Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-06-02

Washington, New York, May 2S.-
An officer, who IS generally recogniz
ed as one Of the foremost s~trategtsts
in the United States, tonight gave
The World IN outline Of the probable
effects that the entrance OF Italy int
the war will have on the general sit
uation.
Unless all OF our information il
wrong" he said, che difficulties o!
the kaiser tonight are about Is PEI
cent greater than they were las:
night. There appears 10 be an i'm
preston IN some quarters that Italy
will be put on the defensive, because
large German and Austrian forces
have been Inobiiized at points on the
border. This theory may be put aside
as valueless. Austria will be on the
defensive from the beginning except
probably in some cases she will make
a drive at Italian points for strategic
al reasons.
Italy has a trained army Of $780,.
900 soldiers, who are superior to the
same number OF Austrians and equal
to the same number of Germans. In
addition, she has reseryists Of various
classes who bring her total fighting
men up to about 5000. 900, More than
half OF this number is already mo-
biliZed. Undoubtedly the entire force
will be in the field within 60 days.
Her railroad facilities are far supe-
rior to the Austrian facilities.
!, Fleet Also Strong.
"The Italian fleet, according to the
information in the possession Of the
navy department, is in excellent con-
dition. Man for man and pound for
Mound, the feet is much better than
Anstria's.
"The Italian fleet is now in the
Mediterranean. 1t will undoubtedly
be shifted to the mouth of the Adri-
attic without delay, where it will take
the place OF a large part of the
French fleet, which is now keeping
the Austrian fleet bottled up in the
Adriatic. The French warships
would then be free to press the fight
ing at the D%ardaneLes.
The principal purposes Of the Ital
fans at the opening OF hostilities will
be to drive the Austrians from OLD
Italian territory, and then they vii
be used to divert the German and
Austrian forces from their main lines,
with a view OF compelling tho Ten
tonic alliance to shift its forces sc
that the French and British may
make a successful drive into Ger,
many.
Based upon this theory, the first
important campaign will be directed
through the Austrian Tyrol In tho di
rection OF Vienna If Italy should
make a determined attempt along
this line, the Austrians will be com.
PEELED to divert a large force from the
other lines, in the hope OF protecting
the capitalf II Italy should take vi,
emma. it would probably result in con
vincing the Austrians that they might
as well give up the war and let the
kaiser fight it out on his W lines.
May Turn German Line.
While n force is attempting to
make its way to Vienna 1t is probable
that q second force may be swung
over the French border at a point in
the vicinity OF Turin and be directed
against Germany's southern border
in the vicinity Of Strassburg.
"If 500;000men should be taken over
the French territory near the Swiss
border and suddenly attack the ex
treme end Of the German line it nigh
result eventually In turning the line
This is a problem that has al
ready received serious. consideration
and it may loom up as a tremendous
factor in the war. If such an army
were sent across southern France IN
this manner the kaiser would be com.
PEELED to shift a large force from one
of his principal lines, wit:s the result
that it would be weakened exceeding
ly.
"Of course. the part that Italy viii |