Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-10
BY CHARLES M. PEPPER.


continues it's advance toward
Trieste. 1t is creeping sort
q of an advance, whether the
armies of Gen. Cadorna move down
along the coast or across the rocky
plateau of Carso. but nevertheless 1t is
a forward movement.
Progress of only two or three miles
since the spring campaign begun might
not seem much were it not possible to
compare it with the advance Of the
allies on the western front, where
progress is measured by yards. instead
of miles. Whether or not the. Italian
armies ultimately are able to take Tri-
este. they serve a military object OF
vast Importance in keeping an enor-
nous Austrian force busy in defending
1t.
Trieste is the queen city of the Adri-
attic. 1t is an attractive city. too.
whether coming overland on the train
from Vienna or across the bay from
Venice. 1t fills a good many. chapters
in the history of the Italian struggles
which have resulted in Austria keeping
it until the present time. but it is not
necessary to review the queen city in
the historic aspect.
Trieste as British consul " when he
wrote his book Charles O'Malley."
which so good judge. of books The
odore Roosevelt Is said to have declared
is the most entertaining military novel
ever written For Italians. Trieste has
the. same sentimental interest as the
Trentino and the Tyrol. For Americans
it always has had more or less attrac-
ton, and there used to be almost as
many applications for. the Trieste. con-
suIate as for that at Venice.
Consular applicants apparently con-
founded it with Venice; but the queen
city Of the Adriatic. though attractive.
is somewhat harsh. and the winds
which sweep across 1t are so violent
that on many days 1t is found neces-
sary to stretch ropes along the streets
for pedestrians to use in trying to get
about. ... . ....
In summer, however. Triese is almost
as delightful as Venice. There are
vineyards in the surrounding country
and the gulf itself offers some fine re-
treats. 1t Is as an industrial and COM
mercial city that Trieste is chiefly
known, and while Italian sentiment is
a potent force in seeking to recover 1t
as a part of lost Italian territory, the
commercial and military advantages of
the city are more potent reasons of
state. For the same reason Its possess
sion is of supreme Importance to Aus
tria, whose commercial existence al
most depends on the continued possess
sion of the city.
Tieste is the principal seaport of the
Austro Hungarian empire. Ffume, on
the shores of the Adriatic. is Hungar-
ian seaport. but it has few of the ad-
Moreover. should the dual empire ulti-
mately be split, and. as a consequence
of the great war. Hungary set up In
business for herself as a completely in
LIANT in vdn q
literally land-locked country, whose
only fluvial outlet would be down the
Danube to the Black sea. through for
eign territory. since Ruman1a always
will be foreign, so far as Austria Is con-
cerned.
A large proportion of the commerce
of Austria Hungary in peace times has
flowed in and out through Trieste. the
railway line serving as the means of
land transport
The commercial fleets of Austria have
radiated from Trieste to the Mediter-
ranean ports in the near east. through
the Suez canal to the far east. and
through the Straits of Gibraltar to the
United States and South America.
Austrian Lloyds is the best known of
the shipping lines. 1t is partly gov
eminent enterprise and has enjoyed
large subventions. Its vessels. which
pass through the Suez canal to the far
east. compare very favorably with the
French and English lines. Before the
outbreak of hostilities the company was
in a rather bad way financially, owing,
it was declared. to Encouragement.
The war. naturally. has made matters
worse. and a recent report was to the
effect that the company's losses for the
current year were about 100000.
Local Mediterranean lines have serv-
ed the Austrian population in the Lee
want and Egypt Austria has had con-
siderable traffic both with CONSTANT
nople and with Alexandra.
Tine Austro-American line was the
one which maintained a regular serv-
ice with New York and with several of
the southern ports. as well as with
South America. This line drew. con-
siderAble profits from Ats -emigrant