South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-16
SEE HUGE TEUTON :
4 ARMY TO ITALY
Closing OF Swiss Frontier Be-
lieved Screen For Moving
Bavarian Troops.
BY ANDRE

MILAN, July 16.-As 10 the mean
ing Of the continued closing OF the
Swiss frontier by the German and
Austro-Hungarian authorities there is
hardly any doubt that this is 20 con-
cesl large movements Of troops. One
reliable report says that nearly an en-
tire Bavarian army is being transport
ed somewhere.
One story is that they are TO be
thrown en- masse against the italian
army, drive it back by an onslaught
by Overwhelming numbers and invade
the provinces OF Venstia and LON
hardy with q great Austro-German
army of 100000 or 100000 men,
with the object OF occupying the Ital-
ian territory from the Adriatic TO the
gulf Of Genoa.
Even IL such a huge effort were TO
be made the Italian army is now suf-
fciently strong i. its positions, excel
lently equipped with guns and am
munitiOn and the Italian soldiers have
proved themselves equal in valOr n
the power of resistance with the best
soldiers Of Eu:Ope. so that there
would not be the slightest chance Of
the Austro-Germans eve passing over
the DolOmite road or dow the valley
Of the Adige or crossing the IsOnZo.
What the Italian army has won it is
capable Of holding against double the
odds.
The wonderful intrepiGty with
which the Italian troops captured the
most difficult heights of the Carso
plateau, east Of MonfalcOne. was de-
scribed today by one who had taken
part in the tight.
Italians Get Out OF Trap.
The Italians were penned in on a
narrow strip OF low land before the
Austrian positions with a river at
their back and an artificial canal in
front. The rain had made the ground
in places almost impossible while the
Austrians held the heights on rocky
soil and a series of spurs equivalent
TO strong fortiications.
The entire ridge, moreover, was
lined with artificial fOrtiicatiORS and
machine guns and batteries had been
hurried into position by the Austrians.
Traps and mines lay everywhere.
When the order TO push forward
was given there was a shout all along
the lines of the Avanti and SavOia.
The whole country for miles around
sounded with this cry.
Before long the Italians fusilliers in
their grey uniforms could be seen
climbing the hillsides. taking the enc
my by surprise for the artillery bonn
bardment had hardly ceased when the
infantry moved forward.
While the Italian assailants kept the
Austrians in check by a heavy rifle
fire they crept forward, entered the
trenches and drove the enemy out at
the point of the bayonet. the while
others flung hand grenades and pur-
sued the f%Ugitives. The six lines of
trenches we're thus taken in success
sion.
ROME. July Is. I'm Galore
where our offensive developments
~methodically. we have continued the
bombardment with good results
against the Platzeise and Landro for
tihcations. A battery placed on Rout
kolf. east OF LandrO. was partially dis
mounted. Accommodating parties sue
cessfully engaged the enemy at Sci
kOff and Burgstall, in the Sexton val
ley. In the Falzarege sector an in
fantry contingent surprised and cccu-
pied Falzarego peak, proceeding ny a
route considered impossible. Austrian
cOunter-attacks during the night of
the 18th were repulsed.
The situation is unchanged on the
rest If tho front