Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-09-13
By FRANK H. SIM0NDs,
Copyright 1e17-Th. Tribune Assn
(The Now York Tribune).

AtAA loACIl Iio&& NHS 49,
ian attack on the Isonzo front and the
French operation before Verdun. or
these two operations, on the military
side the Italian is by all odds the more
important. 1t is, moreover. still going
forward when these lines are written.
n it is impossible to foresee It's on
sequences on such evidence as we yet
possess. although it is patent that 1t
may be one of the great successes of
the war.
Next week 1 hope to discuss the
Italian operation in some detail. when
more definite. AT the m it is
perhaps sufficient to indicate the prob
lem which confronted the Italians when
they opened their attack. In August
OF last year the Italian army faced
eastward from the Julien Alps to The
a of Panzano. the northern end of
the Adriatic sea. in much the same
posture that it stood after the first brief
advance in he previous year had
trough the Italian army to the first
position in which Austria had elected
to stand
Tho Three Obstacles.
The Austrian front presented three
distinct obstacles. which may be COW
cred in a description of the three divi-
sions OF an army-the tanks and the
center. On the north, from Tolmino
right down to the neighborhOod OF Cor
liza, the Austrians occupied very high
ground on the east bank of the lSonzo
river which was. in fact, a moat. This
nigh ground, known as the BainsiZZZi
plateau. eliminated a few miles north
OF Gorilla in several heights approach
ing 1000 feet in elevation, of which
Mounts kuk and Santo were the more
important peaks. This was a position
that well might have been deemed inn
pregnable, and it did, in fact, resist all
efforts last year. South of the Balm
siZZi Plateau the Austrian center occu-
pied some hills just across the Isonzo
river covering Gorilla. Southwark.
again. between the Wippach river and
the sea. the Austrian line stood east Of
the lsonzo, on the first slopes of the
Famous Carso Plateau, a limestone
formation in which had been hewn the
trenches of the defenders.
In August OF last year the Italians
forced the crossing of the Isonzo and
took Gorilla, and south of the Wippach
river made considerable progress up
the Ct,rso, but their position in Gorilla
was made precarious by the Austrian
hold upon kuk and Monte Santo, which
dominated the town from the north,
and by other Austrian works on the
nils OF Dosso Faiti and Mount HERNIA
da to the south.
Accordingly, earlier this year, the
Italians made a new drive south of the
Wlppach, took Dosso TTaiti and all the
nigh ground about it, but were again
held up west of the Hermada. This
wts the situation as it existed when
the. Italians began their new offensive
low going forward. This time the main
Italian blow was delivered to the north
on the BainsizZi plateau. Crossing the
1sonzo river under fire, the Italians
climbed up he face of the hills, in part
covered by the forces on Mount Kuk,
which was captured in an earlier drive.
BY Tuesday of August Is Monte Santo
n the whole of the Bainsizzi plateau
We're falling into Italian hands, and the
Austrians. were being driven rapidly
eastward. although they still held
Gorilla.
What Austrian Rout Would Mean.
All the present the situation
Is this: The Austrian right on the
sonzo plateau has been defeated AMI
perhaps routed. 1t is falling back rap
idly, n as it falls back it, will compel
the center facing Gorilla to fall back
also, and thus will enable the Italians
10 concentrate their fire upon the Car
SO positions. 1t will also enable the
Italians to advance up the Wippach
river and partially encircle the Carso
plateau. AT the same time they are
ha1nmering at the Hern1ada works, and
the present promise is that within the
next few days we shall see a general
movement forward of the whole Italian
army in The direction of Trieste.
But many strong positions still re-
main to be captured. and unless there
is an actual Austrian rout the time
is not yet at hand when one can ex-
pect the fall of Trieste. On the other
hand. an Austrian rout would mean
that the Italians would pour forth
through the gates between the Julien
Alp and the sea and begin a general
advance on an overwhelming front into
Austria. AS | pointed out last year,
the lsonzo position is a magnified Their
nlopylae. AS long as the Austrian hold
out. very greatly superior italian num-
befS are not able to make themselves
ieit, and the entire action is restricted
to u 3o-mile front Italy has great num-
bers available: Austria has ever shrink
ing contingents; and an Italian victory
OF sweeping character might easily
yressage the beginning of the end as
Tar as Austria is concerned.
Lit is interesting to note that the Ital-
lans owe considerable OF their present
successes to the British guns which
have been sent to this ront. They are
monitor, which is operated on their sea
flank.
h Italian offensive on the Isonzo
has already gone far enough to earn a
place among the successful local opera
tons on the western front. 1t
favorably with theg gains made by the
French and British at the Somme. 1t
has surpassed the British achievement
at Ypres this year in the amount of
ground gained. 1t may prove to be the
blow that breaks up trench warfare and
leads to open fighting on the Austro-
Italian front. But it is yet too soon to
forecast this.
we see q military operation of relatively
restricted importance. which continues