PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3093, 25 May 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

At, the moment of writing there is no addition to recent news dealing with events in the Southern Trentino and on the I6onzo front, but there are reports of heavy fighting. tho_ north-eastern .1 Trentino, in the vicinity of the- Travignolo Valley. According to a. Rome official report the Austrians, attacked violently in this region P.nd gained, a temporary foothold in Italian positions on Col Bricon and an adjoining mountain stronghold, but wero ultimately driven out again, after fighting which extended from first to last over a period of three 'days. The locality of the fighting is in the Dolomites, about midway between the southern extremity of the Trontino and the point at which the Italian frontier turns east along the Carnic Alps. Events' in the Dolomites last year were overshadowed by the Italian offensive on the Isonzo front, but offensive operations in the Dolomites were carried to a point of success _ which had and has a material boaring upon tho enemy's general position in tho Trentino. The objective of the Italians iu their advance through the Dolomites is the town of Predazzo, which stands ten miles west of tho frontier, at the junction of the great Dolomite Eoad with a road which runs east along tho Travignolo Valley. The capture of Predazzo would prevent the enemy from using tho Dolomite Road, which forms a most valuable line of communication with the Trentino. It would leave, the Austrians to depend almost entirely for their supplies on the railway and road running down the Adige Valley.

Though they did not gain their

ultimate objective, the Italians last year captured a Dumber of peaks, some of them exceeding eight thousand feet in height, in an advancethrough the country immediately south-of the Travignolo Valley.' Their

last' big capture for the year was Mount Cauriol; an elevation of nearly eight thousand feet, standing about five miles due south of Predazzo. Col Bricon, the scene of

the fighting reported to-day, is half a. dozen mijes further east. As a re-sult-of their achievements last year the Italians hold strong positions, extending into the heart of the Dolomites, and are- posted for a thrust at an important, though secondary, Hue of enemy communications. The Dolomite Road is even more important to the enemy now than it was

formerly, since it is a -main artery

upon which he must necessarily have based a great part, of the subsidiary communications which he has constructed to serve his front in the Eastern Trentino. In their latest attack the Austrians were intent either' upon increasing the narrowed margin by which they hold this important range.of communications or upon forestalling an Italian attack on the system. In any case, the, move has an obvious and direct connection with the more ambitious attempt against Mount Pasubio and other positions held by the Italians in the Southern Tventino, about which reports for the time being are silent. ■ Tub Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office has made a brief statement on the- subject of the ■ Palestine campaign which to some extent dissipates the obscurity in which it has'lately been veiled. In one respect tho statement is satisfactory. It shows that tho British arc in contact with the Turkish main positions covering Gaza, at a distance of a few miles from that place. The last British gain reported was thoeapture of advanced elements,in this defensive system. Mr. Macpherson dicl not say whether an unsuccessful attack was rnado upon the enemy main position, hut thely are suggestions from other sources that matters dicl l.nkc this course, and tho Turks last month alleged that they had inflicted heavy losses on the invading army. Tho position meantime is

that the opposing forces are stationary, the British being established at a distance of something over J5 miles beyond the Egyptian frontier, in the region of the Mediterranean coast: M«. Macpherson held out ho great hopes of an early extension of the- invasion, but this is an aspect of the matter regarding whifih he could not bo expected to supply any definite information: Distinctive features of the latest weekly report upon the submarine campaign as compared with last; week's figures are a. material increase in the number of ships arriving at and leaving British ports, aa increase from five to nine in the number of ships of Ices than 1600 tons sunk, and a reduction from 19 to 9 in the number of ships unsuccessfully attacked. The number of ships over. 1600 tons sunk is the same as it was last weekj 18. Though losses of small ships during the latest week were in excess of those suffered in the previous week, the figures en' the whole tend to strengthen the opinion which has been freely cxjpressed of late that the Navy has once more taken the measure of tho underwater raiders. It is only reasonable to assume that tho Germans are doing everything in their power to again reach or approach their achievement during tho week ending April 22, when 55 British ships wore destroyed. Their performance last week was only, half as good, and nothing will satisfactorily account for the reduction but a loss of submarines which makes it impossible to continue tho campaigru in its former vigour and effect. The latest news from Italy relating to tho submarines is particularly interesting. In connection with the arrival of an Italian.mission in America, it is stated that Italy has sunk thirteen submarines within a week, presumably a recent week. The statement is unofficial, but it gains colour from tho fact that last week not a single steamer bound to or from an Italian port was sunk, though one was shelled and damaged.