Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-30
tons, has made effective preparation.
Austria has five dreadnoughts AM

AuStrld mas " ureaO0OugntS ana
she will add another with the compile
ton of the Scent lstvan, launched in
January, 1914. These vessels, with
several Of the peterborough type,
and a few Anticipated cruisers-a class
of war ship Of which, it appears Aus.
tria has never felt the need-are in
the upper Adriatic, presumably bot
tied up in the vicinity of Pola, if not
within the shelter Of its Notifications.
Snce war began, Austria has lost two
vessels to the French squadron which
logged them. to their retreat: the
Zrinyl, a battleship carrying four
twelve-inch guns, and the Zenta, a tor
pedo cruiser. Austria's weakness in
cruisers and destroyers is Offset in
some degree by torpedo boats of
which class she. has ffty.eight built,
and twenty.seven building. It would
seem that she relies particularly on
these little craft and submarines of
which she has ten, and is building
four, for carrying out her defensive
tactics in the narrow waters Of the
Upper Adriatic. Air craft are also be-
ing utilized as feet auxiliaries, In
scouting and mine-laying.
Pola, s the key to the Austrian de-
Tense on the sea-. There is a. coaling
base at Teodo, on Cattaro Bay; Santa
Caterina Island is an aviation station,
and Sebenico hasarecently been made
a naval base. But Pola, at the pro.
trudig point of the 1strian Peninsula,
is the Austrian stronghold. It stands
at the apex of the triangle made by
the promontory. Trieste and Fiume
tant a five or six hours journey from
Pola, on small coastwise steamers. A
railroad connection between Pola and
Trieste cuts this time down almost
one.half. These two seaports are the
windows of the Austro.H Hungarian En-
pire, and almost as indispensable ito
her ally Germany. For the dual mon
archy to relinquish them, would mean
signing its death warrant. "..
The Austrians have, therefore, done
wonders for Pola since it became their
chief base in 1S4S. And while few mil
itary secrets are better guarded than
Austria's frontier defenses, it may be
said that with the assistance of sub.
| marines and aircraft, Pola is virtu-
ally impregnable. It's commodious
harbor, almost landlocked, has been
enlarged so that it easily contains the
entire Austrian feet. 1t is divided in
to two basins by a chain of small is.
lands. The entrance is strongly de.
Tended, and an extensive system of
Notifications, on the hills enclosing the
harb0r insures complete protection.
There is a good roadstead in the large
channel of Fasana, which separates
the mainland from the Brionian Is
lands. The marine arsenal of Pola is
a vast establishment with all the re.
quisites for a large feet. Artillery
laboratories and powder magazines
are situated on the north shore, and
behind the arsenal is San Policarpo,
with huge barracks and hospitals.
Modern Jewel Of the Adriatic.
Trieste, eighty-six miles northeast
along the coast line, is the modern
jewel of the Adrlatic, long coveted by
Italy. Trieste now all but monopo.
Lies the trade of that sea. Vast sums
spent recently on harbor improvement
and the completion of the railway ov.
er the Tauern mountains providing q
greatly shortened trade route, have
brought this about. That she was once
a part of Venetian territory is a thing |
Italians have never forgotten, nor can
they forget that II per cent of her
population of 10000 is Italian in
tongue and blood. Trieste's shipyards
are the largest in the Empire, and are
fitted for the construction of warships
II Italy aided by the allied, fleet at
tempts an offensive upon this great
storehouse of Austria, 1t will not be
the first time she has attempted to
coerce Austria by a demonstration OIL
that port. An Italian blockade was
maintained there from May until Aug.
ust, 184S.
With Fume, the situation is similar.
1t is a royal free town, with a good
trade, and a long history as a war port.
Geographically it is part Of Croatia, but
has been a par. of Hungary since 1870.
It's transportation connections are
good. The great Maria Louisa Road
to Karlstadt was built through the
mountain hinterland in 1909, and two
railways were opened in 1S73-the
State railway to Kronstadt,
and a branch from the railway from
Vienna to Trieste. The latter city is
seventy miles by rail from Fiume.
About one-half of Fumes population
If 10000 is Italian.
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