Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-28
CRITICAL HOUR
| BELIEVED NEAR
FOR |TALy'S MEN
Whether Invaders Can Be
Held at Mountain Passes
Is Crucial Test.
.CADORNA'S SECOND ARMY
SUFFERS SERIOUS SHOCK
Berlin Announces Capture of
More Than $4,000 Men
and $50 Guns.
ROME ADMITS CRISIS AT HAND
French, on Flanders Line, Go Fur
ther Ahead, Capturing Ger
ROME ADMITS CRISIS AT HAND
French, on Flanders Line, Go Fur
ther Ahead, Capturing Ger
man Trenches.

Italy's mcttie is being critically
tested by the tremendous Tcutonic
drive. under command OF Emperor
Charles Of Austria on the Iaonzo front.
with what seems virtually the entire
Austrian army and strong German
forces.
From the first blow. General Ca
dorna's second army has suffered
serious shock. and Berlin claims the
defeat of this section Of the Italian
forces. from which II announces the
capture OF no less than 10000 men and
$50 guns.
These grave losses seem TO bear out
the German claim as to the fate OF
this Italian army. but apparently the
crucial hour has not yet come which
will determine whether the Austro-
German host can be held at the noun
tain passes and prevented from over
flowing into the fertile plains Of Vene-
zia.
SemiofRcial uttcrances reveal that all
possible preparations have been made
I'm Rome 10 meet the great emergency.
Each day. however. sees the invading
armies making additional Roadway.
Commanding Italian heights along the
border east ard northeast Of Tolmino
are beginning to fall, while Berlin
claims that virtually the entire Italian
Isonzo front has been shaken.
AMERICAN TROOPS
IN FRONT-LISE TRENCHES
From the western front, the most
important news TO Americans was that
announcing the presence Of American
troops In the -l,rsr=1ing rrrnrney along-
side French infantrymen. and OF
American artillery wj.h French bat
terics sending the first tAmerican-aimed
shell OF the war ut the German lines.
These troops have not taken over the
quiet sector In which they are sta
toned. but are under French direction.
The first statement issued from Ameri-
can headquarters in Frande reported
the men adapting themselves most
satisfactorily.
The British In Flanders werc engaged
Saturday in making secure the posi-
tions they won Friday. the most i'm
portant OF which was that on the
Bellevue spur, west OF Passchendaele,
valuable dominating ridge. brilliantly
taken and held by the Canadians in
hard lighting.
The French on the Flanders line
went further ahead Saturday. captur-
ing German trenches north of the OBJ
v.
The Russians are continuing 10 moyo
ahead in the Riga region, apparently
with some caution
FRENCH SUCCESSES OFFSET
By AUSTRO-GERMAN BLOW
French successes on tho Aisne and
British pressure In Flanders are off
set for the moment by the Austro-Ger-
man blow against the left wing OF the
Naiian FORCES on the Isonzo. However.
the latest Teuton effort has not vet
progressed far enough to be called dan
gerous to the future success OF the
allied arms
General Cadorna's men were over
whelmed seemingly by the massed blow
OF heavily re-enforced Austrian divi-
sions under the command, II is re-
ported. of Field Marshal Won Macken-
sen, the leader OF two very successful
offensives against the Russians Tho
italian leader probably considered 1t
better to withdraw his battered SOL
diers from tho sharp curve in The
Isonzo. northwest and southwest Of
Tolmino. to a line from Monte Nag
giore to Auzza. then to attempt to hold
the Austro German forces where, IL
they were able to continue their sue
cesses, the whole Italian campaign
along the Isonzo might be nullihed
Berlin claims that the advance con-
tinues. and that captures of men and
material Increase hourly.
FINAL EFFORT TO CONQUER
ONE OF STRONG NATIONS
The Austro- C erman blow apparently
is final effort to conquer one OF the
strong allied nations in an attempt to
bring about favorable peace The
effort against Russia, despite the poor
morale Of the Russian army, can not
be said to have been greatly success
ful as n means TO bring ing about peace.
III France, the Germans cannot ad-
vance. but, on the contrary have
slowly been giving up valuable /stra-
tcgic positions. The final hope ap-
parently was in aiding war weary
Austria in crushing Italy.
In the sprng Of 1916 the Austrians
carried out an extensive offensive move
.ncnt in the Trentino. only to be thrown
back beyond their original positions
by the Italians few months later
Whether the present offensive will
prove similar, depends on General
Cadorna.
The fighting is i'll the mountains, ana
the Italians still hold positions capable
Of strong defense. Even a retire.
ment to n line running from Amphezzo
through Bemona to Cividale and thence
to Gorilla could hardly affect the tor
ritory east Of Gorizia and southwark
along tho Carso.
Tho effectiveness Of General Petain's
smash on the Aisne southwest of Laon
is shown by the fact that the German
Crown Prince has not attempted coun-