New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-14
The Line of the Pave

The Italians nave succeeueu j." iNe
the line of the Piave. The successful re-
constitution and RECOMMENDATION OF their
armies behind the Pave has eliminated
the greatest of all perils, the danger OF
an enveloping movement coming down
from the Upper Isonzo and cutting on
the retreat of the main Italian armies be-
fore Gorilla. The danger of an enormous
Sedan has now passed. Exactly the same
thing happened in the Marine campaign
when the British and French armies had
retired behind the Disc and the Meuse.
Tho ouestion now remains whether or
not the Italians have elected to make their
final stand along the line of the Pave
and if so what the prospects of success or
fa;lure of such stand are. In spite OF
all that comes from the capitals of the
Allied countries we may not be able for
some time to find out whether the stand
made by the Italians along the Pave
River is temporary, a mere covering
movement, preparatory to retreat to the
Adiee. or whether it is the stand on which
the Italians will fight the decisive battle.
The present circumstances, however,
are quite clear. BY retiring behind the
Piave the Italians have shortened their
line by 200 miles. To-day their line runs
from the hills where the Piave breaks
into the Venetian Plain straight south be-
hind the Pave River to the Adriatic Sea-
The Pave River is natural obstacle, an
admirable defensive basis, but now, as
three weeks ago at the lsonzo, the Italians
are still threatened with an attack from
the north behind their front. Precisely
as Below struck south from the Upper
Isonzo behind Cadorna's line about Corr
zia the Austro-Germans can now strike
south from Borgo, north Of the Asiago
Plateau. behind the Piave line. If they
succeed in such a stroke the Pave line
will be turned and the old question will
be raised again as to whether the Italian
retreat can be carried out successfully or
there will be a supreme military disaster.
On the military side the chances seem to
indicate that the Italians will retire once
more, this time to the Adige, and take
their stand behind this river from the
Lago di Garda, near Verona, to the Gulf Of
Venice. Once in this position their north
ern flank will rest upon the Lago di Garda,
safe from all peril Of thanking thrust.
The parallel is with Joffre's strategy in
withdrawing his exposed flank until 1t
rested upon the forts Of Paris in the
Marine campaign. Such a retirement will
carry with it the evacuation Of Venice,
Vicenza and Padua and will bring Aus
trian and German artillery to the forts Of
Verona. with a consequent peril to that
city. It will mean a sacrifice which on
the sentimental side must be very bitter
10 all the Italians, but on the military
side it will bring security which it is
impossible to see in the Piave position.
At the present time the point to be
watched is the Asiago Plateau, south Of
Borgo, in the Val Sugana. Here there
are two valuable railroads available for
the German. and the Austrians TO NUM-
ton their artillery and reinforce their
armies. A long delay would necessarily
Y occur il they waited TO restore the roads
and railroads in the plain which the Ital-
ians destroyed in their retreat But by
using the Tyrolese railroad system the
Germans and Austrians can bring their
artillery by train almost 70 the fighting
line along the Asiago. At this point the
Austrians made successful offensive in
1916 and almost reached the Venetian
Plain. Had they been successful at that
moment one OF the supreme disasters Of
the war would have followed, because
most OF Csdorna's armies along the
Isonzo and in the Julian, Carnic and Dolo-
mite Alps would have been enveloped.
II is essential 70 recognize that the Ital-
ians have not been defeated in many bat
ties since the first action along the Upper
Isonzo. What has happened since that
time has al flowed from the initial de-
feat. Since that time the purpose of Ital-