The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1916. THE ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1916. THE ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

One of the great surprises of tins war is the vigorous and successful clTtnsive 1 carried out by the Italians under the most trying and difficult condition*. The Austrian* are paying dearly for the withdrawal of troops to other fronts, and it is in this connection that the value of the present Italian onslaught is so rnuoh increased. By their counterstroke to the campaign agaiuss Roumania, the Italians are doing splendid service to the Allies. It was only a few days ago that it was stated tl:o belligerents in the Alpine heights were snowed in, and that the troops had settled down to their winter quarters, but General Cadoirna has evidently no int?ntion of hibernating. Apparently he was only waiting till the snow eased off, and then he set to work, getting in a sudden and most effective blow at the Austf iaus east of Gorizia, and north of the Carso. The Italian troops seem fired by an indomitable spirit that carries t'ieni on from one success to another, the consequence being that their att.ack; are irresistible, and they are hacking their way through to Trieste, the fall of which is rapidly rearing. There can bo no doubt that the offensive is on a very considerable scale, for they have stnick deeply into the Austrian defences. On the Carso the Austrian* have suffered a series of reverses, and lost many thousands in killed!, wounded, and prisoners, each retirement causing an extension of the length of thei? frontal defences. There is a certain grim l.vmior in the cabled report that the Austrians floated messages down the streams to the Italians, asking to be info r med when the next attack would begin, as they intended to retire. Whether this friendly overture was accepted or not remains in doubt, but this morning's cables show that the Austrians put up a desperate resistance at Hndilog, which bocame the centre of a furiouis battle, in which the Italians were victorious. Tho positions captured by the Italians are said to be the strongest since the fall of Gorizia. The advance covered a depth of three miles and a half, the third Austrian line being reached, arid valuable observation posts captured. It will be rcadiiy understood that this advance was vigorously pressed, and that the Italians are now in a far belter position than formerly, the capture of Mount Pecinki giving them the command of the V'.pacco Valley and the Austrian position in the rear. By consolidating these gains they were enabled to make a further advance, and to capture a battery of howitzers. Considering how heavily Italy has been handicapped she has covered herself with glory, and the successes achieved by her are all the more gratifying in view of the assistance she is giving the Allies in other places. It must be remembered that the struggle in the Trentino is taking plac? in mountainous country, where every inch of ground won involves almost superhuman effort. To have overcome the desperate Austrian resistance would | seem to indicate that-the enemy power of resistance is greatly inferbr to the Italians' attacking strength, and every fresh victory must have a demoralising effect on the enemy. We hail this latest triumph with the greatest satisfaction, and look forward with keen interest to the fall of Trieste.