Evening star., 1917-11-04

tack.
, thirds and would leave only narrow
gap between the Po and the end of the
| Trentine Alps as an operative front.
Actually it would restore to the Aus
| trians that position from which they
dominated northern Italy in the last
| century. Practically it would be i'm
Austria out of Venetia, and Austria
could hold the new front with only
fraction Of the men that were needed
on the old front
In other words il the Austro-German
| offensive is carried forward. as 1t well
| may be. as far as the Mincio. not only
will the threat to Austria be elimi-
mated. but the Austrian front will be
fewer men and fewer guns to maintain,
| and perhaps for the balance of the war
| the fighting will be transferred to Ital-
| ian territory.
One of Wars Great Defeats.
So much for the military aspects of
the question. We are in the presence
OF what may be one of the great dis
! asters Of the war We shall not know
| as to this until the line of the Taglia-
| mento is forced or held. but In any
event we are now seeing one of the
great defeats of the war. The Russian
defeat at the Dunajec carried with it
| the dislocation of the whole Russian
| line. the loss of Galicia and the ulti-
mate retirement from Poland. 1t car
ried with 1t also the seeds of the revo-
luton. which removed Russia from the
ranks of the nations fighting Germany
Cnquestionab1y German purpose aims
at producing SO terrific a defeat to
Italian armies as to harvest not only
great military profits, but even more
important political ADVANTAGES. In a
word, the Germans are seeking to put
italy out of the war as they did put
Russia out of the war by the defeat
at the Dunajec.
morale Of the italian people. AS to
! that we know very little. Conditions
have been bad in Italy for a year.
There have been domestic disorders.
pleasantly recall the Russian situa-
tion. Rut there are differences be-
tween the Italian people and the Rus
sian people which should not be over
united country. The italian people
were fused by the great sacrifices and
deeds of the last century. and it is to
be hoped-and perhaps believed-that
any Italy has known in her national
existence the whole Italian people will
rally as did the French after the dis
asters of August. 1914. If this he the
case. the real German profit will be
comprehended in the salvation of Aus
tria, for no one can mistake the fact
that by this victory Austria. already
at the point of collapse. will be re-
animated. Austrian morale will be
raised and the immediate danger of
Austrian collapse will be removed.
Strengthens German Morale.
Nor is it less certain that the effect
of this great German victory will re-
store in Germany both the determine
tion to continue the war and a willing
n,.-
more. for the first time in year. Ger
man armies have passed to the Of
fensive successfully and have won a
great victory, and this in the German
balance all the long and terrible sac
rifices of the defensive wa-fare on the
western front and the lo..:~-delayed
achievement of peace by the subnla-
rine.
Once more 1 feel that should remind
my readers that the German success is
not an achievement of numbers, but of
material The Germans have never
succeeded greatly against the French
or the British, even in the days when
they had considerab BILE advantage in heavy
artillery after the Marne. and since the
French and British began to acquire
heavy artillery of their own they have
first been defeated at Verdun and then
thrust slowly but surely back at the
Somme. the Aisne and the User. On
the other hand. fighting against the
Rumanians. the Serbians. the Russians
and the Italians, all of whom lack
heavy artillery in large quantities. they
have won their great victories, of
which the recent triumph on the Upper
Isonzo is shining example.
italian STAFF Caught Mapping.
A great discussion will now go on as
to the duty of the allies toward Italy.
Already the Italians are charging that
had the allies performed their duty
this disaster would have been avoided
do not think this is true, because the
disaster is of the sort that no muni-
tionment could prevent. The Italian
general stan has obviously been caught
mapping. Like the Russians in 1915,
their attention had been too deeply
concentrated upon their own offensive
and they had forgotten the possibility
of the enemy attacking. Had the Ital-
ians been supplied with more guns and
more munitions bv their allies, they
would unGuestionably have used them
on their center. and not on their flank.
The victory may be due in part to
heavy artillery. in part to the use of
gas. about which we hear much and
know little now; but beyond all else
1t is a victory by superior generalship.
The Germans in 1917 on the Italian
front have seen their chance. as they
saw 1t on the Galiciau front two years
ago. and have taken 1t, with vital con-
sequences to their enemy. |
Yet in the presence Of disaster II is |
essential to preserve our perspective. |
Unless the Germans succeed in putting
Italy out of the war their victory will |
be essentially defensive. 1t will carry
with it the salvation of Austria, but at \
4 price, which will ultimately weaken |
German resistance on the western front |
and 1t is the western front which is /
the decisive field Of the war. provided