Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-11-01


forth at different times. and their armies
remain unconquered. SO long as that Sit
uation continues the Germans have MADE
little progress in the direction Of defeat-
ing Russia and the allies as whole So
in the case Of Italy. If Cadorna by re-
treating sixty miles to new position with
a shorter front is able to hold the Teuton
forces. and wear them down in that way
and thus help the allies to win the
war. Italy's ultimate gain Will not de-
pend upon the exact location Of the Ital-
ian battle front at the time the war ends.
IT, however. the retreat Of Cadorna
| should result In the discouraging or the
Italians to n point where they were ready
! to make separate peace with Germany,
| then the situation would be altogether
| different from that outlined previously
The outlook FOR the allies would indeed be
! serious.
The Italians have been conducting oper-
| attons on an enormous front. They have
repeated asked the United States as
we'll as the allies for assistance In guns
| and ammunition especially. Up to tho
present time that assistance has not been
forthcoming. On the surface Of things
this would seem to have been serious
blunder on the part Of somebody. The
New York Times sums up this feature Of
the situation in brief a. follows:
Germany. by massing q great German
army and practically the whole Austrian
army against Italy, has nuliined Cadorna's
victories and put Italy on the defensive.
/ It Is no. Italy's fault. italian emissariss
have been besieging the allies for months.
in fact for years. trying to make them see
the Importance OF giving aid in full meas
ure to Italy. The first task was to make
the allies understand that the Italian cam
pa'En was not side issue, but major
campaign. which might decide the war.
Not unit! Cadorna's victories OF this
spring. no. until his objective became OBJ
viously Laibach and obviously readable.
cid this idea seem to strike the allies. in
spite Of ali lta;y's exhortations. The Sec
ond task was to make them understand
that while Italy could furnish soldiers and
generals. she could not furnish coal and
guns and munitions, and that the allies
must do that.
Italy has been defeated for the same
reason that the Russians were defeated in
1916 not because her men were not brave
or her generals ingenious. but because
men cannot fight with their bare hands
against artillery. When Italy asked for
raw material Of warfare she was not ask
ing a favor: she was asking something for
the benefit Of Italy. France. England. Rus
STA. and the United States. She should
have got all she asked for. not as a favor
to her. but as a means Of winning the war.
and she should have got 1t early. Because
she did nota get 1t she has failed to hold
her gains when the whole strength of Ger
many and Austria was hurled against her.
That strength could not have been hurled
against her II Russia had stood firm, but
not stand firm and should have prepared
for that contingency. No doubt they have
seen their fault lately and have been
Fastening to repair it. but they should
make still more haste. Every help that can
be given Italy should be given at once
and without stint"
The only trouble with this solution of
the problem is that any help which may
be sent to Italy now may be everlastingly
too late. This hindsight is what has ham
dicapped the allies from the beginning and
it promises to continue to the very end.