ON THE ISONZO.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1917, Page 9

ON THE ISONZO.

THE AUSTRIAN SIDE. AMERICAX/CORRKSPONDENT'S DESCRIPTION. (By Jas. O'Donnell Rennctt, in Chicago Tribune). (Special Wireless Dispatch to the Tribune). \Aitli General Boroevie's droops, Isonzo Front, by courier to Berlilj, by wireless to Tuekerton. N.J. General Boroevic, describing: the character of the Isonzo region, declared it the most difficult terrain in the world. Referring then to the enormous difficulties of food and water transportation and entrenching, he said ftere are points all along this line where water casks must daily be carried by man power to positions thousands of' feet above the Adriatic. Concrete, steel beams, and timber for bombproofs must be transported grrSk distances by the same method, for there are stretches where even the stocky Bosnian ponies, which prove invaluable as machine gun carriers, can do 110 more. The me-ii must lay hold of the material bare handed, and sweat with it up mountain sides so steep there is 110 way of falling, except backwards. ■1 made the ascent, and know what they mean. The punishment is cruel, MEN USE HAND DRILLS. On top of the transportation difficulties come the building dilliculties. The construction of positions entail tedium and severity. At certain points where compressed air drills are not yet brought into operation, or arc temporarily out of service through accident, the soldiers are using hammers and hand drills in piercing holes for powder charges. With sucli tools skilled labor can progress at a rate of sixteen centimetres a day, while the unskilled can drill only thirty to thirtyfive centimetres deep. Dynamite- for blasting is issued only to the men in the first line of trenches, where speed is essential. Workers in the rear lines use less powerful explosives, ACTIVITY IS INCISSSAiVi' "In Russia," said the General "there were passes where we could dig ourselves in and be comfortable for long pauses, giving the men time to draw breath. Here the activity is incessant. Even at night we have, heavy artillery fire. During what we consider a comparatively comfortable, period we must be constantly on the alert to check the Italians so they cannot bring forward their mine throwers, and flank our trenches with them, for flanking fire is essential in a really effective- use of mine throwers." In truth, every diabolical feature that could belong to a military situation seems packed into this Tsonzo situation. On the one hand, not only long range shooting carries project.cle-s from the const into the mountains of Austria, but there is also clos,. work in the li stile trenches, lying barely thirty paces away. At many points the opposing forces look down into each others' trenches, and at other points the Austrian and Italian observation posts are so near together that utmost caution must, lie observed when one takes his position before the narrow slits which give an openincr for telescopes. By daylilht. one of us struck a match on one of these posts. An Austrian officer said hastily: "Kindly kneel below the slits when you strike a match. Our friends over there have good eves."