food, they replied that they did not get enough to
eat, but their looks belied their statements. Whatever may be the
truth in regard to the meatless and fatless days in the Hapsburg
Empire, the armies in the field are not suffering in this respect,
and, though the civilians at home are now put on strict rations,
their soldiers' rations, in this sector at least, have not been cut
down. I was shown small tins of meat, taken from the knapsack of a
prisoner, and several carried 3-ounce tins of a good quality of
butter. In another sector I saw Bosnian prisoners wearing a gray fez,
and looking much like Turkish troops. They also impressed me as very
fit men; in fact, all the prisoners taken recently would seem to be of
strong fiber, and far better equipped than Austrian troops which I
have seen elsewhere.

"It is evident that the Austrian commanders have assembled the picked
troops of the Dual Monarchy for the storming of these Trentino
heights. Everything would point to the fact that they are making a
supreme and final effort to win the war. Prisoners confirm this by
stating that the war cannot go on much longer.

"Are the last good reserves being used up in this battle? Yesterday
morning an Italian patrol coming in from the night's tour of
inspection of their positions bring in a prisoner. He is a burly,
thick-lipped peasant boy of twenty, dressed in a Russian uniform. On
his loose-fitting blouselike tunic, torn in many places, is pinned a
black and yellow ribbon, and hanging from a thin remaining strand
shines the silver medal of St. George. An Italian subaltern takes
charge of the prisoner.

"'A Russian refugee,' the officer remarks, in answer to my look of
surprise at the sight of a Russian prisoner being brought in by an
Italian patrol on the Trentino front. The Russian smiles
good-naturedly, as he feels secure, now that he is among friends. In
due time he will be repatriated, or perhaps join the Russian corps in
France. We leave him busy over a big bowl of macaroni.

"'There are close to 20,000 Russian prisoners of war employed by the
Austrians along our front, repairing roads, making trenches, and
engaged on other 'noncombatant military duties,' the officer informed
me. 'A few manage to escape into our lines nearly every day, but many
more Russian dead lie in the silent crevasses of our high mountains
who have lost their lives while attempting to escape.

"'You see, they need the men,' he concluded, as we watch