New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-06
4 Week of he War
British Official Comment on the Latest German Method'
The Eastern Theatre and the Italian Problem
Blu General F. B. Maurice
British Director Of Military Operations

Ienhy's troops attacked this Turkish posi-
ton. and have driven them back some seven
miles to the north TO position immrd at'iy
covering Jafra. and. what is Of more impor-
lance. the railway junction to Jerusalem
This positibn 10 which .ho Turks have been
driven back il. believe, the Biblical kedron;
the Turks call il the Wadi Surar
In this operation so far one Of the cavalry
divisions which have been engaged has re-
rorted the c9pture of LOO prisoners, some
fourteen machine guns and two other guns
ut that is only a small portion OF the iorce
engaged. This brings the total number o.
.isoners captured so FAR TO somewhere near
1000
The Palestine Campaign
The main poirt Of this, looking at IT from
the broad object Of our operations, ~hlcn ~
the defeat of the Turkish attempts TO retake
Bapdad, is that the force opposing General
Alenby has been very roughly handed ana
has lost pretty nearly half its electives; ana
therefore, if IL is TO be maintained IN the
field. 1t requires reinforcing, and the rem
forcemcnts can onlv come from Aleppo'
where General Falkenhayn's forces are max.
ing their preparations for the recapture Of
Bagdad. Now you see how the two things
hinge together. SO much for Palestine.
Now as regards the main problem OF the
roment-the Italian front. The Italians have
withdrawn now behind the River Pave. Ihat
means very great shortening OF the front
for them. and | may say that this line OF re-
sstance was the line fixed upon by 1eherai
Cadorna when he ordered his retreat. no"
the whole question turns upon whether tne
Italians will be able to hold that line. IL
they do not it is almost certain that Venice
must fall. Therefore, the situation is eH-
tremely critical, and will be so for the next
few days. 1t must depend upon the Italians
themselves TO hold up any further enemy ell
forts, because you cannot transfer troops
from one theatre to another with wave OF
the wand. 1t takes time, no matter how
complete the arrangements made 0etorehaho.
Not for some days yet can the British ana
French troops arrive on the front
The danger to the Italian position at the
came time is and always has been that they
have a front up here in the mountains, and
thew have a front in the plain, and the
enemy can attack in the mountains, and II ne
is successful he pets down into the plain be-
hind the troops holding the line there. on
the other hand the mountainous country Is
very defensible extremely dln1cult 10 ge,
through in LARGE masses, and the season OF
the year is getting late, so that snow mas
already begun to fall.
As regards the Piave line, it is in the
Italians favor that they have now been es-
tablished there for three days; the men VINO
Rave been retiring have had some rest; they
have had a chance of reorganization and TO
improve the positions which have ALREADY
been preDared there. You have also TINS IN
tho Italians favor: That the German lines
of communication are getting longer and
longer: the bridges have been DESTROYED and
have all to be repaired, and their Railroads
ore some distance from the front. All OF
which means that it takes time to get up big
Guns and the ammunition for them.
But 20 back to what said before-the
situation for the next few days must DE eX-
tremely anxious. Every day that the Italians
hold the line on the Pave makes the position
more satisfactory. Apart from the fact tnat
ir covers Venice, another important point
about the Piave line is that it is much the
shortest line in the plain which the Italians
have got because if they 60 back TO the next
line. the Brenta, it is much longer than the
Piaye. II they go back again TO the Adigc,
II opens out again still longer.