
Hungarian morale is exceedingly
low, Judging from these men. Their
first remarks when you asked them
how things went was, "Oh, the wars
finished for us We have nothing
to worry about" They back up
their words with real grins of satis-
faction at being ont of the fight, and
their spirits are as high now as
their morale was low when they
were taken.
The ilungarians are bright looking
chaps, for the most part, with good
faces, but with bodies that are
.shrunk from hunger and privation.
They act like boys, now that respon-
sibility has been taken from them,
and joke and sing as they are brought
back. They are glad to talk about
anything except war, about which
they joke.
The principal interest of the Hun
garians in the pens" now is wheth-
er or not they will be sent to Amer
ica until the war is over All want
to go to America, most of them to
stay They are never vindictive, and
take the war as a gambling PROPOSE
ton, which they are about to lose.
Harboring no hate themselves, these
Hungarians assume they will be vel
come, and can find friends anywhere
but in Germany.
German officers still maintain their
arrogant bearing, though when thev
are frank enough to speak honestly
their remarks show they are weak
ening in their confidence However,
they still seem militaristic. You
fail to find a note of sympathy in
talking to them. Their overbearing
attitude prevents any understand
ing.
The German soldier is different
proposition entirely now. He has
given up that belief instilled in him
by officers that Germany is SUI
preme, His hatred of the military
class in Germany is marked, and he
frankly expresses his opinion now.
The German soldier is exceptionally
serious in his conversation.
You are surprised at the under
standing he has of the war and of
history. He has studied history and
can back up his views with it. 1--WE
have looked to the people at home
to bring about a revolution and they
have looked to us at the front" he
tells you, neither of us can do any
thing now"
Inc biggest deluslOn the soldier
carries with him, apparently, is as 10
the purpose of the allies in the war.
Either he has not been allowed to
read allied statements or else he
does not accept them, for the Ger.
man soldier thinks he is fighting
defensive war to prevent the divid-
ing up of Germany among other ma
tions.
Most Germans think they are 90.
ing to lose the war, but that they
must resist as long as possible.
They say they must accept their
present leaders, because there are
none among the pople Thir atti-
tude, coupled with that of their Off
GERS, shows that only defeat can in
fluence them. Comparison of the
German captured today with those
taken year ago show that war is
sOftening morale.