Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-09-16

MS lnIOTInduon mas DceH us
closed by the diary of Prussian SER
geant of the Twenty third reserve in
fantry regiment. He wrote at the
end of July:
I'VE. are. supposed. to- have. had
Americans opposite us for some time
now, and two divisions of Portuguese
on our right. The man who brings
in the first American, dead or alive,
to headquarters has been promised
the Iron cross of the first class, 400
marks and IA days leave"
Italians Take San Gabrielle.
The crest of Monte San Gabrielle,
commanding the plain of Gorilla to
the south and southeast and the Fri
girdo valley to the east, has been
captured. by the Italians after three
weeks of the most bitter fighting, the
Italian embassy at Washington an
nounced.
Aims to Take Vienna.
This news of the victofy, probably
the greatest feat of the Italian arms
thus far in the war, precedes the lat
est official report from Rome.
General Cadorna's colossal drive Of
the last few weeks is aimed at more
than the capture of Triest. The ulti-
mate goal of the Italian generalissimo
is nothing less than opening road
to Vienna and the consequent collapse
of the Austrian empire.
1t is apparent that Cadorna is strik-
ing in two directions-north and
south.
The southern drive is undoubtedly
aimed at Triest. The northern cam
paign, for the Bainsizza p teau and
Chiapovano valley, is intended to sep
arate the northern and southern Aus
trian armies.
To do this Cadorna must clear the
Baisizza plateau and fight his way
up the Chiapovano valley. By cap
turing Monte Santo and Monte San
Gabrielle, the Italian commander has
won the entrance to the Chiapovano
valley. A quick thrust up this valley
will separate the two great Austrian
armies.
Then the foad is cleared to Klagen-
furt and from there across the plains
to Vienna
Starts in August.
The Italian effort to capture San
Gabrielle began after the taking Of
Monte Santo, directly north, by Cen
eral Cadorna's troops on August Is.
Several times the Italians had reached
the summit of the great mountain, so
important to their further progress
east of Gorilla as we'll as on the
Carso, only to be beaten back again.
On the slopes of the rugged rock
in the last few weeks has occurred
some of the heaviest and most SAN
culinary fighting of the war, with the
Italians hurling themselves forward
in desperate attacks and the Aus
trians holding to the crest as desper-
ately.
San Gabriele's top was occupied by
the Italians, the embassy reports,
after the fortified hill or Saddle of
Dol, and the Gargaro basin, the main
bulk of San Gabrielle, had been taken.
The Austrians. however, still cling
to some positions on the mountain.
In the forest of Tarnovo east of
Monte San Gabrielle, the Italians cap
tured positions from the Austrians
after suffering heavy losses.
Except along the Classmates plateau
on the Aisne front, there has been
no marked activity on the other fight
ing fronts. A German attack against
French positions on the Classmates
plateau, Paris reports, was repulsed
with heavy losses. Berlin says Ger
man troops penetrated to the second
French line and inflicted severe
casualties. The British artillery fire
in Flanders, Berlin reports, has in
creased to drum fire.