916, and signed
by the Archduke Frederick:

"... Certain events that have occurred can be explained only as the
consequences of the weak attitude of the authorities towards the
traitorous propaganda. On July 21, five soldiers of the 23rd Regiment
deserted near Pogger, and gave the Italian Command important
information regarding movements of troops and the course of the
fighting near Gorica. Quite recently a lieutenant, two reserve
officers, two N.C.O.'s and two soldiers deserted from the 37th
Regiment, as did three soldiers from the 23rd Regiment. Since April,
244 desertions have taken place from the two regiments. Inquiry shows
that these desertions occur regularly and immediately after the return
of the soldiers from leave. Unless effective counter-measures are
adopted it will be impossible to utilize these Dalmatian regiments."

It was not always an easy operation to surrender, even after one had
reached the Italian lines. A friend of mine went over with another
officer and eight men. In the first-line trenches they could see no
one and felt uncertain what to do. However, they proceeded, and from
the second-line trench their whispered calls were answered. They were
made to pass in single file, holding up their hands, and with all the
available weapons held in readiness against them. My friend, at his
request, was conducted to the colonel, and the first thing that he did
was to make a formal complaint against the way in which this army, of
which he considered himself an ally, manned its front-line trenches.

The Yugoslavs who managed to escape to Russia volunteered for service
and, after being organized by General Zivkovi['c] at Odessa, formed
the two Divisions which, as is well known, did remarkable work in the
Dobrudja. One only has to hear what the Bulgars say about them. In the
battles round Constanza, during the campaign of 1916, one of these
Divisions was so frequently engaged in the most arduous positions and
had such enormous losses that it was regarded as having been wiped
out. When the Roumanian troops retreated these Yugoslavs found
themselves encircled by the Bulgarian and German armies; they hacked a
way out with their bayonets. The higher officers had come from Serbia,
the rest of them had previously been enrolled in Austria's army.
Thirty-two officers out of 500 were killed, while 300 were wounded;
and of the 42,000 men 1939 were killed and more than 8000 were
wounded. Nevertheless the _morale_ remai