New Britain herald., 1916-07-29
ITALY STOPGAP FOR
 ALLIED FIGHTERS
Plays Important Role in War As
 Review Of Year Shows

a statement reviewing the past year 1 of war from the Italian viewpoint Although the anniversaries that are marked by the early days of August close the second year of the war for Germany, Austria Hungary, Russia, 1 France and Great Britain, Italy has only @ little more than passed the 1 first anniversary of her participation l in the conflict, which began May 23, 1915. But in the view of the. Italian authorities, 1taly's alignment with the | entente powers has been no small fac tor in checking the successes of the Central Powers.
 In the statement officially prepared for The Associated Press, great praise is bestowed on General Cadorna. the 1 Italian Chief of Staff, as "a powerful organizer and cautious strategist,'' who is declared to have conducted his campaign against Austria with a view to rendering the greatest pos sible aid to the entente allies. It is asserted that the early reVerses of the Russians might have run into complete disaster if Italy had not just at the time of the Russian retreat
  tria to employ vast number of her troops on the southern boundaries. Further, the offensives which the Italians have launched from time tc time rendered it impossible for Aus tria to carry out her purpose of send ing troops and artillery either to the aid of the German Crown Prince for the attack on Verdun or to fight the Russians.
 Official Statement.
 "The war which Italy is fighting with her allies is imperfectly under stood abroad in it's ideals as well as in it's technical development, thus needing explanations even after a year of Italy's participation in the conflict
 When the European war began Italy held back for ten months, re- specting alliance which for a third of a century had bound her to Central empires. But longer than this she could not disregard the call of tho entente powers. They were fighting for a principle of nationality to which Italy is indebted for her existence They were fighting for principles of law and justice of which Italy has been an exponent since the time of the Romans.
 Furthermore Italy could no long CT delay solution of the question of the Italian provinces that were still subject to persecution by Austria. It was imperative that Italy should con- test the frontier imposed by Austria after the war of 1866 which gave her northern neighbors possession of all the gates and passes leading into Italy. 1t was imperative also that Italy should gain supremacy in the Adriatic, without which she could never be said to- enjoy liberty and peace in full security.
 Although unprepared for war, we fortunately possessed in General Ca dorna a powerful organizer and | cautious strategist. Taking the Ital- l ian army on it's modest peace foot | ing as a backbone, he transformed it, | through miracles of energy and mil 1 itary science, into a powerful eff | cient brilliant modern army. which | on May 24, 1915, the day after war was declared on Austria, suddenly 1 threw itself across the whole iron i tier into the enemy's territory.
 Tn doing this General Cadorna | won two principal advantages; first, he gained the initiative of action;
 
 of the warfare. Throughout the cam paign Cadorna aimed to render his l allies the greatest possible services l
 "Italy began her operations just l at the time when the Russians were | obliged to retreat. The strong army which Cadorna threw across the 1 northern border menacing Austria l may have saved that Russian retreat from a complete disaster. Similarly, when the Germans attacked Verdun, Cadorna started a strong offensive along the Isonzo river, which pre- vented Austria from sending to the aid of the German Crown Prince large numbers of troops and artil- lery which had been prepared for that purpose.
 'Equal advantages have recently been obtained by Austria's temporary invasion of a small section of the Italian Trentino front in the Asiago district. If Austria had not centered all her forces in this enterprise it would have been much more difficult for Russia to launch the marvellous offensive which she is now conduct ing. Profting by the situation, Gen. eral Cadorna attacked the Austrians so energetically that their removal from the Alps to the CarpathianS to 1 fight the Russians has been out of the question. "In Albania General Cadorna like wise aided our allies. It being ma terially impossible to save Serbia and Montenegro, he transformed the AL banian seaport of Avlona into an inn pregnable entrenched camp, threat ening and checking the Austrians in the same manner that the allied troops at Saloniki have held back the Bu1garians.
 Above all others in this war stands our king modest soldier and fervent patriot He and King Albert are