The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-30
ITALYIS AN APT
WAR STUDENT,
LEARNS QUICKLY
Shows Big Gains in 1916
Troops Hold $500 Square
Miles of Austrian
Territory

1cIIlGOIy
| Rome, Dec. 30.-Last of the Allies
| to enter the war, Italy has learned the
| lesson of military, naval, Political, eco.
nomic and social unity for the success
| full prosecution of that war more
| quickly than her fellow nations in the
Entente. The year 1916 was the year
| in which she showed how well she
had learned those lessons.
Italy joined the Allies in May, 1915
Her army and navy had Theoretical
training for modern war. But for
months after she threw her lot with
the Allies Italy had to suffer the hard
schooling of the present day battle
ground before she was actually pre-
pared.
Until Jan. 1, 1916. we were like
schoolboys, studying strange lessons,
but learning them WE'LL was the way
a prominent general expressed it. But
we are fighting now, fighting like sci
entif1c demons and winning. slowly but
surely"
Politically, the Italian Government
union than ever before. Germany
propaganda, which continually seeks
to SOW differences among the Allies,
has failed here.
Alleged German agents, who try to
turn Italy against England particular
ly, find no response. Apparently the
lid has also been effectively c1amped
on Giolitti and his followers. The old
Premier's return to power during the
war is improbable.
The Salandra Ministry fell in early
spring. In its stead arose the Bos-
SELF Cabinet, said to be more accept
able to France. and England. The i'm
mediate and most radical result of the
change was Italy's. declaration of war
against Germany. The despatch of
Italian troops to Salonica and France
as well as a more intimate minister
ial contact with the people followed.
Three Great Movements.
In the last twelve months three
great movements stand out from It.
aly's land fighting. They include her
counter offensive against the Austrians
in the Trentino, her Isonzo offensive
and her Carso drive. Superior in
men and cannon, the enemy unex-
pectedly poured through the valleys of
the Adige and Brenta last spring. They
were stopped only within sight OF his
toric Veneto and slowly pushed back
along the road they came. They still
hold a rocky square of one hundred
miles along the Trentino border, their
only foothold on Italian soil.
In mid summer the Italians con-
centrated their forces for an Isonzo
offensive. It eliminated in Corr
za's fall during the first days of Au-
gust In late September prepara-
tons for a new drive in the lower Car
so wereN completed. 1t began in ear
ly October and has already brought
the fierce fighting Italians within sew
eral miles Of Trieste.
Winter, however, is apparently now
conspiring with the Austrians against
the immediate capture of the "unre-
deemed city"
tive parts in these three theatres Of
war. The Austrians, it is estimated,
lost almost a million in dead, wound
ed and prisoners. The Italian losses
though admittedly heavy, are consid-
erably less Moreover, Italy to-day
holds about $500 square miles of Aus
trian territory, embracing prosperous
towns and fertile valleys.
Meanwhile, over the skyscraping
peaks of Carnia and Of the. Dolomites
the Italian arms were also slowly adj
vancing. Strategic positions like the
mountainous Col. di Lana and the
Cristallo fell to King Victor's men
through mining and other engineering
operations In the processes Of these
captures entire enemy. regiments were
often jellied. -
Besides, Caderna's troops have oc-
cupied Argirocastro and Delinno in
Epirus. Both. are on the road to ia
nina, which is one of the principal
towns in Albania. From Vallona
they have advanced east to Koritza
and with the French took Monastir,
MacedOnia's key.
Austrian Fleet Bottled Up. y
Cooperating with the army Italy's
navy has bottled up theSmain Austrian
fleet at Pola. Several times the Ital-
ians have made daring excursions
against Parenzo, Durazzo, Porto Buso
and Pola, bombarding military and ma
val works apparently with disastrous
effects. They have captured or sunk
several enemy transports and subma-
rines. In addition the battle cruiser
Viribus Units is believed to have
blown up in the harbor of Pola, fol-
lowing an Italian air raid.
Italy's losses at sea include the
Benedetto Brinand, the Leonardo da
Vinci, destroyed through internal ex-
plosions, and several transports and
torpedo boats, said to have been sunk
by the enemy.
The Italian airmen have reinforced
the land and sea fighting They have
been responsible for successful aerial
commandments on Trieste, Pola, Cat
taro, Tomezzo and Sobenico. On the
other hand enemy aeroplanes have
carried death and destruction to We
roma, Padova, Gorilla, Spezia and We
nice. They have been followed by
Austrian submarines, which have bonn
barded Aviona, Bari, Brindisi, Savonna
and Napoleon's Island of Elba.