PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3087, 18 May 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The Italian offensive on the Isonzo front is developing as an operation of very great magnitude, and has already been carried to a point of material success. The section of front attacked extends from Tolmino to the highlands above the Adriatic.coast. Tolmino is less than thirty miles distant from the sea in a direct line, but the battlefronfc in its irregularities is about twice that length. Up to the present, as reports stand, the main weight of the Italian onslaught has fallon in the area between Tolmino and Gorizia, but some progress has been made also on tho northern part of the Carso plateau, south of Gorizia. North of Gorizia, when the present offensive opened, the enemy in places retained.! footing on the west bank of the Isonzo or was in a position to dispute the passage of the river. The Italians held a bridgehead at Tolmino. Their line was advanced some miles eastward of the river to the north of that place, and they held the east bank for a distance of live or six miles to tho south. Another Italian bridgehctid was established at "Plava. Between Plava and the point north of Gorizia at which the Isonzo sweeps to the south-west, well behind their front, tho Italians seem to have been either across tho I river or to have commanded its crossings. On the whole front north of Gorizia the enemy is established in Alpine positions, strongly fortified. He holds high positions also on the Cg.rso plateau, between Gorizia and tho Adriatic, though the elevations on this section of the front arc not as great as in the Alpine country to the north.

Opening the great attack now ia progress, the Italians forced the passage of the river where it was helcl Iby tho enemy and followed up their initial success by storming a series of strongholds on the east bank. A number of crests were won outright, and considerable progress was made up the steep slopes of Monte Santo, an elevation of 2280 feet standing cast of the Isonzo about four miles north of Gorizia. Fortified heights were, captured east of Gorizia, and the attacking troops pressed forward also further south, across the northern part of the Carso plateau. The importance of the enemy positions facing Tolmino 'is mentioned *in the news. They oppose an Italian' advance by way of the valley which runs through the rugged hill country of Idria towards the railway junction of Laibach, on tho main railway to Trieste.

* * # * Little is said as yet about .events on the Carso plateau, but speedy developments wijl no doubt be witnessed in that quarter. It was on the Carso that tho Italian offensive reached its maximum development and success last year. After capturing the grcatj,' stronghold of Gorizia, tho Italians passed the formidable obstacle of the Vallono ravine, and carried along the whole Carso front, from the northern to

tlie southern edge of the plateau, two main systems of Austrian defences. These were very formidably organised. In some places there were subsidiary enemy works which

doubled or even trebled the. number of trenches that had to be stormed. The enemy's present line—his third main fortified line as his defences were organised last year—runs from south-east of Gorizia, south and slightly west, past the western outskirts of Castaguarizfca and Brestovizza to the Adriatic coast. Making progress east. of _ Dosso Faiti (lit. Faith) the Italians on the northern part of the Carso have broken into the enemy third line before which they halted last year. It may be recalled that on the Isonzo front, between August and December last year, the Italians, besides making the progress mentioned, captured 42,000 prisoners, 60 guns, 200 mach-ine-guns, and a large amount of war material.

The Italians are taking the offensive on a much broader front than was seriously attacked last year, and this is no doubt an indication of 'the greater resources they are now able to bring to bear. Last year they had to stem an enemy invasion by way of the Trentiuo before assuming the offensive. This year they aro enabled to concentrate undividodly on the offensive, and are so much the better placcd to achieve, re-

I suits. On the other hand, the state [of affairs in Itus'sia may possibly I afford Austria a measure of relief which until recently she had no reason to expect. A month or two ago it was reported that tho.Austrians had about thirty-thrco divisions on the Italian front. Armies at this strength will hardly suffice to hold the Italians in check, but tho extent to which it will bo in the enemy's power to reinforce them is at present" a matter of conjecture.

Owing to tho extent to which attention has been diverted to other theatres of war, many people fail to estimate at its true and full importance the contribution made by Italy in the common cause. Statistics 'illustrative of what she has accomplished not only at the ■ front but in the sphere of economic activ- ' ity wero supplied by an English correspondent at Romo in January last. Italy has in her hands 85,000 prisoners and 3060 square kilometres of Austrian territory, viz., 1760 square kilometres in the mountainous zono from tho Trentino to the 'Isonzo, with 64 communes, containing 90,000 inhabitants beforo the war, and including such places as Ala (the old Austrian Oustonnlirtse on the Brenser railway), St. Martino di Castrozza, and Cortina d'Ampezzo (both beloved of tourists and artists), Fiera di Primiero, below St. Martino, Plezzo, and Caporetto: and in the zone of the Isonzo and the Carso 1300 square kilometres, with 68 communos, containing about 170.000 inhabitants before the war, and including Cervignano, Monfalconc, Cormono, Gradisca, the old Patriarchal cities of Grado and Aquileia, and the important town of Gorizia, where Charles X of Franco and the Comle do Chambord lie buried. Consequently, the present Italian front is a little less than 600 kilomotres (375 miles) long, and is defended by 3000 kilometres (1875 miles) of trenches. Meanwhile, "in the interior of Italy, behind the tho front, 6G military establishments, employing 21,645 men and 12,474 women, besides 932 auxiliary establishments, employing 344,702 men and 55,253 women, are working for the war. Of these, 91 are turning out metal materials, 489 are producing cannon, aeroplanes, motors, bombs, and cartridges, while 352 are manufacturing explosives There are also 1181 smaller establishments, with 30,269 men an 4 4597 -women, devoted to the cxclusivc production of projectiles. This branch of war work, the correspondent adds, is expected fo reach a yet further development m tho spring. e « »

Extremely heavy fighting is reported in tho Western theatre. The enemy is counter-attacking on both the French and British sectors as if determined at all costs to recover lost positions. As news stands at 'time of writing his attempts have completely failed, and the official reports supply clear evidence that he has suffered terrible losses. It holds good of both the French and British sectors that' in the limited areas where the-enemy gained temporary advantage the position was speedily restored. The only noteworthy change of position is that the British have* extended their invasion of the Hindenburg line northeast of Bullecourt. One way of summing up the situation is to say that tho enemy is stemming the Allied offensivo. This, for the moment, is almost true. But whether the enemy is stemming the Allied offensive at a price he can afford to pay or will be able to pay for any length of time is another matter, in tho speech which was reported yesterday the German. Imperial Chancellor said: "Time is working for us. The German commanders on tho Western front are shaping their tactics as if time were their deadliest enemy, and as if they must at all costs secure immediate results. Presumably the Germans now base their hopes upon exhausting the Allies, but they are pursuing .their object in the Western theatre in a fashion eminently calculated to exhaust their own resources. It is not only a matter of numbers. In the - cms of fighting that is now going on the Germans are bound to employ then best available troops. The garrison which defended Bullecourt until every man was dead or wounded certainly did not represent the average quality of the German Army as it is now constituted. It is already inferior in general quality to the armies to which it stands opposed, and the immolation of its best remaining elements in the reigning tornado of battle will cu down its effective strength in a degree tax from being measured .by the statistics of its losses.

The figures of submarine sinkings for the week reported on to-day show a pronounced and gratifying_ drop. It will be remembered that in the week ending April 22 the number of British ships sunk reached the unprecedented total of 55.' Tho average number of ships sunk per week during the eight weeks preceding was a fraction over 2:3. In the week reported on to-day, tho third sinco the total of 55 was recorded, the number of ships over and under 1600 tons accounted for by tho submarines was 23. The number of ships over 1600 tons sunk in the latest week was 18, as against 40 in the week which ended on April 22, and a weekly average of 16 in the eight preceding weeks. The outlook is manifestly improved. The figures arc not yet decisive as indicating that the submarine campaign lias passed its point of maximum success and is biit they point in that direction. A feature worth noting is the proportion of unsuccessful attacks to that of ships sunk. The figures for the four latest weeks are:— * Unsuccessfully Ships sunk. attacked. 55 27 fil ' 2'' ■16. 31 23 19 In the latest week the raiders not only sank a smaller number of ships absolutely, but a smaller proportion of ships attacked than in any obo' of the three piccccung weeks. In the outlying portions of Hie city tlio damago caused by straying cattle is tlio cause of continuing complaint, and at tho meeting of tho City Council last nWit the chairman of the Outlying Districts Committee (Councillor L. M kenzie) urged the council to instruct the City Solicitor to press for heavier penalties. At present the light fines imposed made it a payable business for the offenders to get cheap grazing oil the roads.' These wandering cattle, it was said were a danger to traffic, and they also played havoc with growing hedges and other garden vegetation. One councillor said that ho knew a man who ran several milking cows, and the only, laud lie liad was a quarter of an acre! The council agreed to urge the solicitor to press for heavier penalties. It was r&prtfd at yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Board that a draft of I the rules for the proposed Hospital I Boards' Association had been forwarded to all hospital boards in New Zealand. |