The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-20
AMMUNITION PROBLEM

The matter of ammunition has proved the same check on the Italians as 1t mas on the other entente allies. They founu soon after the campaign opened that they were making only one-fifth as much ann intuition as they were uslng. Fms put check on any real fighting and resulted in the resort to preliminaries of mountain and trench warfare. The ammunition output has been increased, but 1t IS stlit far short of requirements, although sup piles from America and Japan are be- ginning to fill the gap.
 Quite distinct from the campaign around Gorizia is that in the other prov ince of Trentino, further west rms mas all been mountain fighting and little pro- gress has been made. The great Alpine ranges sweep around further north, but down through Trentino run innumerable spurs of the Trentino Alps, making 1t a vast stretch of gorges and peaks It is called Tyrolean country. but the real Tyrol is further north around Innsbruck, and the population there speaks German. But here the people are all Italian in lan- guage, habits and sentiment, and all though in name Austrians most of the men have gone south to join the Italian army The objective in this western fighting is to take Trent, in the center of Trentino, and about 50 miles from the Italian frontier Tie Italians have thus
 
 ing Rovereto, and clearing away the Aus trian mountain batteries as they have proceeded But it is a hard, cold. uphill fight without much result thus far. Summing up what has been done in these two campaigns, and what it means in places captured, men engaged casual ties. prisoners, etc. the situation is about this:
 ADVANCE ON PRIEST aaett I,a taIi nGyrn pafi | about 20 to 25 miles on Austrian terri tory, or about half way to Triest, and have taken F or more rather important towns. notably Grado, Monfalcone, Ora disca, Cormona, San Pietro laanking Cor l iZia), Plano. Caporetto, Monte Nero and 1 Plezzo far up on the Isonzo besides many i lesser places In the west, as stated. the Italians have advanced about 20 miles on l Austrian soil and have taken the main l town Of Rovereto, half way to Trent,
 and numerous lesser towns and strategic points. In all these operations the Aus trians have really not been making a fight
 as they are too busy in Russia and the
 Balkans, and the Italians have been on
 the offensive with the Austrians on the
 defensive. The net result in casualties,
 prisoners, etc. is about as follows: Ital-
 ian casualties, about 45.000; Austrian cas-
 ualties Qtalian estimate) 9o,OO0; Aus trian prisoners in Italy, 2s,c00; Italian prisoners in Austria, l200.
 While Austrian troops have made no advance on Italian soil yet some of their
 air raids have been notable over the grea
 art cities of northern Italy-Venice on | the Adriatic and Verona inland-where heavy loss of life and considerable dam age have occurred, with the endangering
 of the priceless art treasures of these | cities.
 NAVAL CONTEST
 1 The naval side of the war has had nc | notable developments thus far. The Duke | of Abruzzi, commanding the Italian fleet 1 took the Austrian ports of Grado and ] Porto Buso. at the head of the Adriatic but an attack on the great port of Tries, has not been attempted. Further south the coast of the Adriatic does nov oGei | much prospect for Italian naval strategy II There are 5000 islands scattered along the east or Austrian side, making a labyrinth of shallow channels, with coast noun i tains and Qualifications looming in tho l rear. But on the Italian side the Adriat tit | front is fiat and low and without forti- f iications. Abruzzi's total naval effective is about 110 ships, including four dread naughts. The Austrian effective is not | much short of this and it has the ad | vantage of natural coast defenses and ths 1 shelter of heavy coast Qualifications. Bu at no time have the two fleets come tc | grips so far.
 The Italian army is highly popular anc enthusiastic. It has not yet had a grea ba tile, but it's efficiency has been showi