The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-12-21
ITALYs BIG ARMY
Expects to Soon Have 100000 Men
in Field

Expects to Soon Have 100000 Men
| in Field
| Rome, Dec. 19-Italy now has two
| million men engaged i'll the war and
| is preparing to add another million.
| About a million men are on the fight
| tains from Trentino in the west to
| the Austrian stronghold of Gorilla in
the east Another million is in re-
serve for emergencies and to fill
gaps in the fighting line as needed.
The third million is represented in
tn additional classes in process of
of being assembled during the com
ing months as the scope of offensive
and defensive military operations
may become enlarged. The italian
military campaign-what Italy has
done and proposes to do--is well un-
derstood by every Italian. But the
outside world had only a vague un
derstanding of the meaning of these
operations, as understood by official
communigies with a maze of of OBJ
scure geographical details, about the
lsonzo, the desperate scaling of Al
pine peaks and bombardments among
the SHOWS and countless predictions
that Gorilla win soon fall
The main drive of the Italians has
been in the eastern section, toward
Triest, the great Austrian port OF the
Adriatic lying just across from Ven
ice. This rich prize is hardly ten
days march from the Italian frontier.
And yet the war has been going on
for six months-since May % and
the Italian army is nowhere near
Triest The military leaders say
Triest' could have been taken any
time in fifteen days-but it could not
be held as the Carso mountains
sweep around back of Triest and
form circle fifteen miles back from
the Adriatic with Austrian batteries
posted at every crest The Italian
commanders therefore decided that
ii was military necessity first TO con
troll all the approaches and mountain
defenses around Triest. That has
been the campaign during the last six
months
Most of the lighting in this region
has been along the Isonzo river, with
the Austrian town of Gorizia as the
main point OF attack The Italian
troops made rapid progress at first,
but as they moved up the river to-
ward Gorizia they found the Austrian
batteries in mountain tops. Then be-
gan the slow and tedious process OF
gaining control of all the elevated
positions which could serve the Aus
trians. This required the movement
Of troops along mountain roads and
the carrying OF heavy guns to great
heights by means of special machin-
cry. Each day has brought communi
cations recording small points taken,
passes cleared and further advances
toward Gorilla
The Italian commanders express
satisfaction with the progress they
have made. All he6ghtingandallthe
have made. All the fighting, and all
the progress has been made on Aus
trian soil and no Austrian troops have
entered Italy The Austrian coast
ports. Porto Buso and Grade, leading
toward Triest, have been taken
Further north, in the mountain
country the PLAYA pass has been
won. though at the cost of whole regi-
ments cut 10 pieces and chain OF
mounain tops. villages and stations
has been established enciTcling Gor-
zia. But Gorilla itself still holds out.
The matter of ammunition has
proved the same check on the Italians
as it has on the allies. The output
has been increased, but it is still far
short of requirements, though sup
plies from America and Japan are be
ginning to fill the gap,
Quite distinct from the campaign
around Gorilla is that in the province
Of Trentino, further west. This has
all been mountain fighting and little
progress has been made.