Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-18
italians in Stronger Positions
and Have Checked Drive.
Some Withdrawals.
RUSSIA NOW IS SETTING
WITH BITTER CIVIL STRIFE
Though Kerensky May Have Fallen,
Bolsheviki Control
viii Fade.
GERMANS FAIL IN WEST
GERMANS FAIL IN WEST
Bitter Assaults Against British
Again Prove Offensive Weakness.
English Forces Press Back Turks.
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.


On the stretches of the Piave and
IN the mountains skirting the northern
Venetian plains a tense military drama
is being enacted at the present juno
ture.
The italian armies, after their wide
retreat from the regions to the east Of
the Isonzo before the mighty Teutonic
armies arrayed against them. have
taken positions along the important
strategical waterway. the last impor-
tant one before Venice. while in the
Trentino regions fsverish preparations
continue to resist any enemy effort to
break through the mountains and force
general disorganization of italian plans
Of defense.
Tho Austro-German- legions are
bringing up their heavier artillery.
while they have had ample time to
definitely frame their plans for further
ofYensfve endeavor One of the great
est battles in the history OF the present
war Is impending. Whether or not the
pains reaching farther westward to
the enemy by further Italian retreat
and whether the Germans really have
assembled sufacient forces to overrun
such sections Of Italy as they see mt,
are questions soon TO Do settieo. .s..
the italians have established strong
line Of defense along the Pfave. During
the past week the Germans were able
to cross the river to the western oank.
points, notably In the vicinity Of Zen
son and Grisolera- They were unable
to debouch from these two positions
to any great extent. owing 70 the ex-
tremely arm resistance of italian
forces assembled in these sections. The
Germans brought real menace to Venice
and the whole of the Italian line resting
on the lower Piave by their activities
hurled shells into Venice. the historic
art center, but the Italians unloosed
the floodgates at the junction of the
Piave and Sile rivers and a great Sec
only bringing the German advance to
. halt in this section, but forcing
retirement Details Of the Germans
predicament. when the flood waters
but undoubtedly they suffered great
diniculty fn sxtricating themselves
from their dilemma in those positions
which Withstand the Teutonic, shock
Though latest events would indicate
that the italian armies are hrm. too
much cannot be expected OF their
ability to stand on their present line
simply for the reason that Berlin and
Vienna are attaching greater signin-
canoe to the present operations than
they have to any in any other arena,
with the possible exception Of the
western The peoples Of Germany and
Austria Hungary hardly viii be con-
tent with half measures and the rela-
lively small section now held by the in
vaders hardly can be looked upon as
constituting q wonderful German sue
cess, when the whole Of the nation is
taken into consideration.
50
Russia il seething. Brothers are ar
rayed against brothers in the fight The
outside world
Russia Seethes has learned but
With Civis Strife. ~" 81. 'ne ne
Affairs in the Russian capital, Petro-
grad. The overthrow Of the bolsheviki
IL proclaimed. and almost Immediately
the bolshevi<i make sweeping claims
Of victory over Kerensky. Tho only
fact which seems absolutely certain is
that the bolsheviki still retain control
Of Petrograd. though they have been
forced to battle bitterly. The Kerensky
forces nrst are reported in. then at the
gates OF and then on the outskirts of
the capital Late advices report the
night OF kerensky and disorganization
Of his troops. Kerensky is said to have
gained complete control Of Moscow, then
lost it. Not until one side or the other
gains decisive victory in the present
struggle will the world know the real
truth.
Undoubtedly In the long run the Ger
man-paid bolsheviki leaders will be
ousted. Whether or not 1t will be
Russian conditions remains to be seen
but 1t Is certain that some strong man
blow.
Unquestionably danger of further
German incursion In this particular
section has been removed for the time
being. though those regions immediate
~ 70 the north OF San Donna di Piave
brunt Of heavy German attacks.
The italian line swings northwest
along the Piave to a point almost i'm
m diately to
German Threat the east of
Not Yet Removed. the sueana vslA
ley and thence to Lake Garda. The
German threat from the Sugana valley
region lying between the Piave and
Asiago has not been removed. Grave
anxiety has been voiced In entente cap
itals owing to the Hun menace from
ehiS eeCtiohs II uciuS Iuily reallZoQ tnat
the whole italian defensive line must
collapse II the Germans break through
in this section Encouraging reports,
however. come from Rome. The reju-
venated. reinforced and re-encouraged
italian armies are holding the enemy
firm. Such Withdrawals as have been
made by the italian armies in this re-
gion have been in line with a definite
plan OF readjusting Italian positions.
After crossing the upper stretches of
the Piave and taking position on the
western bank II was necessary for the
Italians to drop southwark to prepared
positione IN order to bring the Piaye