Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-23
ITALIANS HOLDING OWN
AND CAUSE BIC LOSSES
Superior Tcutonic Armies Engage
Defenders in Sanguinary
Battles.
MANY HAND. TO- HAND FIGHTS
Efforts of Huns TO Reach Venctia
valley Receive Encouragement
When Monte Fontana and Monte
Spfnaccfa Are Taken.
IBy Assnciatedr Press.

Sahsuinary battles arc In progress in
me Italian theater between the Dreuta
ana l'iave Rivers. where the armies OF
the Tcutonic allies. greatly superior in
numbers. are striving to break through
the NIL country to the Venetian plains
ihhd-to-hand encounters arc of fire.
queni occurrence. and in them the
itaiians seemingly arc holding their
own ana INJECTING severe losses on tho
invaders.
West OF the upper reaches of the
nave, where the enemy is endcavoring
10 gam the valley leading into Vcnc,ia
inc Berlin War Office claims the cap
turc OF Monte Fontana and Monte
Spihaccla; but, according to the Rome
war ofirc except Oh the former posi-
'ion' where few advanced Italian
Ilnes were reached. the enemy every
Nhcre las been repulsel
ALARMING NEWS COMES
FROM ITALIAN FRONT
LONDON. November a2-AlarminS
news canc from the Italian front to-
night. On the strength Of it. military
experts here agreed that only Il miracle
TO" cah avert Acutonic break
through on the northern front
The Italian line there Is admittedly
cracking. The Tcuton accumulation OF
guns and men thrown into this mar
row sector. between the piavc and
Hrenta Rivers. has proved too over
whelminG, although the Italians fought.
ana stiil a lighting. with superhuman
hcroiSm
For seven days the defender. blocked
INC Teutons sweep across and between
the mountains OH this front OF scarcely
ten miles. walls. of flesh uniting with
the big mountains in barring the road
INTO the Venetian plai
To-day this battle reached it's zenith
OF fury Not since Verdun has such
earth shaking cannonading been heard.
StunE by the news from the west, the
Teutons stormed forward against the
Italian lire with redoubled fury. Again
and again they came on. hour after
houf. through seven days and seven
nights Ever so slowly. the Italians
yielded an inch here and an inch there.
More reserves were rushed to the front
by Won below. More and again more
followed.
We must break through" was the
ron command from headquarters
To-day 1t seemed that the volcano OF
hot metal and the sheer pressure OF
leEions was carrying out the com
mands. The crisis came last nigh,
when the Tcutons took two more peaks.
those OF Monte Fontanc ana Monte
Spinaccia. The Rome War Office early
to-day was forced TO admit a Tcuton
advance into some advanced lines"
MI through to-day the carnage went
on. Ever so slowly but steadily. the
Italians yielded; gradually. as the foe
bit himself into vantage point after
vantage point inches became yards.
and the whole Italian limo began to
shake.
RE noon ominouS dispatches started
coming in from the front. The leu
tons. according TO them, had cstab-
iishcd themselves on the upper slopes
Of Monte C;rapha. That is the most
powerful of the mountain bastions
blocking the Teutons. Every on.
realized that it's fall would mean
Teuton dash into the plain. and that.
in turn. would spell incalculable men
ace TO the whole Italian line on the
l'iavc. For once Il break through Is
effected on tho northern front. the
rcutons have scarcely twenty-five miles
TO march southwark TO reach the
cdine- Verona railroad. and that is the
main avenue of rctreat--posSibly Of
escane-for the Italian piave armies.
In view of this menace, which il is
believed General Dia1 must have fully
foresecn. some military observers here
EXPRESSED the hope Tonight that the
hulk Of the piavc forces already IL
moving westward: in fact. that tho
withdrawal from the piave to tho
AdiGc is matter of hours.