THE ITALIAN THEATRE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16261, 11 July 1918, Page 7

THE ITALIAN THEATRE.

MORE ABOUT THE AUSTRIAN

DEFEAT.

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.]

("The Times.")

LONDON, July 9. Mr Ward Prico writes: —"The Austrians were bitterly reluctant to los© the half-drowned positions oil the l'iavo delta, for which they made terrible sacrifices last winter. Two Italian officers who were recently taken prisoner and who escaped, describe an exalted Austrian admiral and a large staff assembled at Caorle, ten miles behind the front, waiting to assume command of the naval vase at Venice. The Austrians retreated from the delta only when they wore liable to complete extermination. Added to the increasing Italian shelling and machino-gun-j ning, there was imminence of BtarvaI tion, owing to the cutting-off of supplies. The retirement under heavy fire disorganised the remnant and shattered four divisions, which left heaps of corpses everywhere sinking ; n the delta's greedy mud. The dead include many or the ©rack Viennese infantry corps known as the "Company of Death," wearing the emblem of the ekull and cross-bones. They were noted for their special daring. "The Austrian and German Governments have ordered the censorship to rigidly suppress the news of tho clean sweep of tne generals involved in the recent defeat. It is felt that a disclosure of the incompetence of the military leaders would dangerously increase the discontent of the hungry and disappointed Austrians."

THE AUSTRIAN COMMAND.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Received July 10th, 11.50 p.m.) ROME, July 9. Telegrams from Vienna state that Austria has refused to accept the German Generalissimo on the Italian front.

It is understood that General von Below will instead take three corps specially entrusted with the task of driving the Allies from the Asiago Plateau.