The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-01-05
PRISONERS ON
ITALIAN FRONT
FOUND RAGGED

italian Army Headquarters in
ISOLATED Press)-The officer COM
handing the 1,4Oo Austrian pris-
oners captured in the recent French
success on Monte Tomba gave the
correspondent an opportunity today
of going among them and talking
freely with officers and men on war
conditions and what the enemy still
could do in carrying on the struggle
A more miserable lot of human be-
ings would be difficult to imagine.
The officers were in even worse con-
oition than the men. Their clothing
was ragged and the tinsel1ed orna-
mentation on the officers was gan
grened with rust
The officers were unkempt and had
not been shaved for a week. Their
red hands looked like pieces of raw
beefsteak. None had an overcoat, as
all were wearing light trench uni
forms when the French swept around
them. Yet despite this misery. they
put on surprisingly bold front and
any one thinking they are crushed is
closing his eyes to facts.
! The correspondent met the prison
ers on a road leading to the town
where they are rounded up prepara-
tory to being set to work or sent to
prison camp. Small detachments
were stretched along the road for
some distance, each group being
| guarded by French soldiers. One de-
tachment carried spades and picks in
stead of guns.
All ages were seen among the pris-
oners. There was a boy Of Is and a
man of so with a grey beard. A coat
ing of trench mud made them look
worse than they really were, for they
had stout boot, leggingB and over
coats. Some had shawls and blankets.
Their head gear consisted Of batter
ed helmets and caps with heavy
hoods.
They tramped along sullenly to
large court yards where food was dis
tributed. Each man got a small tin
of meat and large chunk of bread.
The correspondent tasted the bread
and found 1t better in quality than
that he had been getting 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
had undergone such murderous artfH-
llery fire. Most Of the men were Moravt-
ans, Dalmatians and Galicians. The
sudden French charge, after the ar
| hnf
they had any chance to offer resist
ance. They all expressed themselves
as heartily sick of the war, and said
the Germans were keeping the others
in the fight.
AS the officers came from theil
quarters 1t was seen that they were
chiefly Hungarians, with some Morav'
ians and Damatians and one Ga1hcian
| They were very cold and their frs
request was for warm food.
1--WE have not had warm food fol-
DAYS" said their spokesman, a stocky
young almatian officer.
"And our own French soldiers die
not have warm food for nine day.
after they arrived here" said the
commandment. He explained thai
fuel was almost impossible to get ant
with no coal and little wood hot fooG
: was almost out of the question. Tht
commandant told the officers that il
they had soldier barber he would
be permitted to come and shave then
and clean their boots and uniforms.
Asked about the war, the officer:
gave Americas entry to it as an in
stance that all the world was against
the Central powers. One officer sale
the food supply was running low, bu
it was better in Hungary than il
: Austria. They thought, however
, that Austria Hungary could hang on
Asked about the ragged condition O.
their uniforms, one officer said:
Eyes, we are ragged and look 1ik'
tramps, but what does that count il
fghting?'
The officers we're very anxious II
know when they would be removed
to prison camps in France, and seem
ed gratified to learn that they proba
bly, would go through Paris within
two weeks After taking turns il
getting warm around the camp fire
the officers returned to their quar-
T ters
Att "0 T0 TADT