Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-12-15

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who have not yielded to the dictation
of Lenine and his bolshevikists More
over, the immense gold reserve of the
Russian empire, which was removed
from Petrograd to the kremlin In 1913,
has been taken still further into the
interior and is ont of the reach of the
maXimalists. Whether kaledines and
the Cossacks will chose to support the
social democrats or will aid in res
toration of the monarchy Is not clear.
Put sane friends of order democracy
md freedom feel that anything would
be better than the reign Of anarchy
and civil war that threatens Russia
now.
The soldiers who remain at the
front are waiIing bitterly because of
the shortage of food, and there Is n
fine prospect Of hundreds of thousands
of these fighting men turning back in
TO their country half-staryed and
ready to pillage and ravage 1t without
restraint.
Italys Danger Lessened.
The heroic Italian troops having
demonstrated their ability to hold back
about four times as many Teutons
along the Piave front, the fears of a
more extended invasion of Italy and
of the capture of Venice are lessening.
During the week great numbers of re-
endorsements arrived from the British
and French armies on the west front,
many Of them having marched eight
days through the mountains. They
brought with them ample artillery and
supplies. Italian reserves in greW
masses young, well-equpped and fRl
Of spirit, also moved north to relie3e
those who have been combating the
invaders, and In some places the ltal-
ians took the offensive The figlE.ng,
especially between the Piave and the
Brenta, continued fierce and unabated
throughout the week, and the losses
on both sides were heavy, but the Aus
troGermans made no further gains.
Down toward the Adriatic they made
repeated attempts to cross the river
and the flooded lands In pOntoons, but
were completely routed by the Italian
artillery. AS the week closed the stu
alton in Italy was still serious, but i'm
proving each day.
Gen. F. b. Maurice, chief director
of military operations In the British
war office, was especially well salts
fed with the weeks developments in
Italy. N ON the fact that Germany
had not brought up vast reinforce
ments to follow up the initial success
with a decisive blow, he concluded
that Germany was unable to send
them. 1t Is now time, he declared,
to say definitely that the crisis In
Italy has passed, this being due en-
tIrely to the efforts of the Italian
army. "Anglo.French troops are now
available In sufficient quantities to
sati~fy us that the situation Is Sc
cure" he concluded.
Hard Fighting Around Cambria.
The war has sen no more desperate
fighting than has followed on the heels
of General Byng's sensational thrust
toward Cambria. Crown Prince Rup-
precht seemed determined not to let
that city fall into the hands of the
British, or at least to make II costly
prize, and his constantly REINFORCED
troops were sent against the British
In Bourbon wood again and again and
In the village of Fontaine, which
changed hands several times. Byng's
men held on tenaciOusly and usually
fighting as well as in the artillery com
bats, and the tanks continued to play
their part These monsters often
cleared the way for the infantry, and
in at least one instance, when they
were themselves held up by superior
forces, the British aIrmen, flying dar-
ingly low, routed the enemy with ma
chine gun fire and permitted the tanks
to 90 on. Altogether, ii has been the
most spectacular battle Of the war, and
1t has cost the Germans great many
Of their best men.
General Byng last week seemed to
be endeavoring to break through to the
north of Cambria, movement that
probably would compel the enemy to
fall back on wide front. Cambria IT,
self seems doomed to destruction.
General PershiDg last week sent
over his second casualty list 1t gave
the names Of two privates who were
killed in the trenches by German ar
tillery fire aud of five severely
wounded.
U. S. Supreme War Council.
While urgently advising upon our
allies more unified action in the prose
cution of the war, the administration
is not overlooking the need for similar
co-ordinated effort at home. On Tues
day great step toward centralized
control Of all the country's resources