The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-20
ITALY'S EYES REST
ON AUSTRIAN LAND
COvets the Trentino, Trieste.
Istria ard Hungarian Sea-
port Of Fiume.
TROOPS READY TO ACT

ItAlyS eye hTS ON tno lTeHtiHo'
that little wedge OF Austria that
extends down between Lombardy and
venetia: or Trieste. Austria's most
important seaport. and on Istria. tho
peninsula across from Venice which 10
bounded on one eide by Trieste and on
tho other by the Hungarian seaport OF
Ffume. which italy also aspires to seize.
though she probably has no desire TO
hold II.
Added to the seisure of these prov
inces. which Italy has always regarded
as rightfuliy her own. and the redemp-
ton OF which has always been her ma
tionai dream. there Is still another OBJ
jective to her military operations. that
is the establishment Of d a firm hold
on Albania that when the time comes
TO settle once again its troubled affairs
italy will have the deciding word in the
council and Austria will have no voice
at all.
Italy has <St miles OF Austrian from
tier, but tho most of this lies In the
Dolomites. where. except for a few
heavily fortified passes. the Jagged peak
form a natural barrier. Tho strike fol
the possession OF Trent will undoubtedly
be made from Verona, which on accoun'
o. it's position thirty miles from thu
Austrian frontier 10 probably tho mos
important military post In northern Italy
II is very heavily fortified. has srea
supply depots and a large garrison. which
has now been greatly Increased.
Terminus Of Railroad.
Verona Ia tho terminus OF the railroad
from Innsbruck over the Bremen pass
"A route open TO military movements since
Roman times. The entire route from
Verona to tho Austrian line " tn
villages OF Peri n Borghetto Is a sue
cession of fortincations. From the from
tier to the city OF Trent Is a distance o
less thar thirty miles. but for that thirt.
miles the Italians would %ncounter for,i
ncstlons quite as formidable as thei
own.
yicenza is another town In the mort
from which troops can be poured Int
Trentino. the frontier being only twent!
eight miles distant and connected VII
a splendid military road, In the construl
ton OF which Italian engineers excel
The road skirts the mountains for hfteei
miles TO Schio. which Is also connec;e
with Nicenza by a steam tramway
thence II climbs steadily By long wind
ings. frequently carried over ga!etlc
and through tunnels. to Piano dele Flu
sazxe, where at an elevation OF $50
feet II crosses the Austrian frontier. o
the Austrian side II drops ssadily dow
for seventeen miles to Rov"reto. twelv
miles inside the italian line towar
Trent.
A famous road familiar to all motor
lists who have ever been In the Doio
mites and which VII undoubtedly iisur
~ military operations il the road b
way Of Belluno and Pliave al Galore I
Toblach. This Is a fine broad roa!
~mssn.ncently constructed. which lead
through the most scenic part OF III
Doiomites and which is annually ira,
ersed BY thousands OF automobile
From Belluno another military road NJ
proaches the Austrian frontier throug
the beautiful valley OF the Agord
through the towns Of Agordo ard Ger
ceulshe, where heavy sarrisons OF a
PM are maintained. TO Caprile.
May Approach by Land.
II has been generally assumed tn.
Italy's strike AT Trieste would be mac
by the sea. but the approach by lar
IL not impossible. From Venice
Trieste is "A distance OF only $40 mile
while from the frontier town OF Tdin
where II is said extensive preparation
have been made fo- an advance on u
Austrian port, the distance Is only Mt,
five miles.
Another and shorter route to Tries
Is by way OF P~ortogruaro and the fro
tier town OF C~ervignano. which Is on
thirty miles from Trieste. This rou'
though thirty miles shorter thai q
other. does rot seem to have the mi
: tary Importance OF the udine route.
: Italy's claim on tho objects OF h
aggression is not based on prior posse
sion, since politically they have not b
5 longed to her for hundreds OF veal
( She wants the Trentino. Trieste al
Istria because their population IL. e
( c.pt possibly In Istrta. overwhelming
Italian, with intense ambitions to b
come part OF Italy. The Trentino. 7
n italian speaking part OF the Austrij
Tyrol, OF which the city OF Trent Is I
capital, has not been "A part OF italy sin
1927. when the Emperor Conrad III. /
slowed all temporal rights over It
the Bishop and transferred II to O.
many.
: II underwent the usual conflicts wi
0 Venice, but the Bishop retained his 20
A ers until 1903, when Austria took II ov'
: Win the exception of "A few years d.
. Ing the Napoleonic wars II has belong
. TO Austria ever since and was annex
To the Tyrol In 1914. The city Of Tr.
" looks like an italian town, Its peol
speak Italian almost exclusively, and
. Its industries are Italian In character
. Trieste, after a varying and tumultuo
preceding history. came Into the poss'
- sion Of Venice In 1908. That Is as ne
as she ever seems to have come to
y, longing to Italy. and II Is a matter
U history that she fought bitterly agaii
h her captor for 1870 years. Finally.
I3s2. she placed herself under the pl
1t lection OF Leopold III. Of Austria. who
e nrotection soon became possessi'
Trieste and tho thirty-eight squs
miles OF territory surrounding II ha
been a part OF the Austrian crown lar
n ever since, except for a brief period d.
IS ing the Napoleonic era. In 1883 a nor
ment WAS erected In the city TO c o
A, memorate the 50oth year OF Austrl
l. possession.
Although Austria has not had
reputation OF favoring her italian 81
iects very much. so overwhelming In
"a italian population of Tricste-somefhI
like 80 per cent-that she has b'
Nc Obliged to yield IN the matter OF str
:, signs. ALI OF which are printed In 1tal
~ as we'll as German.
u For the possession OF Istria italy
. a more recent claim, founded only, hc
ever. on It's possession by Venice vi
1877. when It went to Austria, by VIII
o. II has been held ever since, with
Is usual Napoleonic Interval.