ITALIAN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 18 May 1917, Page 5

ITALIAN FRONT.

AN EPIC BATTLE. AUSTRIAN LINE CRACKING. ROME.. May 16. The battle ch the Julian Alps front has asumed epic proportions. The Italians are attacking on a front of ninety kilometres, breaking the enemy’s lines despite the most stubborn resistance. ON A SIXTY-MILE FRONT.

CLEARING ROAD TO LAIBACH

ROMjUi, May 16

The Italian action on the Julian front, north-west of Gorz, continues violently. Many fortified positions and trenches having been captured.

Great interest is taken in the Italian offensive in the Udine Province. The Italians are advancing on a front of sixty miles from Tolmino to the seaward. The sector from Tolmino to Sargano is the most difficult front of the war. The Tolmino bridgehead bars the entrance iio the valley leading to Laibach, 43 miles north-east of .Gorz.

COMMANDING HEIGHTS

CAPTURED. LONDON, May 16. Italian official.—A vigorous offensive on the Julian front is being resolutely continued. The infantry have established themselves on the heights on the eastern bank of the Isonzo, northward of Gorizia, which had been transformed into a formidsi&lo fortified position. One of our left columns forced a passage of the river and captured Bombres village. We captured in the centre the heights north-east of Plava. We stormed the villages of Zagora and Meagomila and carried the crests of Mount Cucco and Mount Yodice.

Our right wing progressed considerably on the steep slopes of Mount Santo. Fierce counter-attacks were repulsed.

We conquered, eastward of Gorizia, strongly fortified heights northward of Tivoli. Insistent counter-attacks were beaten. We made prisoner 2275 and captured a mountain battery and much war material.

FURTHER DETAILS.

Received 9.25 a.m

LONDON, May 17.

There was a preliminary bombardment by the Italians for 56 hours between Tolmino and the sea. The enemy apparently expected the main attack at Carso and Gorizia, where they massed 1500 guns. The principal attack was on the Plava sector, where the Isonzo runs to steep hills. The enemy held the entire left bank, except at Plava bridgehead, where the Italians established themselves early in the war, though they were unable to enlarge the bridgehead. Since then the Italians’ guns and trench mortars have smashed the Austrian position. On Sunday the Italians bridged the Isonzo below the Plava, and on Monday crossed uninterruptedly though shells filled the valley GERMANY’S INTERNAL TROUBLES. j GERMANY DISSATISFIED. "WITH CHANCELLOR'S SPEECH. LONDON, May 16. _ German newspapers are generally dissatisfied with Von Bethmann HollyPeS s speech. Comments show that the general belief of the German people is that the war will not end in 1917, perhaps not in 1918.

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS

UNITING RIVAL LEADERS,

CONFIDENCE IN CABINET,

PEROGRAD, May 16

M. Miliukoff, Foreign Minister, has resigned, and M. Tereschenko, hitherto Finance Minister, has succeeded him. M. Kerensky, the Socialist Minister for Justice, succeeds M. Gutchkoff as Minister for War.

Following are the three cardinal points on which the Government, the Executive Committee of the Duma, and the Committee of Soldiers and Workmen are agreed: First: Unity of the Alllod fronts. Second: The full confidence of the revolutionary demorcraey in the recon structed Cabinet. Third: The plentitude of the

Powers of the Government,

A returned Petrograd correspondent says that the Russian internal situation is bad, but not desperate. The military situation was worse Obfore the revolution than to-day. The Army will continue to fight the Austrians and Germans. There is too much at stake in the west to permit them to strike a blow on the East front. The Coalition Government may save the situation.

AMERICAN MISSION

WASHINGTON, May 16

The United States has notified the Russian Government, in order to remove possible misunderstandings, that the American mission to Russia is interested in nothing but affording such assistance to the Government and the Russian people as may be most hopeful.

The Russian' lean of £20.000,009 is made conditional on all the money being spent in the United States.

The United States has also extended credit totalling £9,000,000 sterling to Belgium in monthly instalments.

LONDON, May 16

Reuter s Washington correspondent states that through diplomatic channels President Wilson and Mr. Robert Lansing, Secretary of State, are doing everything possible to assist the settlement of the Russian position.

THE COALITION GOVERNMENT,

ITS CONSTITUTION

Received 9.15 a.m

COPENHAGEN, May 17. A forecast of the Russian Coalition Government is as follows: Prince Lvoff, Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. M. Miliukoff, Foreign Minister. M. Kernski, Minister for War.

Eiaher M. Skobeleff (vice-president of th e Workers’ and Soldiers’ Council) or Admiral Koliehak (commanding the Black Sea Fleet )will be appointed Mi nister for the Navy.

Socialists have been appointed to almost all the other portfolios..

PEASANTS’ CONFERENCE IN SOUTH RUSSIA.

Received 9.25 a.m

PETROGRAD, May 17,

The Government has not accepted the resignations of Generals Brussiloff and Gourks. The conference of South Russian peasants demands the abolition of private land and a share in Government land with soldiers and workmen.

ENEMY’S FOOD SHORTAGE

A SIGNIFICANT ORDER

LONDON, May 16.

The Press Bureau says: A German divisional order captured on the West front says that the rations of the troops are ample and warns relatives not to send them food as there is already a shortage in the interior.