ITALY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1917, Page 5

ITALY.

OUTLOOK MORE CHEERFUL ANGLO-FRENCH TROOPS WELCOMED. GREATEST ENTHUSIASM PREVAILS. Received Nov.' G, 9 p.m. Rome, Nov. 5. Oienerala Foch and Robertson have already joined General Cadorna. Correspondents describe the demonstrations. While the British troops were travelling to the front they were offered flowers, fruit .and tobacco by great cheering crowds. A Turin message states that the arrival of the French troops also aroused unbounded enthusiasm, the soldiers fraternising with the people and singing tile Marseillaise and Garibaldi's hymn." Concentration towards the future field 'of resistance is progressing. At night every train is loaded with men and material going to the front. The outlook is more cheerful, and good news may be heard of before long. LEFT WING PRESSED. GERMANS CROSS THfc TAGLIAMENTO. Rome, Nov. 5. The Germans have crossed the Tagliamento. ■London, Nov. 5. An Italian official message states that the enemy has reached the right bank of the Tagliamento, northward of Pinzano, intensifying the pressure against our left wing. ITALIAN ARMY'S. FATE. HANGS IN BALANCE. London, Nov. 5. The fate of the main Italian array hangs in the balance. The Austrians made an attempt to deboucli in the rear from the Lake Garda positions. Tliey were held up, but the German pressure on the left wing at the Tagliamento was most intense. One western bridgehead has been lost, and a retreat towards the Piave seems inevitable. SWIFT ALLIED HELP. DUE TO PREVIOUS PLANS. Received Nov. 7, 1 a.m. f Paris, Nor. 6. The fact that General Foch in September drew up complete military .plans with General Cadorna accounts for the swiftness with which the Anglo-French reached the Italians, which lias surprised the Austro-Germans. Mr. Lloyd George and M. Pain!eve have gone to" Italy to gifa encouragement, advico, and warning to Italy, particularly regarding Boloism in Italy, which i» of Socialist origin, ITALIANS HANDICAPPED. BY SHORTAGE OF GUNS. ' RACE BETWEEN ENEMY ARTILLERY AND ALLIED REINFORCEMENTS. Received Nov., 7, 1.10 a.m. London, Nov. 0. Mr. Ward Price continues: Large forces of Austrians are five miles beyond the Tagliamento, using the Pinzano bridgehead, but the crossing does not implj" a fresh Austrian victory, as the river is only the first line of defences upon which General Cadorna is depending. The struggle will largely consist of a race between the enemy heavy artillery and that of the Allied reinforcements. The Italians are sorting themselves out and being re-equipped, but there is an inevitable shortage of ammunition, and the considerable loss of guns is a grave drawback to the Italian defences, though their position is naturally strong and capable of being made stronger. It; is believed the Austrian attack west of Lako Garda is only a feeler, but the Italians in the Trentino must be ready for severe trials.

ENEMY PATROLS HELD. THE FLOODS SUBSIDE Received Nov. 0, 9 p.m. London, Nov. o. Mr. Ward 'Price telegraphs that enemy patrols crossed the Tagliamento on the Italians' left, but are being held. Even if the retirement must be continued to a stronger line of retreat, there must bo fighting. The withdrawal was possible owing to the delay which, the crossing of the Tagliamento caused to the Austro-Germans, but the rain has ceased and the floods, which might have lasted for weeks, have unfortunately subsided.

AUSTRIAN POISON GAS. THE DEADLIEST YET USED. Received Nov. G, 9 p.m. Amsterdam. Nov. 5. The Gorizin, correspondent of the Budapest paper Pesti Hij-lap states that the Austrian* attacked the city with a new poison gas, the invention of a Viennese professor. It is far more terrible .arid deadly than any hitherto used in the war. Italian gas masks were of no avail to counteract the effects, GERMAN REPORT. London Nov. ». A German official wireless message says:— The Austro-Germans have gained the crossing of the Middle Taglinmento, and jare advancing westward. They took ' UOOO Drisoners and a number of gunß,

WON BY A HANDFUL OF TROOPS. GERMANS' MOST REMARKABLE SUCCESS. REPINGTON WARNS CABINET. Times Service. Received Nov. 7, 1 a.m. London, Nov. (5. Colonel Repington says it is the most remarkable German success of the war, bavin# been won by only a handful of troops. , General von Billow's army consisted of six divisions, two from the French and four irom the Russo-Roumanian fronts. Thev routed the Itr.liay army, which was of far superior strength, proving again the predominance of moral o-'or material forces, and it is only the subversive propaganda that will explain ths terrible stain on the Italian army's name. None can recognise the heroes of ths past in this distressing fnut. involving the greatest of the Allied disasters of the war. PROJECTED OFFENSIVE AGAINST SALONIKA. Col. Repington warns the Cabinet that General von Mackensen is projecting an offensive against Salonika, and that General von Falkenhavn is sending large Turkish forces, which have been freed from Armenia, aaainst Generals Maude or Allenhy or both. ' •A CALL FOR SACRIFICES. Col. Repington claims that sixty more divisions would have broken the German front in the west, and lie calls on the Empire to make sacrifices equal to those of Germany, whose military efl'ort is double that of the British.