PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2921, 6 November 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The Italians havo taken up the running in tho battle on one front with a splendidly successful assault on the Austrian positions east of Goriiia, and south across the Carso plateau to the Adriatic coast. A victory on tho, grand scale has rewarded their efforts, and it is very notable on its ow.n account, and should do a great deal to ease tho pressure on Rumania. According to one report the Italians took 10,000 prisoners in two days, and communiques in hand account for a total of close on nine thousand. It is likely that the larger total will be materially oxcceded when full returns are 1 available. The Tivoli height, east of Gorizia, and Duino, on the Adriatic coast, arc about 13 miles apart, and mark tho two extremities of the front on which the battle was fought, but the actual length of the front, with its inequalities, is, of' course, more than thirteen miles. On portions of the Carso front the Italians advanced three and a half miles, and the capture of at least one battery of boavy artillery and of a Brigadier-General and other high offioers bears conclusive witness to the fashion in which the Austrian defences were penetrated.

One account of the battle states that when it opened the Austrians were established on three completed lines of defences, while a fourth was being constructed in rear. Two of these lines were stornied and captured. The third is now being assaulted, and it is stated that if it falls the Austrians will be compelled to make a general retreat. This must await the test of events, but in any case the Italians have taken a long forward step on the road that leads to Trieste. Even if they have to settle down presently to another stage of ordered preparation, the outlook is vastly improved by their present-victory. Generally speaking, they are now established on the lower slopes of hills east of Gorizia—one of them San Marco, about 740 feet hi^h— and on a line extending approximately south of Gorizia to tho Adriatic. One of the most notable gains was that, of Mount Pecinka, on the Carso, five miles South of Gorizia. Mount Pecinka is 950 feet high, and though it is confronted by a still higher peak about a mile and a half further east, its capture enables the Italian artillery to command the Oppacchiasella-Castagnavizza road to the south-east and the Austrian positions behind Castagnavizza. This road is one of the principal arteries of communication crossing the Carso plateau at right angles to the fighting lines. Tho valley of the Vippacco, further north, is another very important avenue, and the extended hold tho Italians have gained both on the Vippacco valley, and the Oppacchiasella-Castagnavizza road materially favours their furtheir advance. They have forged ahead also on the southern portion of the plateau. On the coast thoy are now shelling Duino, spokon of in one report as an important railway function. It is not a railway junction, though it is closely approached by _ the coast_ railway to Trieste, but it is a point on which several roads converge. Duino is almost _ due south of Gorizia, and four miles south-east of Monfalcone. The Italians arc still faced by a wide extent of difficult country, but, apart from tho possibility that the Austrians may be unable to consolidate their .defence where they now stand, and may be compelled to retreat, the Italians are advancing stage by stage to a wider front, and only very heavy reinforcoments, which will not be easily obtained, will enable tho Austrians to postpone'the fate which is plainly in store.

Developing their main offensive on tho Oarso front, the Italians at tho same timo drovo home a successful, though less important, attack in the Dolomite Alps, in tho Eastern Trentino. In this region they are gradually working their way into an important section of the enemy's communications.

No change of magnitude is reported in the Rumanian campaign, but tho struggle on tho Wallachian front continues without intermission. At timo of writing tho news is that the Rumanians are still pursuing; the enemy in Western Wallachia, in tho region of th 3 Vulkan Pass, and have captured four moro guns and a quantity of war material. Near tho eastern extremity of the Wallachian front tho Rumanians havo suffered a reverse, the enemy gaining two hoights and making some progress beyond tho frontier. The Austrians lay claim to progress at other points, which tho Rumanians, at timo of writing, either do not montion or name as the scene of violent fighting. While the position is, broadly, unchanged, it is not improving as rapidly as it lately seemed likely to. It is tolerably certain, however, that tho efblow struck by the Italians on their main front will excrciso a material influenco upon events in the Rumanian campaign.

From the main theatres there is very little news at the moment of writing. On the Westorn front both British and French report minor successes, but it is evident that bad weather is imposing a continued chcck on operationsIn the Eastern theatre the Russians have recovered some of the ground they recently lost east of Kovcl.

As if the situation in Grecce were not complicated enough already, thero is now a small outburst of civil war in that country between Royalists aud Nationalists. The immediate bono of contention is Katerina, a small port on the western coast of the Gulf of Salonika, from which a. jVcnizelist force recently dislodged a Royalist garrison._ The Venizelists wish to hold Katerina in order that volunteers for the Na-

tional Army may have another way | of reaching Salonika than the perilous, route by sea on .which seven Greek ships havo lately been torpedoed. On the short spa route between .KiiLcriria and Salonika ships iurc presumably safeguarded against submarine attack. Tho situation as it is reported at present is mixed and -has astonishing features, and it can only be hoped that the Entente authorities have it much bettor under command than reports in hand would indicate. It is even stated that the French eontrollincr officers permitted tho dispatch of some Royalist reinforcements to tho vicinity of Katorina, whicb would manifestly be a very foolish tiling to do, while another report declares that Constantine, in view of tho Nationalist advance from Katcrina towards the Larissa railway, has revoked his undertaking to withdraw his troops into Southern Grcccc. Doubts must bo entertained regarding a reported statement by Admiral du Fournet that negotiations are in progress whereby within ten days obstacles to tho passage of volunteers to Salonika will bo removed. The Venizelist Government ,is actively, co-operating with tho Allies—it is reported to-day that it has already sent more than half of a contemplated force of 30,000 men into tho field —and in such a dispute as now obtains the interests of the Venizelists and those of the Allies are wholly identified. This being so, there should be better ways of ending the trouble than by tolerating even <i miniature civil war or entering into protracted negotiations with tho King. Constantine is not in a position to revoke undertakings or make terms, and if the Entente Powers intimate that Greek volunteers must be granted all reasonablo facilities for reaching Salonika, he will presumably bow to that decision.