SPRING IN THE TRENTINO.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1917, Page 2

SPRING IN THE TRENTINO.

WINTER PREPARATIONS. ROADS AND WI3EWAYS. The cold, snow, sleet, ice, anil winds of ji 11 unusually rigorous winter have augmented the difficulties of warfare in the Trentino, but iliey have not succeeded in deadening the activity of the opposing armies holding its ' heights, savs the correspondent of the London Times at Italian headquarters. It woull almost seem as if the violence of Nature's opposition had hardened the wil's and steadied the energies of those who are equally determined to conquer and to hold. The perils and incessant hostility of winter have taken their toll of life and limb. One unit lost 400 fighting men in one week from avalanches, anl we know from many sources that the enemy's losses have been equally heavy. On a mountain 5.500 ft above the sea the other day at sundown I watched Eome hundreds of civilians from Sicily and the south of the peninsula in on ligatory military service returning to their evening meal from a day's roadmaking and road-tending. Their energy, their industry and their patience before this war had generally been devoted to the improvement of highways and railways in other countries. The engineers and infantry have been working like bees since the suspension of host'lities in September. N ithing that the enemy may have thought out in the Trentino has passed unobserved. Our Allies are prepared for »ny spring operations, although May seems likely to be the first feasible month for large-scale movements.

What the Austrians have accomplished in the Trentino since their retreat of June, lOlli, furnishes food for reflection, and is open to more than one interpretation. (Since last summer they have made, or inado serviceable for military transport, some 200 miles of military roads between the Adigo Valley and Cadore, and have constructed hundreds of miles of tire tremendously important "wireways" 'which before the war were almost unknown in Austria. The effective use made of them by . the Italians for military purposes baa'been imitated by the Austriana on a truly imperial scale. Enormous sums have been expended in their construction and there are several now in operation hav-. ing a length of 25 to 40 miles. Besides roudbuilding, the Austriana have been busy this winter constructing barrc.cks and munition depots!, and have laid in. huge stores of supplies of all sorts,

Whatever may be the purport, of these .preparations, • whether offensive or defensive, tliero are certain facts which, merit serious attention. First, the Amr trians luive pinned ilown on their Trentino front between two end three times as many men as they had there this time last year, and secondly, with their vastly improved communication;!, they could at very short notice transport men and guns more quickly and in greater number than last year. The recent; visits of Baron Conrad von Botecndorf* General Ludendorll', Marshal von Maokeusen, Marshal von llindenburg and the Emperor Charles to this front may or may not be significant of aggressive intentions, hut the Austrians are certainly infinitely better prepared to carry out an offensive on a large scale in the! Trentino than they were last year. j The Italians have not been idle. Those;: memorable mountains, which, naked bn.tr. for the blood of their defenders, sawj the Austrians come up on one side but; never go down on the other., are now* bristling with great works of defence. Almost more impressive than the military works was the spirit of the men constructing them, and who aro there to defend them. Everything is being done ''con amore" and the soldiers were convinced that the enemy would never, pass such formidable barriers. ,- \Ve only hope they will try" was the word I heard everywhere passed along.