Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-20
FIGHTS TO REGAIN
LOST PROVINCES
Italy Seeks to Establish Nat
ural Bulwark Formed
by Alps.
CAMPAIGN PROGRESSES WELL
Real Struggle Lies Ahead, When
Trent and Trieste Are
to Be Taken.


(Correspondcncc OF Associated rrcssD
ROME. November 23.--Itnly now has
100000 engaged in the war and is
preparing TO add another million. About
l. 900. 900 men are on the lighting line.
stretched along the mountains from
rr. ntino in the west to the Austrian
stronghold Of Gorizin in tho cast An
other million is IN reserve for cmcr-
gencics and Ia ill gaps In the Sighting
line as nccucd. or for operations in thr
balkans. The third million is p"c-
scntcd in the additional classes in pro-
cess Of being assembled during the com
inE months as the scope of offensive
and defensive military operations may
bcco enlarged
The Italian campaign is well under.
stood by every Italian. But the out
side world has had only vague under
standing Of the meaning of these opera
tons.
The military operations and what
Italy has accomplished are best inder
stood ny taking a map OF Italy shown"
the northern frontier. The Alps sweep
: III 4 great s-''llllClltlt iTpii biit i itil'l
frontier. on the Mediterranean. to the
Austrian frontier. on the .NGriatic. This
sweep from west 10 east is sort OF
natural buiwark or boundary of Italy.
lIut in two places this natural Sweep
! OF the Alps is dcnted deeply to the
southwark. first in the Trentino region
in the west, and then in the Trieste
gon OF the upper Adriatir. Thus. the
natural boundary of the Alps is broken
NJ two vital points, ANA Austria has
tstrctch"d down at both these points
ard firmly establish ,d her political
control. her control of Trcntino dating
/ from the time OF Napoleon and OF the
I Trieste region from the war Of 1866
FIRST OBJECT TO GET HACK
| TWO LOST PROVINCES
! The first object therefore. Of Italys
campaign Is to get back the two prov
inc"s which dcnt the natural frontier
of the Alps. thus reEaininv former
Italian tcrtitcrv, and rc-eStablishinG
the great mountain range as the
strategic defense. against the nations
, OF the north, This main objective has
incccssitatcd dividing the campaign into
two parts. one in the west. with Trent
rs tho center, and the other in the east
with Trieste as the chief object Be
tween 100000 and 5no.G00 men are en-
gased in the western operations cen
tering at Trent, and about f0n.OuG mel.
in the eastern operations directed to-
wa"ds Trieste. IL all aoout .1u0.OOC
men. with nno;hcr million reserve
The main drive Of the Italians has
been in the section toward Trieste. the
great Austrian port Of the Adriatic ly-
ING just across from Venice. This rich
nf Epr.icp iS ', rll, moro thnp
days march from the Italian frontier
and yet the war has been going on 70.
! six monihS-and the Italian army is
nowhcrc near Trieste. The military
leaders say Trieste could have been
taken any time in fifteen days--but 1t
could not be hold. as the Carso Noun
tains swe - around back of Trieste
and from circle fifteen miles back
from the !Ndriatic, with Austrian hat
tcrics posted At every crest Of these
Icncrclin: mountains The Italian com.
mandcrs. therefore. decided :hlt in
stcad of taking the rich prize Of Trieste
It was a military necessity first to con-
! troll all the approaches ard mountain
fcfcns-S sweeping around Trieste. That
in reality has beer ,hn campagn going
on during the last six months.
The Italian comma ndrrS oXprcrs sat
maG". All the fighting: has been or
Austrian soil. The Italian ccast ports
Port" i;uSo ana ''rado lea ding toward
Trieste. have been taken hy the Italians.
and from Grado ;hc lights Of trieste
can lo S"cn at nirht across the Adri-
iatiC. Further south in the morntain
territory. the I'lava Pass has been
won, though at the cost Of whole rcoi
incNtS cut to pieces and q chain OF
mountain tops. villages ard cities rnvn
been established cncirclinS Gorizia Hut
Go"iZia Itself stiil holds. through it's
natural mountain Gcfrns"s and its rail
way lines. pouring in constant fresh
/ supplies to the troops.
tMMI NIriON Output
SHORT or RI:QUJREMENTs
The Italians found soon after tho
campaign began that they were only
making nc-tifth as much ammunition