Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-27
The Alpine Battle Ground

FTNHF CHARACTER % frontier WHICH
i ents 10 Italy severely limits the field Of military
operations A. indeed Il does not insure from
the outset deadlock except along the valley OF the
1sonzo The ordinary lines OF communication between
Italy and Austria are through Alpine passes when
admit OF defense by handful OF troops against ar
mics. Tunnels and bridges once dynarnited would
check an invasion for months. The railroad route
from Verona TO Trent thence north through the Tyro
by the Bremen 10 Innsbruck. Is the only practicable
for invading army in either direction. Along
this line the Austrians have many defenses Cement
platforms at commanding positions are even no"
being utilized In mounting heavy guns. In addition
masked batteries being put in place to oppose every
Of an advance up steep defiles Squads Of Rus
sian prisoners and Galcan refugees are reported TO
be work already digging trenches In the Trentlno
district, where the Italian offensive IL expected.
This Trentino approach Ia also that along which
Italy fears n sudden attack by q German force upon
Of her rich cities the north For none OF the
other familiar into Italy open The road
from Turin TO Paris by the St Gents tunnel leads
directly into French territory The simplon tunnel
route from Milan through the Alps crosses switzer-
land. az does the st. Gothard route from Milan to
Lucerne, and the preparations made by the de-
termined Swiss 10 maintain their neutrality e.
fectuay that The Toino, the valley through
which the last route passes and which was 30 often
the highway OF opposing armies In the italian wars
is not likely TO have a place in the record Of the
impending struggle
To block the Trentino route Italy would be able TO
mass what troops Il has mobilized with little delay
and II would be certain to occupy She narrow noun
tain passes its first move. For once the Italian
frontier IL reached by invader, the defenses are
Of the weakest True there Qualifications at Ca
sale an important railroad junction. at PiacenEa'
also railway center and the largest artillery depot
in Italy; Venice and at Alessandria There are de-
lenses OF a sort at Verona and Mantua-~hi"h ~'Nh
Peschiers and Lsgnaso, formed the old Austrian
duadrilateral used to such good purposes ~ isa-s
ls-and the basin OF the Po IL studded with forth
fled places But as the commission of 1901 reported.
these dsfenses are very far from being modern or
adequate.
On the eastern frontier. Austria might force the
fighting II OF a mind TO anticipate ltaly's first
move For the three railroad arteries leading
from the heart OF Austria and Hungary emerge from
mountain defles the low coast lands we'll within
the boundaries OF thss dual monarchy. These plains
offer suitable theater IN which TO assemble an army
quickly and Italy has dsfenses the artificial
boundary line running down TO the sea from ths
Julian Alps This very point might well be selected
by Italy for forward movement Railroads OF north
ern Italy are numerous enough for rapid concern
troops there by roads crossing the frontier
from Udine and g. GIorgio into the district about
Trieste This movement could be expedited by use OF
the very fair high roads leading from Cividae and
Palmanova down TO the Istrian peninsula. With the
cooperation OF italian fleet this form Of attack
by Italy. especially II prompt enough to cut off
the defenders communications IN the might we'll
put the whole Istrian promontory into the hands OF
the invaders, PoIa. however, IL strongly fortified
against land attack
eraI railway this quarter leading to Vienna
and Budapest into believing that italian army
could seriously threaten those cities quite unforffed
as they II is true that the distance from Venice
10 SalzburE via Yfach is only 800 miles twelve
hours BY express and that Vienna itself is but 400
miles away or matter of fifteen hours The Tauern
railway opened 1909. trains between Berlin aud
Trieste In twenty-five hours. and the Knrawanken
railway opened in between Vienna and Trieste. In
eleven hours The Hungarian railway covers the dis
lance from Fiunhe to budapest via Aeram In about
thirteen hours But notwithstanding these COMMUNE
cations, completely do the mountains shut OF the
Austrian and Hungarian interiors that ihSaoers cpu
be easily withatood ter
OF the character OF these approaches It may De
noted that on the Karawanken line II tunnels and "a
bridges OF them OF GOOD stse. are encountered De-
tween Trieste ana Kiagenfurt Only about fifty miles
out Of Trieste the railway enters the gorge OF the
Isonzo after crossing that river stone bridge ~
feet LONG us feet high with central arch zo feet
In width This orss extends for miles necessitatins
| two tunnels and two viaducts In its course The
road finally leaves II by steep ascent OF the right
bank through series Of tunnels Not Satisfied with
these natural ipedimsnts 70 hostile army, the Aus
TRANS have fortified Malborgeth Predn Pass and other
points farther along the roads into Carinthia
Last summer Italy'a standing army about 800.
900 strong with the frst and second line OF
1 the armed strength OF the nation totaed roughly
about 100000 men, But FOR many months hal
been apparent that Italy enters contest In which
II stands gain lose greatly IL must be prepares
many, with a population Of something less thar
100000 placed 100000 In the field. France
with a population OF less than 100000, has abou
100000 In the first line and reserve Great Britain
with a population of 4S0ooOoo is contributing NOR
than 100000 mem ratio that Is sufficiently high II
view Of the part played by the English fleet Italy
therefore, with a population Of about 100000 mus
| be prepared To call up at least twice many mel
it's estimated strength OF a year ago. between
100000 and 100000 II has also had time to recos
niEe tho qualities OF endurance demanded by present
warfare the importance OF morale. The reputation
| OF the Italian army Judging by past performance
has been Of the highest Il did well agains
Austria in lses and It has the Abyssinian disaster o
twenty years ago to outiive. But past performance
| not altogether conclusive the showing OF tn
servian army has demonstrated. The Italians afte
| bad start In Tripoh did we'll
Italy has witnessed since the war with Turkey
and the struggle In the Balkans. great expansion O
| It's navy The first Mediterranean power to take al
construction OF dreadnouehts. ship for ship. Il MAJ