FURIOUS ATTACKS ON ITALIAN LINE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2777, 23 May 1916, Page 6

FURIOUS ATTACKS ON ITALIAN LINE

V REPULSED TO'HEAVY LOSSES ALL AUSTRIAN ATTEMPTS BROKEN By TeleerapE—Press Association—OopyrieM ' (Bee. May 22, 9.10 p.m.) Rome, May 22. An Italian official communique states"After a bombardment the enemy, at. Bone Zugna, hurled three huge masses to the attack. These, after a desperate engagement, were driven back with enormous losses. "There has been an intense artillery action against our lines from Pasubio ,to Terragnolo and fierce infantry attacks fToni tHe Astico to the Brenta (in the ! Val Sugana region), which our troops have stubbornly held up, inflicting liettxy • (losses, while recapturing a number of small forts." SITUATION WELL IN HAND (Rec. May 22, 9.10 p.m.) Rome, May 22. A\ semi-official statement, which has been published, refers to the Austrians' boast of definite successes. "Those are inevitable in thd progress of the first part of an offensive, but the history of all offensives in this war shows that the first blow is inevitably followed bv long and exhausting checks. All the Austrian attempts have been broken and Ihey have suffered cruel and heavy losses. Wo regard',; the development of the present operations with full confidence." AUSTRIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Bee. May 22, 8.20 p.m.) .... _ . ' . , . Amsterdam.- May 21. An Austrian official communique claims further successes. "We have catv tar ®V hl » aunmit of the Armenterra ridge, and also the summits of CinmleiWh and Cimatasole; we drove the enemy out of the Borcola Pass, and occupied Angtnbeni" • ,/lu AUSTRIAN LOSSES FOR'THE FIRST THREE DAYS. ' (Rec. May 22, 9.10 p.m.) The Austrian,'losses during the first three days of the battba™'Sated at twenty-three tlionsana. ; GERMANS BEHIND THE AUSTRIAN MOVE f CRITICS J VOPINIONS ON THE BIG OFFENSIVE. Critics attach great importance to the' Austrian offensive. mint 2 out that Germany is proviviiay money and munitions and a portion of the men for this costly undertaking. Prussia desires, to secui-o Teutonic domination of f-hn Peninsula, and to reduce Italy to the level of Central Europe, and thus to increase her hold on all tho*couutry from Hamburg to Constantinople, which h nfW wise insecure. 1 uuu.i- , Examination of, the Austrian bullets to show that they are of German manufacture, and contain nitrate of mercury. rNote.—Germany and"'. Italy are not, officially speaking, at war with each other.-]