Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-30

Tauern Railway, opened in 1909, runs
trains between Berlin and Trieste in
twenty-five hours, and the Karawan.
ken railway, opened In 1906 between
Vienna and Trieste, in eleven hours.
The Hungarian railway covers the dis.
lance from Fiume to Budapest ria Az.
ram in about thirteen hours. But,
Notwithstanding these communica.
tons, SO completely do TIE mountains
shut off the Austrian and Hungarian
interiors that invaders could be easily
withstood.
OF the character of these approach.
'es 1t may De noted that on the Kar.
akankeh line AZ tunnels and 727
bridges, so Of them Of good size, are
encountered between Trieste and Kla.
genfurt. Only about fifty miles out Of
Trieste. the railway enters the gorge
OF the lsonzo' after crossing that river
on a stone bridge 720 feet long, 118
feet high with a central arch $50 feet
in width. It'This gorge extends for
miles necessitating two tunnels and
two viaducts in it's course. The road
finally leaves it by a steep ascent of
the right bank through a series Of
tunnels. Not satisfied with these nat
ural impediments to a hostile army,
the Austrians have fortified Malbor-
geth Predil Pass and other points far.
thre, along. the roads into Carinthia.
Italian and Austrian Navies.
The primary effect of a belligerent
attitude or the part of Italy would un
doubtedly be felt at sea. The power.
full Italian fleet now assembled at Tar
anto, ear the heel of the Italian
"boot" would have two alternatives.
1t could join the allied s%quadrons now
attempting to force the Dardanelles
and capture Constantinople, or it
might combine with those which have
the Austrians bottled up in the Adria.
tic, and begin aggressive measures
against Pola, Trieste, or Fiume.
Italy has witnessed since the war
with Turkey, and the struggle in the
Balkans, a great expansion Of her
navy. The first Mediterranean Power
to take up construction of Dread
noughts, ship for ship, she may be
reckoned today a stronger naval pow
or than Austria. Italy is credited with
fifteen effective battleships built and
building, against thirteen for Austria.
In cruisers she is twice as strong, q
superiority she maintains in destroy
ers, torpedo boats. and submarines, al.
though it should. be noted that Aus.
trla will have a slight advantage In
torpedo boats when her immediate
building program is carried out.
The Italian fleet is normally divided
into six commands, with bases at Spe-
zia, Naples, Venice and laramie. Each
has a government dockyard. NADIA
lena. the naval station in the group
of fortified islands north Of Sardinia.
is also a base. The sixth command is
known as the Mediterranean faae.
There is a buildingyard at Castella-
mare, and to strengthen ltaly's re-
sources on the Adriatic. Brindisi was
a few years ago made the base Of the
torpedo flotilla, while 'Ancona was Sc.
lected as an additional naval base.
Other fortified points on the Italian
coast line, which measures nearly
5000 miles exclusive of Sardinia, Elba
and other small islands, are Yado,
Genoa and the Straits of Mesgentaro.
1taly's own facilities for warship
and armament construction are good.
The Ansaldo company, which is con.
solidated with the British firm Of
Armstrong. Whitworth & Company,
has works near Genoa, and a ship
yard at Sestri Ponen. The Orlando
and Vickers.Terni concerns have ship
yards respectively, at LaFoce and leg.
horn, and the latter, has gun and steel
works at Terni.- Various companies
manufacture torpedo craft at Naples.
Austria's Naval Defenses.
OF most interest, however, II Italy
espouseo the cause Of the allies are
Austria's naval defenses. For SO COM
pletely do the French and English
squadrons control the Mediterranean
that Austria can never hope to do
more than keep her ships within the
protection of her Notifications and de-
fend her naval arsenals as best she
may. For such a contingency, the
Austrian government, in spite of lean
years and curtailed navy appropria-