Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-05
SUMMARY OF WAR
TODAY; FIRST RAIDS
ON u. S. TRENCHES
nv Associated press.l

Infantrymen Of the American over
seas forces have had their first clash
with the Germans in a front line trench
position and three Americans were
killed, i've wounded and Il captured.
The Germans attacked at daybreak on
Nov. 3 under cover of q heavy barTage
fire which isolated short salient oc-
cupied by a company Of Americans and
apparently left the little force at the
mercy Of their enemies.
The report from General Pershing
dealing with the engagement, which
was made public by the war depart
ment early today, did not give the
names of the casualties and also omit
ted to mention whether the trench had
been captured However, the fact that
one wounded German was taken by
the Americans leads to the belief that
the attacking party did not remain to
further contest the position, but were
content to slip back to their protecting
lines with their prisoners.
i That American troops receiving in
/ tensiye training in the trenches had
had their first fight with the enemy
( was intimated on Saturday in a cryptic
official statement from Berlin announc-
ling the capture Of North American
/ soldiers. Cable dispatches from the
American army headquarters ii
France also served to prepare the
American public for the news Of the
engagement through announcements
that the artillery activity was some
what above normal, although not any
&c sfr,vag on no al hnr
parts Of the front,
On Italian Front.
While General Cadorna's forces are
holding the invading Austro-German
hordes along the Tagliamento, an Ital-
ian naval bulletin referring to intense
activity in the Gulf of Triest indicates
that the Adriatic may soon be the
! scene of an important development
and the turning point in the present
struggle in that theatre of war.
Meanwhile France and Great Brf
tain are rushing their greatest mill
tarv and governmental leaders to ait
italy Premier Lloyd George Genera
& Sir William Robertson, chief Of the i'm
periaI staff Of the British army; Lieu
: tenant General J. G, Smuts, the for
: lIner South African commander, ana
: other officials in company with Pre-
mier PainleYe, who is heading TIN
French mission, are on their way 4
Rome for q conference with the Ital
ian war chiefs. presumably TO map on
: an intensive campaign involving tn
Italian forces reinforced in both NAL
, power and materials drawn from
- ITra7,.... and ftsaaf tg~fFat4l
. In Flanders only minor operation
T are reported, these being confined t.
= artillery activity and small raids int
. the German territory.
r Italv's situation appears increasing
0 " grave today with the announcement
!. from Rome that the TaEliamento river
t west OF which General Cadorna ha
established his new line after tn
great retreat from the IsoHzo. had bee
crossed by the Austro-German lnvad
= ers.
Of The crossing Of the river APPARENT
: has not yet been in sufficient force t
/ compel Cadorna to decide upon aband
S onment OF the Tagliamento line, bu
It the Teatonic commander undoubtedi
y viii make the most Of the opening h
ian positions north and south OF th
= point where he has gained footin
on the west bank Of the stream.
That this process is already unde
way ia indicated by the fact that Rom
ltels Of increasing Austro-Germa
pressure against the Italian left VIM
where the crossing was effected
Where Crossing Vas Made.
The spot selected by the enemy fc
the successful attempt is near Pinzan
about forty miles from the mouth
} the river and about seventeen milk
;. north OF ITdine-was at a point whel
= the marshy ground encountered fu
- Their to the south begins to disappea
- the banks rising pereeptibly and Il
:. river narrowing down.
Z, II General Cadorna decides
=. - abandon the Tagliamento line,
= which it is by no means certain tn
:. he intends to fight more than q del;
- action. his next natural stand for u
. defense Of Venice viii be at the L
=. vinza, from 10 TO Is miles furtA
: west. or finally at the Piaye, some f
- miles further in thar direction.
- Berlin's account of the Tagliamen
crossing and advance westward Civ
10 the movement the appearance OF
n operation in great force which AREA
II has resulted IN decided Tentonic vi
nd tory. More than 5000 Italians we
t. taken prisoner and several guns we
e. captured in the engagement, declar
hit the official statement.
I'D Signs Of a probable impending !