Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-08-01
ITALY SATISFIED
WITH YEARS WAR

Freemdn-lrlDuHe rloH 1ohh -
Hearty, United States Correspond
ent: Italy today is. fully satisfied
with the results of the first year of
the Austro-Italian war.
The once strongly fortified Aus
trian mountain line from Giudicarie
to Monfalcone practically is all in
her hands. Only small section of
Italian territory in the neighborhood
of Settle Communi has been taken.
The history of Italy's war on land
reads like fiction. When the Euro
pean strife began, the Italian king
dom was unprepared. The standing
army of 100000 was disorganized
and unequipped. Big and petty pol
itics were dangerously mixed in 1T.
The country's finances were in bad
way.
Italys military house had to be
put in order. All eyes turned to
Luigi Cadorna, chief of the general
staff. His father before him had led
the Italians into Rome in 1870. Like
him, he is quiet man of few words
and big deeds. Cadorna in twelve
months worked wonders. The army
was increased to more than 1,500,-
600, trained and equipped for all
kinds of warfare. The hum Of mum
ition and gun-making machinery
was heard through the land.
The enemy, it was believed, would
attempt to enter the country through
the Trentino in the west and the
Isonzo in the east The Italian cam
paign was planned to retake Trent
and Trieste, lock these two gates
against invasion and press on pos
sibly to Vienna. The meeting of
two Austrian armies on the historic
plains of Lombardy for a possible
conquest of Italy had to be prevent
ed. The great battle Napolean had
fought on Lombardian soil had
taught it's lessons.
Cadorna and his intimate associ-
ate, General Porro, laid their prelim-
mary plans well. Both knew the
tricky mountainous frontier of Aus
tria, with it's natural defenses and
Notifications, perfectly. Disguised
as beggars, they are said often to
have studied every nook and Granny
Of the hostile border.
Four fronts with IA zones were es-
tablished, the Trentino, Dolmite,
Carnia and Isonzo. AT the very be-
ginning of hostilities the right bank
of the Isonzo, excepting the bridge
heads of Gorilla and Tolmine, fell
before the Italian arms followed by
the capture of Monte Nero and Pla
va. These things took less than q
month.
During July and August the in
vasion of Austrian territory contin-
ued. Extensive inroads on enemy
soil were made, especially in the Car
SO and Trentino. By October the
Isonzo front was blood-soaked. The
fighting about Gorilla, the key to
Trieste, grew heavy early this year.
March and April crowned the Ital-
ian offensive with the capture Of
Col di Lana The Austrians in May
delivered their first big offensive. A
fierce onslaught was made on Mon
falcone which fell, but later was re-
taken.
Meanwhile on fifty-mile front in
the Trentino 100000 Austrians and
immense quantities of ammunition
were concentrated. Then came the
tremendous attempt to open the way
to Venetia. Thousands of Italians
were moved down. For the first
time in the war the enemy set foot
on Italian soil and about 500 square
kilometers of territory was occupied.
1t was mountainous country dotted
with Alpine hamlets. The Italians
still held about 1000 square kilome-
tiers of enemy soil, including the fer
tile plains of Monfalcone and i'm
portant villages.
The Italians then began to rush
back the enemy, slow uphill work.
Meanwhile General Brusati was
openly charged with responsibility
for the Austrian invasion and de-
prived of his command for neglect
of duty" This invasion cost the Ital-
ians 10000 in prisoners and almost
as many in killed and wounded. Aus
trian losses were heavy too. The int-
tiation of the Russian offensive In
early June relieved the pressure on
the Italian front.
BY then, Italy's army had grown
to almost 100000 men and plans
for adding million more were
made. The Italian campaign has
taken a tremendous toll in dead anu
wounded because in the beginning
Victor's forces were deposed in un-
fortified valleys while the Austrians
were strongly entrenched on the ov-