A DARING GAME.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1916, Page 3

A DARING GAME.

ITALY SENT MILLION EIFLES TO' RUSSIA .WHEN HARD 'PRESSED, London, August 8. Tliat the present great Russian drive in Galieia was started in the first instance before Russia was fully ready, and w?.s occasioned 'by the perilous situation offered on the Italian front, is learned through authoritative sources from Russia. Not the least important of the news from Russia is the announcement that the Italians actually succeeded in forwarding the troops of Russia one million military rifles. These arms, it is stated, were sent at the outset of the war through Port Arthur and Vladivostok, and latterly 'by way of Archangel. The fact that (Archangel was being used explains in a measure the precautions taken by the Russians to exclude all merchant craft from that port, in order to conceal as long as possible the fact that munitions of war were coming through from Italian sources.

That Russia has been flooded with German spies has long been known, and the most that could be lioped for was sufficient time in which to make the troops ready before the fact was known to the Germans that the Russian army was in possession of large quantities of rifles. Italy's part in the present instance was to hold the attention of the Austrians and at the same time turn her main reserves of small arms to Russia. That Italy lias run a tremendous risk in such a compact was perceived, but it was recognised that so long as the Italians could hold the Austrians in cheek there would be no call for the reserve rifles, and that those valuable weapons would not be idle. The Austrians, 'however, received information of the shipments, and immediately massed heavy forces on the Italian front, eo-incidentally with the actual forwarding of the greater part of the reserve guns, the Italian army suddenly found itself attacked in prodigious niiin-" bers, but Russia was then able to return the pressure.