Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-23
ITALIANS Restoring
ORIGINAL POSITIONS
| IN ASOLONE REGION
Gen. Diaz's Forces Firm a.
Point Where Threatening v
Enemy Salient Exists.

Not only arc the Italian lines hsedhg
in tho Monte Asolons region. On tAs
northern front, where q threatening
salient was driven in them early last
week, but considerable progress -
been made toward restoring tho original
position. This process. begun By he
Italians on Thursday, was continued on
Friday, the Rome war once reporting
the recapture Of further ground In the
hotly disputed area. :.
Austro-derman Plan. y
The Austro-oerman command svf.
IDENTIFY had in mind the expansion OF the
Asolone wedge In q way further TO I'm.
peril the entire Monte Grappa position
to the east, the Italian bulwark against
the intended drive into the plAins. ana
this possibility stfif rematnA me !tei-
ians. however. have nsGattvsd much OF
the enemy advantage and even the Ger
man accounts of the fighting concede
that for the present the aggressive ~
on the Italian side. with the Asoions
heights the objective OF repeated -.
tacks-
Further italian Advance.
ROME. December s4-Tbs ome,a1
statement reads:
OF our Arditi. despite adverse atnao-
spheric conditions. kept the AGhdnG
lively and again realtSed some Drog.
ress hostile counter attack Wao m
mediately repuised-"
Claims italian Chsek. '
BERLIN, December - tvia Lon6eal-
italian attempts yesterday and lesS
night to regain the ground captures By
the Austro-German forces ~ Monte
Asolone, on the northern front. were
futile, the war once announces 1hs
statement reads:
In the afternoon the italians un-
successfully attacked Monte Asolone
and the heights to the west thereof.
Fresh enemy attacks In the evening
broke down. Spirited artillery fighting
continued between the BrentA ana
Piave rivers
By the Associated Press
HEADQUARTERS OF THE HALLAN
ARMY IN NORTHERN ITALY. Friday.
December II, p-m.-In q succession OK
brilliant attacks throughout yesferoay
and today the Italians succeeded IN ote.
lodging the enemy from great pan
Of Monte Asolone and driving him ea03
q three-miie front. The enemys oc-
cupation Of Asoione Was regarded -
a serious menace. because 1t gave him
partial control Of San Loren3o valley
leading to the plain and BassanA
A determined effort was made there-
fore to redeem the position The hrse
attack was In darkness At > O'Clock yea-
terday morning, when . small eetAchr
ment of the It'll Infantry climbed Monte
Asoloue and made . furious charge on
the sleeping garrison. For q time the
little band was beyond the summit. but
was finally driven back by superior
numbers.
The main attack began at 10 o'clock
In the morning. when the Afpfni ana
18th Regiments advanced on . three
mile front having Asoione AZ ftS cen.
ter. The left and center moved straight
ahead, while the right executed turn
Ing movement which partially enveiop.
ed the enemy position on Asoione- The
fighting was furious all through the
day and into the darkness of last night.
when the Italians had again mastered
the strategic points OF Asoione. and
the enemy was pushed hack Tor nearly
a mile.
The enemy's effort to cross the Old
Piaye at the nearest point to Venice
has been thrown back by Italian sailors
and marines. The enemy used armed
fiatboats carrying q storming party.
The Italians landed q party from the
fleet and engaged the enemy. driving
him back and sinking ONE OF hts armed
boats.