PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 235, 22 June 1918, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Geiiman commentators, according to one of to-day's , messages, are constrained to admit the failure of the Austrian offensive against Italy, but attempt' to belittle the-defeat inllictcd on their allies by saying that the offensive is "merely a push." This phrase holds.no.magic to dis]io.vo of the plain evidence afforded that the offensive was designed on the most ambitious scale which Austrian resources would permit and that its failure, has entailed corresponding losses. The essential facts can hardly be regarded as in dispute. We have been told that the, enemy has employed seventy-live, divisions—almost the whole strength of the Austro-Hungiirian armies—in his effort to break and turn the Italian line, and observers agree that l.is losses have been enormous'in. themselves and ,in .comparison with thelosses suffered, by the- defending armies. One of to-day's messages states that it is estimated that the Austrian'losses exceed those of the Italians by fivel to one. and further that the enemy has already thrown in Ins .reserves, whereas Italy's arc intact: In view of the accounts that, have been given of an appalling slaughter of/ Austrian .troops on the mountain front and along the Piavc, it seems quite pos-. siblc that the- estimate of Austrian losses live times greater -than those of the Italians is a close approach to 4hc facts. v k ..*■'»

The most suggestive evidence of tkt enemy's defeat and of its decisive character appears, .however, in the course" of the battle—in.events which arc nut in any respect' in disjiute. A conflict marked by local fluctuations is in progress along the Piavc, from.the MonteJlo.Bidgc' to the sea, thpugti even here the. battle in its latest days has turned decidedly against the enemy. But it is much more important that on the mountain front ,-which■'.' covers the northern flank of the Italian line the enemy is confessedly at a standstill. Theredoes not seem to be any doubt that it was in tho mountain area that the enemy prepared and launched his main effort and that.the 'attack'.'he is still; attempting to develop on the Piave is an alternative to the plan on which he at first, staked his hopes; An advance.down the mountain v'alleyk—notably that of the "Bventa between thc'Asiago Plateau and. tjic Grappa massif— into the Venetian plain; well, to tho westward of the Piave ..would havvgiven the enemy A'spectacular and overwhelming success. Tho whole of. the Italian forces between the'mountains and the soa would have bren compelled to retreat as best they could to a new. line farther. west, and such a retreat would naturally have involved serious losses. As'Vfe' -ports have .plainly ' shown,... these .were the. results ..the-enemy., set .himv self to achieve in -the".'first, daysi of tho ba ttle;-arid- he -has failed-uttorly to approach them. In the area, where his strongest forced , were concentrated, and where, if anywhere, decisive success was to be won, he is hardly a stop nearer tho objects at which he aimed, and has practically nothing: to set against the colossal sacrifice of life his-attacks entailed.

Since the Austrians have no means of rapidly transferring men and guns from the mountain region to the Piftvc front, the only available transport routes being long and circuitous, it is likely that any hopes they retain still, in spite of what has happened, centre chiefly in the mountain front. That is.to say, it is reasonable to suppose that- in his present operations on the Piave the enemy _ is. chiefly intent on creating conditions which would enable him to renew his'onslaught in the mountains, where supcess would give him an open door into the plain behind the Italian armies. In any case it seems most' unlikely' that- events on the, Piavc will take'such, aturn as to change the present aspect of the battle to the enemy's, advantage. On the Piave he is expending his chief efforts at the northern , ; and- southern extremities of the front of' about thirty miles between the Montejlo Eidge and the coast. Even now the position at Montello is nut in all respects clearly defined, but reports leave it in no doubt that the enemy. , has been heavily defeated in his latest efforts to improve his position in that quarter. The.Montello Ridge fronts the Piave for a distance of about nine miles where that, river runs east before turning soutlW east to the coast. With the enemy across the river immediately to the south, the eastern part of the ridgenow constitutes a somewhat iirouounced salient in the Italian line, but to-day's messages indicate that such positions as the enemy has gained on the northern and southern slopes of the ridge are dominated by. the Italian batteries. The best news on the subject, however, is contained in an Italian, communique which mentions that in counter-attacks on this section of the front more than twelve hundred Austrians were taken prisoner. In the coastal zone also the enemy is being heavily punished in his limited foothold west of the Piave'. Here the Italians have recaptured Caposile, which lies about three miles from the river, and have gathered in, during the latest fisrhting, over 500 prisoners. Caposilc _is fifteen miles north-east of Venice. In the area between Montello and the coastal zone the enemy is everywhere held on or in the near neighbourhood of the .'fiver line, and general indications are that the Italians arc in full mastery of the situation. . .