Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-27
KING DIRECTS ITALIAN
DRIVE FROM TRIESTE
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appointing the Duke of Genoa (Princs
Thomas of Savoy Lieutenant General OF
the kingdom. During the Kings absence
he will carry on the duties of state in
the name of the King. but will refer all
affairs of first importance TO the SOW
ereign unless they are of the most urgent
nature.
Contrary to published reports, the Turk
ish Ambassador to Italy, Naby Bey, is
still in Rome. Apparently he has made
no preparations to depart
The King announced his assumption of
the command with the following decree,
issued as an order of the day upon his
arrival at the front:
Soldiers: On land and sea the solemn
hour of the vindication of our national
claims has sounded
Following the example of my great
ancestor. / assume today the supreme
command of the land and sea forces with
sure confidence of victory which your
valor. self-sacrlfce and discipline will
bring.
"The enemy whom you prepare to fight
is seasoned and worthy of you. He Is
favored by the ground and by scientific
preparation He will offer obstinate re-
sistance, but your ndomtable dash will
certainly defeat him.
Soldiers, yours Is the glory Of hoistinf
the tricolor of Italy upon the sacred
bounds which nature places as the con-
fines of our country Yours the glory of
accomplishing the work undertaken with
so much heroism by our fathers"
The offensive campaign Of the italian
armies has opened auspiciously but the
Austrians. Withdrawing slowly to their
first line of organized trenches are yet
to strike their first blow Their prepara-
tions are known to be complete, however,
and even those most confident of the ul-
innate victory of the Italian forces ad-
init that they will win only after desper-
ate fighting.
1t is. of course. impossible to state the
strength of the Italian armies, but 1t is
understood at the italian War Office that
the Austrian and German forces concen-
trated along the line where they will op-
pose the Italian campaign number about
100000 men. Most of them are seasoned
veterans from the western and eastern
theatres of war.
Swiss travellers who arrived today from
the Austrian naval base at Pola stated
that the cruiser which was torpedoed at
the head of the Adriatic by italian sub
marines while it was conveying eight
merchant ships was badly damaged and
barely managed to return to Pola
Three of the eight torpedoes fred by
the submarines struck the Austrian
cruiser, they declared, but all were glanc-
ing blows, this accounting for the war
ships escape from destruction.
Twenty thousand German troops have
passed through Salzburg toward the Ital-
ian frontier during the last "a hours.
These forces come from the western war
theatre.
Other German troops from the eastern
theatre are rushing to the southern front
through Innsbruck An entire Austrian
corps Is en- route from Silesia, whence 30
batteries have been transferred to Tren-
tino.
German 17-inch guns have been placed
in position near the Gradisca and the
surrounding district mined.
Terror prevails in Trentino. where the
Austrians are reported to have executed
many Italians as spies. Five hundred
have been imprisoned since Sunday.