The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-16

observing the work Of Italian bat
teries.
Germans Have Screen.
The campanile Of Vidor was dis
tinctly visible and with field glasses
several men could be seen moving
about the outskirts Of the town.
How this could be with such Smelling
going on was difficult to understand.
] The advantage the Germans had at
this point was evident, as the hills
rose back OF the town, giving them
screen for their batteries. These
played down on the Italians IN the
plain on the eastern side Of the
river.
Again the route turned southwark
| along the river. At one point the
regiments of cavalry which acted as
rear guard while the main Italian
army retired TO the western bank Of
the Piave. The cavalry horses had
been tethered in a vineyard. Ali the
vineyards, haystacks and gathered
crops are being sacrificed in the
present emergency. Nearing the
river the roads were full Of fright
ened people hurrying away with
their pitiful families on the top OF
household goods carried on carts or
wagons.
The river bank was now near and
the escort gave a special warning OF
rife and machine gun fire in addl-
ton TO shrapnel from the batteries.
The town of Nervesa, on the rivers
edge, was deserted completely as the
party passed down to the wharves.
and the silent town had a sepulchral
aspect.
The roar of artillery was now sup
plemented by the rattle Of coffee
mills" as the soldiers call the ma
chine guns, and the crack OF rife
fire.
River Very Narrow.
The river at this point is extreme
ly narrow. with a long shoal through
the middle, Offering the enemy handy
means of getting half way over. The
escorting officer said both channels
measured a total of 500 meters. or
about half a mile. It appeared trifiing
as a military barrier, even with the
best Italian support. Its narrowness
Is evident from the fact that those
in the party were compelled to speak
in whispers for fear Of being heard
by the enemy on the other side OF
the stream.
From the upper window Of a ware
house a long view up and down the
river could be had. The Italian front
line ran just below the window and
the men could be seen crouching
back OF the defenses, with rifles
ready for the enemy just across this
narrow belt of water. The wrecked
Priola bridge lay off to the right.
Further down the river a huge
cloud Of smoke drifted over Zenson
where the enemy had succeeded in
making his first crossing and was
now pressed back against the river
bank. The fighting at this point had
The enemy at first occupied the viii
Iage with a large number Of machine
guns. There the Italians attacked
them with artillery FIRE, backed up
by infantry rushes. The fighting be-
came desperate, with hand-to-hand
struggles, even with knives. The
enemy had the advantage OF posi-
ton as the river makes a sharp bend
so that his positions formed an arc
on each side of the bend. But with
all their disadvantages the Italians
had steadily forced them back to the
chord across the bend so that they
now occupied less than three quar-
ters Of an acre and were hemmed in
on all sides. The artillery was con-
on this enemy party and
1t was believed 1t would be forced
back across the river or thrown into
the water.
On the way back the correspondent
passed through the deserted city of
Treviso, where Generals Foch, WILL
son and Cadorna, held the first OF the