The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-06-26
AUSTRIAN BORDER
is BEST GUARDED
Frontier BriSiIGs With Power.
full Modern FOTiiiiCatlOns.
ITALY CONTROLS PASSES.
Military Experts Watch With Interest
First Steps Italian Army Is Taking
In Effort 20 invade Austria, q Task
Which They Regard as Hard as
Crossing Rhine.

Which They Regard as Hard as
! Crossing Rhine.
| Military experts are watching keenly
| the first steps of Italy to effect an in
gasion of Austria. No situation in the
war has been fraught with greater in
terest.
1t is generally conceded by the ex
! perts that the double chain of border
| Notifications between Austria and
Italy are stronger on the Austrian than
the Italian side Military men believe
That Itaiy's task III breaking into Aus
tria is even harder than that of cross
ing the Rhine.
The fortifcat1On system of Austria
Hungary along the Italian frontier was
planned with a view to frustrate
ltaly's attempt to invade the Trentine
the object Of her national desires, and
TO guard against a possible offensive
movement Of great magnitude aloi.g
The Villach-Taryis route through the
Nella valley. 1t is admitted in mill
harry circles that Austrian Notifications
nAS 1AV0CAh anu OH dICE1SdIlJ DCt
ter located than the Italian fortif1cs-
tlOnS
Austria Controls Highlands.
Austria practically has control Of the
highlands and the mountainous terri
tory along the entire Italian frontier.
Italy has possession Of the loWland ter
rain.
The Notifications on the Italian line
Rre SO located that they control the
passes and ali possible lines OF inva-
sion which lead from TyToI and Carin
thia into Italy and also protect the left
flank Of the army, concentrated on the
Venetian plains. But the terrain of
ltaly'S northern border offers Il favOra.
bic opportunity for Austro- Hungarian
troops TO attack the flank and the rear
Of the Italian offensive movement to-
ward TyrOl and .Carinthia.
To cOunteract this all passes between
the Isonzo and the Stilfser-Joch are
fortified by small caliber guns and
made impassable foF bodies of troops
The Tonale pass and others are mined
and guarded. and batteries are placed
at Bormio and Edolo A fort has just
been completed at Ponte-di- i-Legnot
which controls the approach from the
TOn0le road
Several groups Of fortifications guard
the territory between the AGiSc valley
and Calvary mountain and block ali
approaches into the AsticO, Brenta and
Piave valleys. They also protect the
Venetian lowlands, which serve as a
concentration point for an Offensivs
NOV vement against southern Tyrol.
Classmates Hewn In Rock.
The fortress Of Agordo, towering on
rocky precipice, guards the ap-
sroaches leading from the Cortina
dA1npezzo and the Fiera di Primiero
to the military concentration points In
the Cordevole valley, at Bellune-Fe
Il consists of long range batteries and
castmates hewn into the rock.
The Tagllamento valley. important
because of it's railroad connections and
road concentration, IS protected by
Fort Osoppo, which consists Of several
modern batteries situated on top of a
rock 100 meters high, surrounded by a
concrete rampant There are no per
manent fortifications east OF the Tag
liamento.
The nature OF the italian fortlfica-
tions is partly a blockade defense, with
defensive chGracter-like Rocca dan.
So Val Leogra and AgOrdO-and partly
a protection for specified concentration
points for offensive preparations. such
Apci Ash DFiron oSfr
and Lamon. But they also secure a
well defined terrain for maneuverins
along the frontier, as ut Vigo, Loren
Eago, Fornt- t-AvOilieri and Piede di Ca
dore.
The strongest Notifications are those
Of Agordo. Val LeOgra aud RtvOh-Ce-
raino.
Tyrol Route Indisputable.
The Austrian Notifications at Jarvis
guard the passes and roads LEADING
through the Carinthian Alps and con-
siSt OF the modern fOrtreSSes Of Flitsch.
Rabbi and Hensel. Their equipment
consists of modern long range noun
tain guns machine guns and lighter
armament. The forts are armored anJ
are among the strongest on the Italian
border.
The Tyrol, especially the southern
part, is strongly fortified. The Adige
road and the Chiusa Veneta. known TO
the warriTrS OF ancient Rome, are &c
this day the Capitalization point %
communication and OF military opera
tons.
The fortress Of TRENT is one Of the
most modern in Austria. 1t consists OF
large calibeT guns, armored turrets and
powerful siege guns. Its command OF
the Adige ralley and the South Tyro-
lean route Is inGisputable.
The east front is protected by sew
eral fortified places between the Val
Sugana and the Astico Valley. The
west front is guarded by Fort Cadine,
/ consisting of several batteries and ram