THE ITALIAN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1918, Page 4

THE ITALIAN FRONT.

Judging from the cabled messages concerning the Austrian offensive on the Italian front, the enemy effort appears lo have been a decided failure, amounting to a most creditable victory for Italy and her allies. It is evident that the Austrians had mads extensive preparations for delivering a crushing blow, the height of their artillery fire being exceptionally heavy. According to General Ulaurice, the Austrians' main attack in the mountains was on either side of the Brenta front, twenty miles in width, the object being to secure issues to the plains by way of the Brenta and Astico valleys, forcing the Italians to fall back from the Piave, under most difficult circumstances, for fifty miles across the Brenta to a longer and less secure line behind the Astico, involving the abandonment of. Venice and Padua; hence the importance of the complete failure of the attack. The enemy-attack across the Piave was practically resultless, and the progress insignificant. The defeat inflicted on the Austrian forces was such as to necessitate reorganisation, and is a glowing tribute to the result of that complete unity which exists in the Allied operations, at the head of which is General Foch. This offensive has been in preparation for some time, and the Allies were quite ready to start in with effective work,, the nature of'which'is apparent by the result achieved. In spite of the density of the enemy bombardment, and the violence of the struggle of the enemy to extend the occupation of Monte Cello, and thereby-open the way to the plains, his advance was effectively op--posed, large numberß tof prisoners being taken, as well as guns. The success of the Allies is'in some meagre due to the advice given by Generals Focli and Sir William Robertson to General Cadorna, last Autumn, relative to the arrangements connected with the Italian line of defence, but this in no-way diminishes the splendid fighting of the Anglo-French-Italian forces. Whether Austria undertook this offensive at the dictation of' Germany,, or as a means of silencing the growing discontent in her own country, need not be discussed. For the present it is quite sufficient to.know that the opposing forces being about equal, the enemy has met with an initial reverse that cannot fail to*have an appreciable effect on the morale'of his troops. On. the other hand, the Italian army has teen thoroughly reorganised, equipped and placed on a far~better footing than previously, so-that aithough the enemy may have larger reserves, the prospect decidedly favors the Allies. It is satisfactory to note that»the air fleet was once more an important factor in the and that-the Italians have recovere | tl»n; r splendid-.fighting powers., We „ jjw to recognise that all the' jAUjag, "giiting as. one,uSO that the, ssucco. 1 . nalian.fronfcfhas its dues

i J'iicior in the whole struggle against t y, for it is Germany who ia pulling the strings in-every theatre of the-"war. It is also well *tor remember that the Italians are. fighting for lost territory, and that the nation is- united in this great patriotic effort, while the Austrian household is -a-lrotbedof disaffection and racial troubles. Whatever 1 -advantages Austria may have in the choice of attack, they*-ar^ : greatly out-* weighed by the unity and their determination to-achieve-vic-'tory, and this waa-demonsfcrttfced by the manner in which the Austrian attack countered, „ an<L the«demaratfsing*-ef.-ifect that -ensued. Developments will l>e ♦keenly "waiaclied, but -it would eeom that there-need be not the al to-the issue -of thfe-sfcrugg]*.