ITALIAN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 25 June 1917, Page 5

ITALIAN FRONT.

ITALIANS OVERCOMING GREAT OBSTACLES.

LONDON, June 23

Mr. Percival Gibbon says the latest Italian attack on the western end of the Asiago Plateau aims at driving out the Austrians from Commanding heights. The Austrians for many months possessed the advantage of the highest positions everywhere in the Trontino, the Italians invariably attacking uphill. The success of the uphill thrust on Mount. Ortigara is incontestable. The Italians prisonered 1000. They literal 1 ? quarried them out of the mountains. The Austrians converted precipices into a mighty fortress system, placing batteries at points inaccessible except by rock climbers crawling up the mountain side from staple to staple driven in by Alpini under constant fire. Millions of tons of rock excavated from the Austrian galleries are lying in valleys like huge landslides. The Italians are indomitably progressing to the crests which dominate and will eventually neutralise the whole Assingo valley. ROME, June 23. The “ Mcssagero ’ ’ says the Austrians since the 10th inst., have lost over 10,000 men in Trentino. LONDON, June 23. Italian official. —The enemy concentrated a brisk;fire on our new positions at Mount Oritgara, and the Asiago. We replied effectively We captured on the 19th in this area four fourteen machine-guns, 1000 rifles and a largo quantity of munitions and mining material. MISSION TO AMERICA. NEW YORK, June 23. In welcoming the Italian mission, Dr. Butler, President of Columbia University, said America would insist on such annexations as the restoration of Alsace Lorraine. There must also be indemnities to restore shattered .territory and repair ruthless damage. . The Italian missioners pointed out that the war must be \> T on by the Allies or they must face bankruptcy. JVlarconi, said coal was Italy’s most pressing need. Unless delivery was speeded, Italian, munition factories would be forced to greatly curtail production. The efficiency of the army had been diminished owing to the inability of railroads to,transport supplies. He characterised, the submarine , as the most serious menace and the gravest danger the Allies were faced with. He predicted more vigorous efforts by the Allies to defend shipping. Marconi, speaking at, a dinner, disclosed the secret history of Italy. On August 2nd, 1914, Italy decided on neutrality. The news was conveyed to M. Viviani, at one p’clock in the morning. M. Vivian!-was overjoyed. Half an hour later he ordered the mobilisation of nearly a million men for service, in the north who otherwise would have been kept to guard against a .possible attack by Italy.

GREAT TREASON TRIAL IN ITALY VATICAN OFFICIAL CONCERNED. SENTENCED TO DEATH Received 9.15 a.m. ROME, June 24. At the great treason trial the principal figure was Monsignor Gerlach, a prominent Vatican official and two others were sentenced to imprisonment for life, and the others to three years ’ imprisonment Gerlach and another who were ordered to he shot, arc fugitives from justice. DETAILS OF THE PLOT. Received 10.5. , LONDON, June 24. Lloyds’ News publishes the secret history of the exposure of Gerlach’s espionage conspiracy. The Italian Government was aware that the most important documents relating to the Austrian espionage were concealed in a safe in a house at Vienna adjoining the German Consulate. The safe was protected" by most complete burglar traps, also mechanism whereby poison gas was released in the event of tampering. The Italian Government in January selected two expert burglars from prisons, offering them freedom and money if they secured the documents. It was duly announced that the burglars had escaped from prison. They reached Vienna by unknown means, equipped with a most complete burglary outfit, also gas masks. The burglary was the fullest success. Early in April the Austrian Government merely announced the safe had been burgled and a large sum of money extracted. a secret cypher wireless from Vienna was immediately delivered to Gerlach, informing him the documents had been abstracted. Gerlach quitted Rome forthwith. The Italian secret service raided Gerlach’s house next day, and found documents revealing a net-work of Austro-German espionage, and proenemy plots. Three hundred were arrested, including many notables.