The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-29
ACCRESSIONS ON FRONTIER BY AUSTRIANS MADE ITALY
 ENTER WAR, OFFICIALS SAY
Possessions of Adriac Vital Too, Is Declaration of Au thorities in Review of First Year-Praise For Genera Cadorna and King Victor For Services

Rome, July 29-Complying with request from The Associated Press, the Italian authorities have prepared a statement reviewing the past year of war from the Italian viewpoint. AL though the anniversaries that are marked by the early days of August close the second year of the war for Germany, Austria Hungary, Russia, France and Great Britain, Italy has only little more than passed the first anniversary of her participation in
 the conflict, which began May 2a, 1915. But in the view of the Italian authorities, Italy's alignment with the entente powers has been no small factor 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 Italian chief of staff, as "a powerful organizer and cautious strategist," who is declared to have conducted his campaign against Austria with view to rendering the greatest possible aid to the entente allies. It is asserted taht the early reverseS of the Russians
 might have run into complete disas- ter if Italy had not just at the time of the Russian retreat entered the conflict and forced Austria to employ a, vast number of her troops on the lsouthern boundaries. Further, the offensives which the Italians have launched from time to time rendered | it impossible for Austria to carry out her purpose of sending troops and arr tillery either to the aid of the Ger | man Crown Prince for the attack on Verdun or to fight the Russians.
 As given out, the Italian statement reads as follows:
 "The war which Italy is fighting with her allies is, imperfectly under stood abroad in ite 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 10 months, re- specting the alliance which for | third of a century had bound her to
 the central powers. But longer than
 this she could not disregard the call
 of the entente powers They were fighting for a principle of nationality
 to which Italy is indebted for her ex-
 istence. They were fighting for prin- ciples of law and justice of which
 Italy has been an exponent since the | time of the Romans.
 "Furthermore Italy could no longer
 delay solution of the question of the Italian provinces that were still sub
 ject to persecution by Austria. It was i imperative that Italy should contest the frontier imposed by Austria after i the war of 1866 which gave her north ern neighbors possession of, all the gates and passes leading into Italy. It was imperative also that Italy should gain supremacy in the Adri-
 atic, without which she cSu1d never
 be said to enjoy liberty and peace in full security.
 Although unprepared for war, we fortunately possessed in General Car dorna a powerful organizer and a eau tious strategist. Taking the Italian
 army on its modest peace footing as a backbone, he transformed it,
 through miracles of energy and mili- tary science, into a powerful, efficient, brilliant modern army, which on May 24. 1915, the day after war was de- |clared on Austria, suddenly threw itself across the whole frontier into the enemy's territory
 ''In doing this General Cadorna won two principal advantages: first, he gained the initiative of action; sec ondly, he made Austria the scene of 1.-the warfare Throughout the cam- I paign Cardorna aimed Nto render his
 allies the greatest possible services. "Italy began her operations just at the time when the Russians were obliged toa retreat. The strong army which Cadorna threw across the
 northern border menacing Austria may have saved that Russian retreat from a complete disaster. Similarly, when the Germans attacked Verdun,
 Cadorna started 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 artillery 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 ,d 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 whichishe is now conducting. \ Prof1ting by the situation, General Ca dorna attacked the Austrians so ener- getically that their removal from the , Alps to the Carpathians to fight the l Russians has been out of the question.
 "In Albania General Cardorna likeL
 wise aided our allies. It being ma terially impossible to save Serbia and tMonteneRrO he transformed the AL
 banian seaport of Avlona into an inn
 pregnable entrenched camp, threat