ITALY.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1917, Page 5

ITALY.

ADVANCE CONTINUES. EFFECT OP ENEMY LOSSES, Rome!, May 29. Notwithstanding unfavorable weather tile Carso advance continues. The Austrian opposition has diminished owing to the colossal losses. The corpses of the enemy choke the ravines and grottos. An enormous amount of material has been captured. Two entire Hungarian divisions were practically annihilated in the teeent fighting. Swiss sources report revolts in Poland, Serbia and Montenpgro. DEFENCE OF TRIESTE. GERMAN ADVICE REJECTED. Rome, May 29. The Corriere dTtalia's Zurich correspondent states that the Austrian General Staff, at a council of war at Laibach, decided to defend Trieste at all costs, although Generals Falkenhayn and Ludendorff considered the situation hopeless and advised the abandonment of Trieste and withdrawal to a stronger line of defence. The advice, for political reasons, was not accepted at Vienna, where a hitter anti-German feeling prevails. ——_ IMPORTANT PROGRESS. SUMMARY OP CAPTURES. .. _ Wellington, May 30. The High Commissioner reports under date :London, May 29 (4.30 p.m.):— An official report from Rome states: At Plava the enemy has been driven to the end of the valley to the east of Globna and we have taken 1000 prisoners. On the Julian Alps the captures since May 14 amount to 23,091 prisoners, including 604 officers, 36 guns (including 13 heavies), 148 machine-guns, 27 mortars and a largo quantity of other materiah On the south-east slope of Vodice we are overcoming tenacious resistance. The enemy is hidden in caves. We have made important progress and have established our positions. ENEMY ATTACK REPULSED. IMPORTANT PROGRESS MADE. IMPOSING RECORD OF. CAPTURES.' Received May 30, 9.30 p.m. London, May 30. Italian official: We repulsed an attack along the railway eastward of San Giovanni and 'Duino. Wo broke an attack on the summit of Hill 52, in the Vodice area. We made important progress on the south-east slope of the hill. The total prisoners taken on the Julian front since May 14 is 23,6811, including CO4 officers. We have already counted 30 guns, whereof 13 are heavies, 148 machine-guns, and 27 trench mortars. AUSTRIANS ALARMED. AT ITALIAN OFFENSIVE. TRIESTE TO BE DEFENDED AT ALL COSTS. Received May 30, 5.30 p.m. London, May 29. Reports indicate that the Austrians are increasingly alarmed at the magnitude of the Italian offensive. ' * The Corriere dTtalia's correspondent states that the Austrian general staff 1 has decided to defend Trieste at all costs, although Generals Palkenhayn and Ludendorff advised its abandonment. ; AUSTRIAN EMPEROR'S RAGE, j i ; A GENERAL DISMISSED. r Rome, May 29. . It has been learned that the Austrian > Emperor returned from the Isonzo in a E state of fury and despair at the Austrian failure td resist the offensive. He | ordered the dismissal of the general commanding the Kuk sector, where the r losses reached 14,000 in a single day. [ OFFENSIVE DEVOLVES ON INFANI TRY. " United Service. s .London, May>*?o. Mr. Murdoch, who is visiting 'the Italian front, after reviewing the Volition of the armies, says that the battle ' in essentially one of infantry. Foldß of ° the hills, and 1 , gullies, and peaks protect * the Austrian machine-gunners from the e Italian guns, compelling the infantry to '• do most of the work. This is being done J againßt strongly placed machine-guns, 1 of which the Austrians have large sups' plies. The Austrian artillery does little " counter-attack work, conserving its shells l ' for defensive barrages. During the at- * tack there were indications that the Ause trians had drawn many guns to these 0 regions. s Mr. Murdoch said 18,000 prisoners '• were taken, mostly Dalmatians, Czechs 'i and Hungarians, of all ages from 18 to •i 45, but 19 per cent, were from 22 to 32. '• The men struck him as muscular in apd poarance, showingthat they had not suf- '* fered from a shortage of food. l ' Mr. Murdoch says the lull in the y fighting is necessary for the preparation ■• of a further offensive, particularly here, " where the skill of the Italian sappers alone make* war possible. Ridge after ridge must be systematically bought at n their price until the gates are unlocked R perhaps months ahead. Every trencft y must be blasted from the rocks, and h miles of tunnels exist. i'' None cah question the valor of the -■ Italians, nor the heartiness of their '• war effort. Their figures for mobilisation would aetcaish the world,