New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-21
Law of Land FavOrs In
vasion by Austro-Ger-
mans Through Republic.
FLANK MOVEMENT
VIEWED AS POSSlBL.
Columns Effecting Passage OF
Neutral Territory Would I'M
peril Italian Armies.
Bv GORDON GORDON-sMTTH.

BASEL. May 90. Italy's definite de.
cision 70 enter the war on the side OF
the Allies has increased the anxiety,
long felt in Switzerland. concerning
the possibility Of M attempt by Ger
many and Austria 20 traverse the ter
ritorv Of tho republic TO make Hank
and rear attack on the Italian forces
along the Austrian frontier
Curiously enough, the chance Of It.
aly's violating Swiss territory for an
attack on the Teutonic allies is causing
little concern. If the passage OF the
Engadine Is calculated 70 tempt italy
20 turn the Austrian frontier by the
Upper Valtelne, it Is still more tempt
ing for Austria.
One has only to glance at map 10
note how admirably the narrow passage
Of the Engadne favors an Austrian
army trying TO attack the hank ana
rear of an army invading Austria by
the Valteine. In the first place, there
are. along the frontier and in the LII
vino valley, a series of routes leading
10 Bormio and the upper part OF the
Valley of the AIDA. Then the Bern!na
road and the railway line. after trav-
ersing the lateral valley OF Poschiavo,
reioins the Italian railway line Of the
ValteIine at its terminus at Tirano.
Then below the Engadine there are
the Maloja and the descent toward
Chiavenna, which bring the invader to
Lake Como, where he can seize at
Colico) the entrance Of the Valtellne
and the railway which carries supplies
TO the troops in that region. inns
would put a check on the Italian IN
vasion OF Austria by the vaiteline.
The attack on Chiavenna would be
facilitated by operations from the
Tyrol against Coire and the Valley OF
the Rhine. and then by the Splugen.
/ There could be concentric attack,
coming from the east through the
Maloja region. and from the north by
tn Valley Of San Giacomo. This would
be very interesting operation. ne
/ Italians would find themselves IN the
position of the Due de Rohan IN 1883.
/ and the Engadine, with the Valley OF
the Rhine, would become the critical
points of an Alpine campaign which
would undoubtedly surpass in difficulty
the mountain fighting in the Vosges
and the Carpathans.
Il is at this point that the German
element might intervene. While the
Austrians were invading Switzerland
bv the eastern frontier of the Grlsons,
with, as main line of communication,
the Arlberg- Innsbruck Landeck Field
kirchen-Coir Railway, the Germans
could join hands with them from the
upper part of Lake Constance by means
Of the Bregepz Railway.
This Intervention would even render
il unnecessary for the Austrlans TO
send a large force to Feldkirch. They
could concentrate their energies on
the Engadine and the Landquart, leav'
ing the Germans the task OF executing
the movement by the Rhine in the
neighborhood of Saint Gall
This movement would be one in con
nection not only with the Austrian OPP
erations via the Splugen and the Ma
lola. but with what one may call the
real German movement, destined "a
give the full force Of the German anti
italian movement. The German Saint
Gall Rhensh column would be only the
extreme left OF a principal force op'
Grating directly By the ST. Gothard
There would therefore be, on the right
the main German column marching or
Milan by the basin of the Lago Mag
giore. and, on the left, an Austrian
column advancing by the basin OF Lake
Como.
The effect of this double advance
would be to displace the centre o.
gravity Of the Austro Italian cam
paign. According 70 the tactical re
suits achieved it would have the ef-
feet of checking ltaly's effort n
Venetia, where the Italian army would
be engaged with two great Austrian
columns from the brave and the Bren
ner. Once the plain OF the Pc wa!
seriously threatened the whole Italian
he : .
fall back on the protection of tn
fortresses of the quadrlsteral, on tn
lower reaches of the Adige and thu
Pc.
To sum up, opposed to the Italian
offensive against Austria via Nenetii
and the Trentino is the whole lay o
the land. which allows of wide-fiunI
Austro- German counter attack in tw
great bodies To the east would b
the Austrians, whose left column
making use of the railway from tn
brave, could advance by the Taglia
mento and the upper Plave. throug
The opening between the Trentino an
the sea, while the right column, wit
its rear guard holding the Brenne
railway, could march, via Trent
toward the basin of Lake Gsrda, an
would thus facilitate the debouchin
: OF the left column onto the plains.
! On the west the Austro Germa
forces would advance by the valley
of Lake Como and the Lsgo Maggior'
- The Italian army. falling back o
the Pc. with its right covered by tn
: quadriatersl, could operate on lin
Z between the two main bodies OF tn
> Austro-G German armies.
| Such is undoubtedly the pictures tn
, Italians make for them selves OF III
t risks they would run, not from hos
- tile Switzerland for they now kno'
I that this is not the CASE, but froI
. a Switzerland open TO the enterpris
OF their enemies.