Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-05
HUNS KEEP THEIR
ALLIES In WAR
CONTINUED from First Page. 7


fet' despite this misery, they put on
q surprisingly bold front and any
one thinking they are crushed is clos
ing his eyes to facts.
The correspondent met the pris-
oners on q road leading to the town
where they are being rounded up
preparatory to being set to work or
sent to prison camp. Small detach-
ments We're stretched along the road
Tor some distance. each group being
guarded by French soldiers. One de-
tachment carried spades and picks
instead of guns
All ages were seen among the pris-
oners. There was q boy of eighteen
and man of fifty with a gray beard.
A coating of trench mud made them
look worse than they really were for
they had stout boots, leggins and
oVercoats. Some had shawls and
blankets. Their headgear consisted
of battered helmets and caps with
heavy hoods.
They tramped along sullenly to
large couryards where food was
being distributed. Each man got n
small tin of meat and a large chunk
or bread. The correspondent tasted
the bread and found it better in
quality than that he had been get
tlng in first-class restaurants. The
prisoners ate like ravenous animals
and said it was the best food they
had had in weeks.
The correspondent was told by the
prisoners that the method of the
French attack was an entirely new
experience for them, as they seldom
mad undergone such murderous artil-
lery fire. Most of the men were Nor
avians, Dalmatians and Galicians. The
sudden French charge, after the ar
tillery fire, bowled them over before
they had any chance to offer resist
ance. Concerning the war they all
expressed themselves as heartily sick
of it and said the Germans were
keeping the others in the fight.
AS the officers came from their
quarters it was seen they were chief
ly Hungarians, with some Moravians
and Dalmatians and one Galician.
They were very cold and their first
request was for warm food.
I'VE have not had warm food for
days." said their spokesman, a
stocky young Dalmatian officer.
And our own French soldiers did
not have warm food for nine days
after they arrived here" said the
commandant. He explained that fuel
was almost impossible to get and
food was almost out of the question.
The commandant told the officers
that if they had soldier barber he
would be permitted to come and
shave them and clean their boots
and uniforms.
Asked about the war the officers
gave Americas entry into it as an IN
stance that all the world was against
the central powers. One officer" said
the food supply was running low, but
it was better off in Hungary than in
Austria. They thought, however, that
Austria Hungary could hang on.
Asked about the ragged condition of
their uniforms, one officer said:
"Yes, we are ragged and look like
tramps, but what does that count in
fighting?"
The officers were very anxious to
know when they would be removed
to prison camps in France, and SEEM
ed gratified to learn that they prob
ably would go through Paris within
two weeks. After taking turns in get
ting warm around the camp fire, the
officers returned to their quarters.
A German artillery officer, who
was captured with the Austrians,
was given quarters by himself but
the commandant said that another
German would soon arrive to keep
him company. The German, while
deferential and civil, maintained
complete silence on the war. His
uniform and equipment looked in
better condition than that of TIE
Austro- Hungarian officers, but they
were badly run down.