The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-30
In Face of Crisis Nation 10
Calm While Every Availa-
bic Man Is Called
ITALY'S FATE RESTS ON
NEW BATTLES RESULT
England and France Making
Every Effort to Reinforce
Emmanuels Army-Central
Empires Jubilant

" London. Oct. 29.--with death-defy-
ing valor that has caused the Roma
war office promptly to recall its
charge of "cowardice," the Italian
armies east of the Jsonzo. now fight.
ing on Italian soil, are throwing thena-
selves into the teeth of Maekensen's
monstrous steam roller. They have
succeeded in slowing up the Teuton
sweep through the passes into theve-
netian plains. But though it's break
through" momentum seems spent ard
its speed has slackened. the Teuton
machine rolls on retsntlessly. It's CEN
ter has reached the gate of Udine.
where up to few days ago cadorna
had his chief headquarters.
Every dispatch from Rome. official
and unofficial, comedies that the Ital-
ians are now hghting a delaying bat
tie; that they must keep on retiring
until they reach the line of the Tag
iiamento river, twenty miles from
Udine.
To Make Desperate stand.
On that line. italy. with Every avail
able man and gun and every ounce
OF energy, will make her supreme
is looked for, Upon its outcome rests
the fate OF Italy. In many quarters
the belief prevails that 1t win decide
the war.
Partly driven, partly threatened in
the flank and rear, the entire 100
mile-long Italian battle line from the
guilt of Trieste up to the Carnic Alps
Is fleeing westward to reach the Tar
iiamento, One army. the second.
pfhte bald M fneS haf VIZ carr Tnlyrsfya<s
and Fitch, where the break
through" came. is virtually wiped out.
Two Other Armies In Peril.
But two other armies in this' res
treating line are In extreme peril
namely, the Carso army and that in
the Carnic Alps Both are menaced
with being completely cut off from
every avenue of escape. Cadornas
Carso army has only t.loonholes ten
.... sSs.s :. .s.Ss sl4p tnroagi to Joass
the Gorilla army in the flight to tho
TagIiamento. The army on the Itai-
ian extreme left is threatened with
being bottled up in the Carnic Alps.
In the two Teutonic empires un-
bounded jubilatton reigns, Full holt
days have been declared to celebrate
the victory, and every city. town and
hamlet was hefagged.
Emperor William is reported speed
ing from Berlin toward the Venetian
front to Join his ally, Emperor
Charles, who is in nominal command
of the Teutonic offensive. There the
two kaisers plan to view the supreme
clash between their armies and that
of their erstwhile ally.
Most ominous among the days offf-
cial claims is that from Berlin, to the
effect that the city of Commons, seven
miles west of Gorilla. has been cap-
tured. Only five miles to the south
east of this point lies Gradisca. Be-
tween Gradisca and the gulf of Trieste
the Italian Carso army must make it,
escape, There is a possibility that il
got away before the Teutons could
bar its escape. The last word from
Rome regarding the Carso army was
that it was bravely holding It's own.
That was two days ago. The Teuton
advance has been so swift that grave
fears are felt here for the safety OF
the great Italian army which in recent
months covered itself with So much
glory by its VICTORIES ON the Carso.
Not alone Italy, but all the ma
tions allied with her, heaved deep
sigh of relief when the Rome war
office today rectified what is believed
70 have been a statement born Of tbs
bewilderment caused by the crushing
initial Teuton blow.
Allied World Anxious.
The entire allied world had been
plunged into anxiety and grief by yes
terday's official Italian bulletin, which
said that some Italian units 'in cow
ardice retired without fighting or sur
rendered to the enemy" \ repetf-
ton of the Russian debacle from
within the ranks of the army was at
once conjured up TO all minds. To-
day these ominous words were effI1is
mated from the same bulletin. which
was reissued in that revised form
Later in the day came this official
announcement from Rome. which
cheered England and France inl-
measurably:
"Au movements ordered by this
general stan are being carried out \
quite regularly and the troops which
are occupying the enemy are fulfill Il
ing their duty by keeping In check
his advance into the plains"
This was an explicit specific stAte-
ment that there is M disorder. no
disobedience. no mutiny, In the Ital-
ian army. That entire units Of the
second army did surrender y NOS
doubted, but not treason or cOwardicA
are TO BE blamed for this. every milt-5
tary critic here believes. The units
in question were composed OF men
between forty and forty-nve, res
serves who were never expected to do
any serious front fighting. MOreOver.@
the guns they had at their dtsposAl
were useless because there was little or i
no ammunition. Thus when the BreatS
Teutonic hammer began pounding ~
way through the passages held By
these units they were swept away IL IL
so much char. There was no qu64
ton of resistance. nor even ok Al1n1
They were swallowed up II scIc4HQ
OF hot metal and then. * nok peoW
to fragments, ~ that time Mogo ~
usred Ia BY the invAding laGt "a