Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-06-02

field. OF this number $4,000 are in
the active army, 245, 900 in the mobile
army, and 100000 in the territorial
militia With a normal peace strength
of 100000 men, $4,000 horses and 48O
horsed guns, she can place in the field
100000 men for active operation, in
Guiding 544 battalions, $50 squadrons
and $50 batteries. The larger units
comprise IA army corps, each of two
or three divisions, $4,000 to $4,000
men, and four cavalry divisions, each
of $500 sabers. By calling on re-
serves of all classes the total avail
able strength can be raised to $780,
202 men.
The Italian infantry uses the Mann
licher-Carcano rife. The field artil-
lery should now be almost completely
rearmed with the Deport rs nm.
gun of the 1911 pattern, while there
are plenty Of heavy guns, siege guns
and heavier types of the coast defenses.
Italy Spends $4oo, 1000, 900.
During the last eight months Italy
has spent approximately $400,000.000
on special preparations for war.
The Deport gun is a French pattern
which is an improvement on the IA
nous "75." The single trail of the
ordinary gun carriage is replaced in
the Deport by two trails, hinged,
which can be driven into the ground
wide apart, forming ''V'' and anchor
ing the carriage with extraordinary
steadiness. With this type of carriage
the gun can be given great elevation
and used for attack on air craft. Be-
sides the new Deport guns, Italy has
a number of three-inch Krupps of a
pattern similar to that used by the
German army.
Has Strong Air Squadron.
Her great artillery works also have
provided her with a 16-inch howitzer,
which is said to have all the qualities
of the Krupp 17-inch and to be lighter
and much handler.
In aeroplanes Italy was weak until
the special vote last year enabling
her to build flying machines largely.
She is now we'll supplied and has ex-
cellent airships, among these being
a number of Forlini nonrigids.
There are great armament works
owned by Ansaldo and by the Arm
strong company and a gunmaking
plant on Lake Iseo, near Lovere.
The finest Italian troops are the
Alpine regiments and the bersaglieri,
or rifiemen. These troops are accus-
toned to maneuver in the Alps.
Their strength is $4,000.
Frontier is Mountainous.
The war of 1866 gave Venetia to
Italy, but left Austria in possession
of the crests of the Alps and the heads
of the principal valleys. From Swift
zerland to the Julian Alps the frontier
follows the crests of the hills at an
elevation of 1000 to 10000 feet. Elk
cept the valley of the Adige there are
few facilities for the movement of
masses of men across this section of
the frontier.
Between the Julian Alps and the
Adriatic the character of the frontier
changes. The hills gradually become
lower and nothing prevents move
ments on a broad front across the
Tagliamento eastward.
The Tyrol juts out like bastion
into the Lombardo-Venetian plain. On
its western flank only three roads
cross the frontier, but the eastern
flank is more accessible, and the broad
valley of the Adige leads northward
into the heart of the Tyrol. The
Carnic Alps are not crossed by any
road fit for wheeled traffic. A noun
famous district 80 miles broad sepa-
rates the frontier from the Venetian
plain.
Many Armored Forts.
The Carnic Alps defend themselves,
but thence westward to Switzerland
every accessible line of approach has
its Austrian barrier fort, usually an
armored work in a commanding posi-
ton for long-range fighting and an
auxiliary barrier in the valley armed
with quick-firing and machine guns.
Nearly all the forts have armored
cupolas with six to twelve guns and
howitZers of medium caliber.
Armored observatories, powerful
searchhghts, underground cables and
signal stations aid the defense. Be
sides these exterior works the Tyrol
has group of works at Riva, another
at Franzensfeste to protect the rail-
way junction, and finally a strong
fortress at Trent, which Is the keep
of the Tyrol and is surrounded by
a girdle of batteries and armored
forts.
AS for the frontier east of the Tag
hamento, the Austrians could nor
mally mobilize more quickly than
Italy, and confront her with superior
orces.
Italy Long on Watch.
When the war began the general