New Britain herald., 1915-05-25
WHAT OTHERS SAY
Views on all sides of timely questions as discussed in ex- changes that come to Herald office.
Italy's Problem. (Springfield Republican,

Those who look for swift and de- cls1ve results from Ita1y's action should look at a relief map of the Italian frontier. Strategically it's position is the weakest in Europe. Because of its long coast line it is peculiarly vulnerable to attack by sea; because of it's long mountain barrier, the keys to which are in alien control, it is peculiarly vulner- able to attack by land. Rome, which to guard itself had to conquer Italy, found that to guard Italy it had to control the Alps and the turbulent tribes beyond. When united Italy was created the frontier was left weak by Austria's retention of Trent and the wedge running down into the very heart of northern Italy at Lake Gar da. For 150 miles to the east of the outlet which passes this lake on it's way to the Brenner pass, Innsbruck and Bavaria there is not a practica ble route for a railroad over the Alpine barrier which Austria controls
 Italy's first andi paramount pro- blem, having accepted the hazards of war, must be to guard its whole iron tier, from the French border to the Adriatic. Till that is provided for there is no surplus for use anywhere, and talk of sending one army against Vienna, another to the Dardanelles, a third through France against Alsace is futile It asserted that some- thing like a million men are now under arms for the army of the first line, and when mobilization is com pleted the number may be doubled Till that is accomplished, and it may take from fortnight to a month, the nj firf&s IL IL H. y-A- allies, and it is not to be supposed that the German general staff, with such ample warning, has not com pleted it's plans.
 Gossip may be wrong in giving the dour "old man of the lakes Gen. Won Hindenburg, command of the joint forces which are to operate against Italy, yet whoever com mands it is not th- German way to wait to be attacked. The rich in dustrial part of Italy as of France lies within eesy reach of an invading army, and never yet at the Italian maneuvers has the army of defense been able in the Judgment of the um- pireS to hold it's own. If the central allies can squeeze from their long bat tie lines enough men for a furious raid such as Hindenburg made again and agan into Poland, +he chances are that they will decide for a swift cam paign of revenge against their former ally. and if they should succeed the fate of Belgium, whose sin was mere ly that she blocked the road to Paris would be mericiful compared with what Italy could expect Such a coup would certainly be made if the frontier should be weakened by the dispatch of irrelevant expeditionary forces as
 How great an army the central states can at the present moment dis patch against Italy. can not be es- tlmated, and German statements as .o ooo'ooO men on the ASA miles of me Austrian frontier may have been meant to deceive. Germany has been making stnpendous efforts this spring, and has in the field or ready for the field, new forces of unknown strength. On the west, the army is holding, it's own fairly we'll against the much heralded drive of the allies in Flanders and France. In the east simultaneously with the joint offen- slVe. Which defeated the Russians in Gancia, the Germans recklessly ex- tended tnelr lines still further by invading the Baltic provinces as far l. | of the Russian army, now in a some- what ,demoralized condition, and the ]; possibility of temporarily strippinp l the trenches in the west are com 1 sldered, 1t may, be that with new l troops and what Austria can recall l from other fields without immediate l disaster, a force can be concentrated
 against Italy which under a first-rate a
 general will keep the Italian com
 manders busy.
 Such a drive, weakening the line
 elsewhere, could not be kept up in l definitely, for the allies would seizs the opportunity to exert pressure on
 all sides. But the campaign against Italy would be pressed all the more l violently because the time was lim-
 tied, and 8 blow at the heart of in- dustrial Tea1y might be taken as worth
 some sacrifice of foreign territory
 held elsewhere. German strategy 1 would not be governed by a desire
 for revenge, but victory in a swift 1 Marengo onslaught would give ample 1 opportunity to make Italy pay dear ly for deserting its allies. This is the risk, and very terrible risk, which must govern Italian strategy But ! while the Italian fortification are by no means so strong as those across the l border, and while the length of the I peninsula is a handicap in mobiliza- 1 tion, the railroads of the northern l plain are we'll adapted for concentrat-
 ing troops to meet an invasion. and
 Italy's aerial service trained in the
 African war, is highly efficient With
 the lessons learned from the trench
 warfare of the past nine months, an T attack from across the Alps should be successfully met unless reckless