ITALIAN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 December 1917, Page 5

ITALIAN FRONT.

* DEPUTIES ARRESTED

Received 9. ROME, December 6.

Ex-Deputies Bonarina, Bruniearbia and Dini have been arrested for complicity in the 8010 affair.

FURTHER ITALIAN WITHDRAWAL

AFTER VALIANT DEFENCE

Received 9 a.m

LONDON, Dec 9

The "Oberver's" Rome correspondent states that General Count Conrad's principal attack began between Mounts londarecar and Badeneeuli, enabling-him to insert a wedge in this position of the Italian line, which Is here the weakest, since no complete defence is possible, inasmuch as the positions are under the enemy's batteries on the summit. The wedge t)eing thus inserted, the Austrian commander changed the direction of his attack towards the small plateavfof Foza, where all the roads and mulepaths meet. The Italians, after a valiant defence, abandoned MeTefte and Cashel and Gombert's System, and fell back to the Miele Spilla line. Five enemy divisions at night-time occupied rocky slopes of Frenzela and Ofavena Valleys. The Italian right wing withdrew across the Frenzela Valley, and took up positions on the lilSTn line of defence. The withdrawal was a cojnnlete success, all units maintaining cbinact. It is estimated that Conrad massed ten divisions on the short line from Sisemal to Brenta, outnumbering the Italians at some poinfs by ten to one. The enemy opened a general bombardment between Astico and Monte Grappa, thereby announcing another effort