Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-05
BY FRANK n. s1MoNDs.

BY FRANK h. S1MONDS.
Copyright 1915. by the New York Tribune)
oThis is the third article in the simonds
secries.)
On September l the first hundred days
of Italy's war were ended ana the
period supplies a useful measure OF the
first phase of the campaign OF the Ital'
ian troops. What. then. have the SOL
diers of the peninsula accomplished IL
span equal to that which separated
Napoleon's landing in France from the
collapse of Waterloo?
Measured on the map exceedingly
little In the opening days of this de-
partment of the great continental
struggle the world heard much OF
Italian advances. Ala, Monfalcone, Ora
disca. Cortina. these were among the
towns redeemed" by the latest OF
Italian struggles to realize the unity
of their race. But these were incl
dents of the first few days.
Then followed a second set OF names
Tolmino. Gorilla, Trent and RoNerto
filled the Rome dispatches. and the
River IsonZo began to rival the olse'
the Meuss and the far mightler Wis
tula in the battle news. But TINS was
more than two months ago, ana no"
neither Tolmino nor Gorilla has fallen;
the heavy artillery of the Italians mas
not yet reached the forts of Trent IN
a word, the familiar circumstance OF
the western campaign is reproduced II,
the south; we have come to the war OF
trenches and to the condition of a
deadlock.
Reasons for Italy's Failure.
Why has Italy failed to break through
the wall of Austrian defenses and why.
after a hundred days. does her nring
line nowhere pass beyond the vision OF
an observer standing on the old from
tier, from which the advance began
three months ago? Have the ltahahS
failed, as Berlin and Vienna clailil :
Have they failed to realize just e1pec-
tations which they and their new allles
might have had at the beginning VI 'he
campaign?
The answer to these questions can
only be set forth in detailed eA-
animation of the Italian campaign:
But it is fair to say at the outset thae
1taly's failure, so far as she mas Iai,eu,
is due to circumstances beFond nef
control to the geography OF her nor.n-
eastern frontier, to the success OF ner
old enemy. Austria, in retaining the
districts south of the Alps whlcn are
naturally a part Of Italy and were Won
by the Hapsburgs at the congress OF
Vienna,
that Austria had before the war came
In which to get ready.
A Handicap to Italy.
Let US start with the last of these
difficulties In the war of 1856 Italy
fought as a German ally against Aus
tria Her object was to recover Fene-
tia, the last great province in the
peninsula subject to an alien sovereign.
But venetia, to the Italians. meant the
province as Napoleon had carved 1t,
Italy. 1t was a province including
within it's boundaries the two great
doors to the Italian plain. that from
the north through the Adige valley
Gorilla in the east. Botzen in the
north, were within the Italy of 1910.
When Bismarck defeated Austria his
first concern was to make peace that
would leave his hands free to strike
France. To do this he refrained from
taking any Austrian territory for
Prussia. When he had won his nght,
too, he lost interest in his Italian ally.
few years ago, when Napoleon III
lost interest in Italian questions after
Solferino and Magenta and left Venice
to Francis Joseph. Italy now suffered
the Adige valley from Botzen to Trent
were left to Austria. Italy had re-
gained her Venice. but the doorways
were left to the enemy.
As the frontier was drawn by the treaty
Of 1866, Austria retained not the SUBMITS
of the mountains from the IsonZo to Lago
d Garda, but the slopes on the Italian
side-not merely the crests, which were in
fact a great fortress, but the foothills,
which constituted an outwork- The Tren-
tino itself was like great citadel, rising
out of the valley of the Pc, commanding
the road from the Rhine and the Danube
81,
was in Austrian hands. 1t was the Aus
TRAN soldiers who drew the frontiers in
1866, and they drew them with due re-
gard to future conflicts between Hapsburg
and Savoy.
Demands for "Compensations."
Here was the first handicap of Italy.
II was to free herself from this. to be
master in her own lands. that Italy de-
manded "compensations'' from Austria in
the early months of this year. She asked
for the frontiers Of 1910 1t was the AUS
trian refusal that led finally to the pres
ent war. But the war was to show how
completely the Austrian map makers of
1866 had done their work.
In recent months British newspapers
have been filled with criticism of the man
rer in which the Dardanelles operation
has been managed. The main criticism
rests on the fact that the navy attempted
10 force the straits without the aid Of any
land force. failed, and thus warned the
Turks Of the coming of an army. When
the army arrived the Turks were prepared,
their trenches dug. their guns placed. The
result was that from the outset the opera
tons on the Gallipoli peninsula were of
the trench variety, and in four months
the advance has been less than four
miles, mile a month.
Now Italy has had to face a similar
disadvantage. without having committed
a similar blunder. AS far back as 1909.
when the Bosnian episode first revived
ancient Austro-1talian bitterness, Austrian
engineers began the work of throwing
round the great permanent fortresses OF
the Trentine Tyrol and the lower and
upper Isonzo lines of permanent trenches.
lined with cement. Year after year this
work has been carried forward. When
Italy made war on Turkey for Tripoli
here was one political faction in Austria
which advocated an attack upon Italy. At
that time more military works were con-
structed.
But 1t was after the great war broke
out that the most important preparations
were made. By January l the new char
acter Of war was fully disclosed in
France and Flanders the great double
lines Of trenches faced each other from
the Gate of Burgundy to the North sea
The real meaning Of a war Of nations, a
war literally Of the men OF nations, OF q
restricted front, was plain and the AUS
TRANS were prompt to apply the lessons.
Early in the present year. when Italy
at last began to make insistent de-
mands for a redrawing of her Fene-
tian frontier. which should abolish
the triumphs of the Austrian map max
ff Sfrt. mil IA 1E1 q