Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-24

ed tour of the frontier between the
Lake Of Garda and Montaggio Part of
The frontier runs through the fantas-
tic and magnificent Dolomitc noun
tanS and past the ovcrDowering, rose
flushed peaks Of Galore, whose beau
ties are so swcctly sung by Italy's poet.
Cartiucci. ] found war everywhere in
TIE air The severcst regulations are
taken with regard to foreigners near
the forttfiCations; and fresh fortifica-
tons are being made wherever the
roads are not already sufficiently
guarded. Even whore as at Misvrina
tiny tongue Of italian territory is
"edEcd into Austria, Austria has
built new fort, On one side Of tho
frontier Austrian Jaeger soldiers, on
the other side, Italian "BcrSagleri''
practise night and day amid the LIME
stone peaks. Near Misvrina | witness
ed Austrian artillerists dragging an
enormous inch sIcge-Eun to the top
of the l)urrcnstein, an almost preCip-
itouS mountain some 1000 feet high.
Both states are improving their forth
ticationS around Riva on the lake Of
Garda; and new regulations against
photcgraphing or even using field
conditions on Gnrda Lake mako
Austria extremely nervous. All but
few miles of the coast Ton which,
however. lies Riva) are Italian. and
nominally to catch smugglcrs-Itnl
maintains Il notillu OF torpedo boats
which hold Riva at their mercy All
night these boats cruise about the
lake, casting a menacinE glare on the
defcncclcss Austrian town. whose
purely Italian-speaking inhabitants
confidently await their Incorporation
with Italy as the first fruit OF war. The
frontier around Lake Garda is badly
marked. Night practices go on I'M
,.,s, ,l,.g Il !,
soldiers Of the two powers continual
~ trespass over the frontiers, and
arrests and even fights take place
every day. The local newspapers keep
up n parallel war of recrimination,
Lately the two governments took
steps to put an end TO these troubles:
but the racial cnmitv is much too in
tense to be suppressed by official in
structions.
RISKY UNDERTAKING.
Whether Italy can fight Austria is
doubtful, The combatants viii be sim
gc-hnndcd. for Germany is under obli-
cations to help Austria only in case of
an attack from the Russian side. Aus
trials army Is somewhat larger than
Italy's. When fully modified she can
put into the field 100000 men, excellent
~ trained: and 100000 Landwehr.
LandSturm, and supplementary re-
serves The latter two forces arc
mostly available only for defense
against nn invader. Italys fully mo-
bilzcd force runs to 100000 men, with
n second Inc Of defense about as
strong rs Austra's. on paper the !tal-
ian fleet is tho stronger. II counts II
bnltlcshius nNpat and four building.
Two Of the buttlcshps arc over q years
old ana may be LEFT out Of account
Italy hns min" armnrcd cruisers Aus
tria's Ncct consists of 10 hattlcships
atlOat and two building. all OF pre-
Drcaduoughts under construction. and
two more planned. Experts cast doubt
on the efficiency Of italy's armed
forces: with many Austrian superiority
is u dogma. Inherited from the igno-
italian defeats by Austria on
land and s"a at CpSto"2a and l.issa.
since those Battles italy has fought
only with the Ahyssin;au Emperor
Mcnclik and then with disastrous re-
suits Itnlys ono great asset Is her
Homogeneous population; but she can
also count Oh help from the Austrian
italians; ard there is always chance
thai rnce disscnsion might make mill
The war for Italy is mono the less n
risky gamble, which may lead to dis
0Stcr,
That will not prevent the war break
ing out. That at least is Viennn's be-
lief and that Is why the Vienna cnbl-
net wants TO arm regardless Of cx
persh Tho only question ~ when the
struggle viii come TINT depends upon
Italy Austria's interest Is to delay: to
her DrcadnouEhts and to
strengthen hcr army itnly's interest Is
rather to hasten the issue. That being
so, no man can say that n frontinr-!is-
pute or some question of tho trca tment
nf italians In Austria, will not soon
drive the government of Rome to make
tho perilous plunge.
WALDEArAR PRICE