HUNGARY'S PLIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 16263, 4 November 1916, Page 8

HUNGARY'S PLIGHT

HOXEED'R APPETITE SPOILED. A letter received at Budapest from the Doberdo plateau, written by a Hungarian Honred named lainbor, is an interesting document, since it throws somo light on the conditions under Avhi.--.li the Hungarian peasants, who ar» serving in the field, ai-o now. living. The following is an official translation : "Doberdo, August 7, 1916. "My dear wife, —T arrived 0:1 the Doberdo front, and found that all the soldiers hero are Magyars. Our beds are the, trenches, and we lay our heads on grenades and shrapnel. The bombardment is terrible. Every minute one hears tho cry: 'Slip in. 'There's the bird again.' Otherwise we are all right, for we have, plenty to oat. the only"' trouble b-sin.g that we' have no hre.-.d with our lunch of tinned moat, which is (given at any time, you like to get rid of It. Tor breakfast avo have fine tea, but the. sugar in it is like the while stones we could pick up in the trenches. jlcsides, if thero is no rum or milk with. it. what is the use of sugar'' We, just joke a.wav while drinking it. and toll each other that avo are too lazy to eat and that that's why avo don't. Tho supper is .still more appetising, for we get as much shrapnel and as many grenades as wo plea so, the only trouble being- that we can't oat them. " Apart from eating, there, is enough to bo done, here,'for the Italians are verv near, and they often break the monotony by attacking us, and this takes one's ;lppetite away, too. I think of my little family, and wish to C.e<l ] eoukl see. them oneo more. I pray every day that God will allow me to lie with you for ever after this horror. All of us arc praying, and wtvr tired of aching the Almuxhty to toko us away from this hell, for we have no other wish but to be at home again. When avo, <g,> for a. rest behind we dig graves, for there must bo plenty in reserve, and we never know if we' are di.g.ging our own or someone else's. The burial is also very simple. Thev put one into a tout sheet and' off you 'go. The only consolation one has is that one's mother :s not here to see it. Manv mothers' hearts would break if thev could see. how we live ami die.. Sometimes 1 think there would be 1:0 one to weep for mo if i happened to die, and 1 see that almost every one of my comrades who. hit by something, pass away, think of their wives and children when they arc about to die. I beg you, my dear wife, not to show this letter to anyone, for I like the idea of you rending 'it, but I do not like to think of other people reading it also. Do not be anxious about me."for God -will heli) nie over the few weeks I have still to bo here and then we shall be happy again." This mokes clear the feelings of the soldiers on the Doberdo plateau before the Italians took it, ;ind although the poor Honvocl soldier was anxious that his letter should not bo seen by anyone but his Avife, its tone and the sentiments it expresses haA-o been wideJy commented on in the Press in Himgary."