Evening star., 1917-11-04
Italians Now Established on
Line Of TagIiamento, Where
They Are Holding Foe.
MUCH NOW EXPECTED
OF CADORNA's' WARRIORS
Allied Assistance Increases Chance
of Success in Counter
Drive.
RUSSIAN
SITUATION
BAD
Entente Sure to Assist Kerensky
Government in Adjusting Din
culties-Kaiser Woos Ba-
varia's Approval.

culties-Kaiser Woos Ba-
varia's Approval.
| non to the invaders undoubtedly will be
reinforcements, while the Italians will
have a steady flow Of munitions from the
stations on the western front. something
| which they have not had in the present
released more than 100000 tons Of ship
ping to carry coal and iron to Italy. In
short. all Of the powers arrayed against
Germany and her allies realize the far
reaching importance Of the present cam
paign and will lend every aid to Gen.
Oadorna and the government which is
backing him.
The situation is not one without hope,
even though Cadorna be pressed from the
Tagliamento. Italy Is not defeated ever.
II the Germans advance as far as the
Livenza river. or even the Piave. or even
the Ticino, or even the Bacohiglfone. or.
what Is a more remote contingency, Ca
dorna's armies be forced to establish their
| line of defense on the Adige, which runs
through the chief valley leading from the
Trentino region.
Before the Germans can nave reached
these latter positions the allied aid
to the Ital-
German Retreat ians will be
Dangerous for Them. rhat this
alone would swing the tide the other
way is scarcely questioned in entente
capitals. but what is important Is the
belief that the Italians themselves will
be able to largely solve their own
destinies. This hope could not be held
were the retreating Italian armies dis
organized or their morale affected by
| recent reverses. Instead. each man
is hse.ns aetsrm,ned that the saU enemy shall be
| held at the earliest possible juncture.
and, furthermore. that he shall be
pressed from Italian soil.
The farther the Italians retreat the
enter into Venetia. Should the Italians
react as they are expected to within
the course of the next few days or
,, weeks. and should they succeed in
| tablished lines of defensive positions.
there always Is the possibility that the
German retreat will become a rout. as
it has every chance of doing as long
Just as the Italians had dificulty in
retaining hundreds Of their guns and
just as thousands Of them were taken
prisoner the retreating invaders would
have plenty Of time to get their guns
through the mountain passes. They
have plenty of time for their troop
| movements. They would not have in
case the coming Italian counter often
sive succeeds as hoped for in Rome
Il
| Premier Kerensky on Thursday an
nounced to the world what the entente
| nations ! o &
Burden on Allies, have realized
Kerensky Declares. longer hsa ~ =
! the heavy burdens expected of her. and
| that the allies must shoulder the chief
| task of defeating the common enemy,
| the Quadruple alliance.
! Though there has been constant hope
! that the Russian armies would renew
| their aggressive action against the
Teutons stretched along the more than
| eight -hundred-mile front from the
Gulf of Riga into Rumania, Russian
! paralyzed since the great retreat In
| Galicia and Bukowina in the summer.
when the Germans turned on Cen
Korniloff after he had accomplished
well. even then. to hold the enemy at
! the point they did This is even ad-
mitted in Petrograd. 1t is possible
| that the Germanic offense stopped more
manders than through stiffened defense
of the Russians.
| The recent offensive of the Germans
in the vicinity of Riga again illustrat-
| ed how completely powerless are Rus
sian armies to resist the enemy at the
present juncture. Since the battle of
Riga army commanders and govern
mental leaders in Petrograd repeatedly
have stated that the conditions in the
army were growing from bad to worse
| in the Immediately ensuing months.
\
Have the Germans accomplished all
that they set out to accomplish.
the est a b :
German Purpose lishment Of
Causes Speculation. q tna,,on
of the Gulf of Riga, and the bottling
up Of the main Russian feet in the
Cuff of Finland, or are they soon to
| press on to capt.re Reval. Kronstadt
and Petrograd?
| This is the question which has to a
rs to the Russian situation in entente
! rapitals. The period of sudden aggres-
sion. so closely followed by complete
inactivity on the part OF German
'orces. both land and naval. has
| brought about a perpIexing situation
| 'or those upon whom 1t Is incumbent
| forecast. II possible. the moves OF
| he enemy and deal with them accord
ngly.
Following the capture of the islands
| It the mouth of the Gulf of Riga the
| ;ermans landed considerable forces of
| aen on the Esthonian coast and in La
vonia. Those which landed at Werder
| have heen withdrawn. according to
/ Petrograd advices. while the Teutonic
! retreat toward Riga continues and the
DUO mr. arf ion lu cfo g
# that territory. which skirts on the
eastern shores of the gulf. The
theory has been advanced that the
;ermans are Turing the RuAeian forces
| ;outhward in the hope Of cutting their
communications when they are COM
,aratively distantly removed from the
scene Of the Teutons most recent activ-
~. The withdrawal of troops on the
lsthonian coast now may dissipate
his theory unless the Germans figure
hat they can land forces again and
accomplish the desired purpose before
the Russians again can fall back to the
north and protect their communica-
Ions On the other hand the situation
possibly is due to the evil conditions
prevailing in Esthonia and Lavonia at
he present moment. the greater por-
ions of these provinces being practi-
calIy impossible for large bodies Of
mobile forces such as would be neces-
,ary If the Germans interded to ad-
vance upon PetroErad this fall
A solution to the problem may be
eound in a possible German desire to
-emain on the Gulf Of Riga Islands un-
! ~ xuea thar conditions are more fayOr.