ITALY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1917, Page 5

ITALY.

ENEMY'S POWERFUL, THRUST, .1 ,M LOSSES DISREGARDED. i .'4' A- ' London, Doc. 7, Mr. Jul,us Price writes: General Con. rad'tfon Hoetzendorf'g thrust northwards of Asiago continues with great intensity. Disregarding losses the enemy aims at forcing the Italian portions defending the entrance to the Val Fienze and the La Baasano road. The Austro-Germans are utilising enormous numbers. The weather it like spring and favors the assailants. ENEMY PRESSURE INCREASING. ITALIANS' MAGNIFICENT DKFSNCff. RIGHT WING SWINGS BACK. HOPELESS BUT ESSENTIAL COUNTER-ATTACKS. Received Dec. 9, sii pjn." ■n •, i . 1 London, Dee, 0. British correspondent* on the Ttaii.p front state that the Austriafi front, north-east of Asiago, is developing with ever-increasing intensity and pressure oil the enemy's irresistible numerical superiority. The Italians behaved magnificently during twenty-four hours' continuous attacks. At one spot, defended by Alpini and Bersaglieri,'there was not a Single survivor. The official* swan that they would foe killed to ft nm rather than surrender and carried on! their resolution. The Italians, being bj two to one on a six mile frent, swung the right wing until it reached the Brenta Valley, The counter•attaclm wers costly and hopeless, but were eseeetial ii order to delay the deployment ©f th« enemy reserves. BOMBARDING BRENTA VALLEV _ NOXIOUS SHELLS (USED. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reutep, Received Dec. 0, ,6.5 p.m. .. London, Dee. 8. Mr. -Jennes, describing the Italian position, says the enemy's success enaiblei him to bring up guns and pour a direct fire down the Brenta Valley, to the plains behind the Rave lines. Thf enemy is using a new noxious shell, inducing incessant vomiting, nausea and weakness. * ENEMY MASSED ADVANCE CHECKED BY ITALIAN ARTILLERt) Received Dec. 9, 5.5 p.m. Ti ,• London, Dee. 8. Italian official: The battle continues oi the Asiago 2>lateau. Our artillery pre' vented the advance of enemy raartsea thus enabling our withdrawal frojn th» Melette salient. Machine-gun fire drove hack the enemi in disorder in the Frenzola vailev, The enemy attempted to break Uiroual with large forces southward of GalHo Our resistance" enabled us to link up ora line, arresting the enemy's advance at i Monte Sisemol, after repulsing fix as* I faults.

UNITED. STATES

WAR AGAINST AUSTRIA. THE DECLARATION SIGNED. Washington, Dec, "i. The House passed a resolution by 38! votes to 1, and immediately sent it ti White House, where President Wilsol signed it this evening, thus completin| the legislative process. The Senate unanimously adopted th< resolution difclaring war against Aua tria. Senator La Follettc was not prea ent

JAPAN.

HUGE NAVAL PROGRAMME Tokio, Dee. The new budget includes a naval pro gramme spread over six years, eostinj 30 millions sterling and adding tw< battle-cruisers yearly, also submarines wil't a lavge appropriation for avlatioi purposes.

IN THE AIR.

NAVAL AIRCRAFT ACnVE London, Dee. 7 The Admiralty reports that naval aircraft on Wednesday and Thursday bombed the Uytkirke, St. Denis-Westr'em, and Engel aerodromes, also Bruges dock and various railway trallic, causing fire*. Al! our machines returned. During the light, ing our patrols destroyed (wo miifbinef and shot down lour, three o'i th._> lu'.lei being probably destroyed.