Journey Through Enemy Countries

Levin Daily Chronicle, 24 July 1917, Page 3

Journey Through Enemy Countries

CONDITIONS AND INCIDENTS (London Times Correspondent) Athens, v April 5. Through a person who has recently been able to traverse parts of Serbia, Bulgaria and the Germanic Empires, I havo been able to ascertain some interesting facts about the condition of those countrios. A pamphlet has been printed clandestinely in Bavaria, the author of which signs himself "Henry, the Conjuror." It declares that the fall of the Hohenzollern family is the only means of avoiding catastrophe for Germany, and he compares the victories of William II to those of Pyrrhus. The censorship has done everything posible to extirpate this pamphlet, but it is extensively circulated, many copies even having re icliec! Bulgaria. The Austrians havo made a double live of railway running up to Budapest from the Serbian frontier, which is choked with continually passing trains conveying war material. At a;i intermediate station my informant saw many waggons full of old iron, barbed wire, copper fragments and cotton. These were going from Constantinople to Germany. Tho only train to be encountered was the "Balkan hospital train.' The condition of Budapest, as far as the civilian population was concerned he described as piteous. In Bohemia he saw some Turkish troops which had come from Anatolia and were in a wretched condition. These have by now probably been recalled to Turkey 1 . The Turkish troops at the time of his journey were much in evidence. Vienna itself was one vast hospital. The celebrated forest of Semmering had been almost cut down, and the position was being fortified by gangs I of Italian and Serbian prisoners, who j were forced to labor there. In one i town notices were posted up snmmonim: youths of sixteen to present themselves for service in hospitals. At another place two Austrian Regiments of Rumanian race were practically imprisoned because of their unsatisfactory conduct at the front. Travelling from Yiefina to -Munich my informant saw everywhere, especially in Austria, evidence of misery and want of food. Munich station was one vast hay- of military trains, and hospital trains were arriving. Hesaw heavy artillery on its way to Serbia.

In Bulgaria practically all who are able to walk -have been pressed into service, including boys 'of tnrelve. Th ise of fifteen had just recently been summoned to present themselves at recruiting centres. There they were not medic-ally examined, hut made to stand on a weighing machine. These over a weight approximating Bst. were talk on. In mountainous districts, west of NYiotin. near the Serbian. Rumanian and Bulgarian boundaries, large bands of Serbian 1 irregulars are operating. These are the troops who took to the mountains when the Austrians occupied tho country. They managed to keep tin ir rifles and a supply of ammunition. In Albania the Austrians have executed more t-hani -100 Albanian clii -fs who showed themselves hostile to Austro-Bulgarian intrigues.— Router.