Arizona republican., 1917-12-30
War In Brief
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

Cold weather and snow in the Eu- ropean fighting zone have reduced military activities to a minimum in most sectors. Only in northern Italy has there been any movement of inn portance in the last forty eight hours. Even there an infantry operation is reported from only one point on the battle line. The Italians took the ini- tiative, delivering a blow at the Aus tro German line near Monte Tomba, on the mountain front just to the west of the Piave. The German war office reports this engagement, declaring that the Italian attack was broken up by the defensive fire.
 The principal aerial activity also is reported from the Italian front. Aus trian airmen recently beaten off from Treviso with the loss of eleven air planes, carried out a bombing raid Friday night in which the city of Padua, rich in art treasures, was ar- tackled. None of the city's noted monu- ments was harmed. but eight bombs dropped in the most oensely populated part of the town killed 13 persons and ! injured sixty others. Bombs dropped on Treviso and two other towns closer to the fighting lines than Padua, which is some 35 miles from the front, caused no damage or casualties. | In naval warfare. torpedoes or mines scored against British torpedo boat de- | stroyers operating off the Dutch coast. Three of these craft were sunk on the night of December 22 during foggy weather, with the loss of 193 officers and men.
 The displacing of Sir Admiral John R. Jellicoe by Tive Admiarl Sir Ross ! lyn Wemyss as first sea lord is partly attributed in England to the loss of these destroyers with many of their l personnel.
 King Ferdinand of Rumania has ab- dicated the throne in favor of Grown Prince Charles, according to an un- confirmed rumor in Petrograd. This follows previous reports of a revolu tionary plot against Ferdinand and other indications of a political crisis in the kingdom, as described in dis patches received at the Bolsheviki headquarters in Petrograd last Mon- day.
 Petrograd special dispatches do moi
 indicate clearly what the reception ha:
 been in Russia of the central powers
 reply to the Russian peace proposals
 One view taken is that the northern
 Russia is disposed to accept peace or
 almost any terms, while the attitude O.
 the remainder of the nation is uncer-
 tain. Another correspondent consider!
 the Bolsheviki disheartened at tn,
 German declinatiOn to accept the prin ciple that nationalities hitherto with
 out political independence be allowed , to decide their own future, this refusa being considered a stumbling block fo , further negotiations.
 Meanwhile Germans who have ar
 rived in Petrograd are being permitte'
 to spread their propaganda and Ger man newspapers are circulating freely Postal service with entente countrie i on the other hand is lacking and allie , residents of Petrograd as well as tn
 Russians as a whole remain in com
 plete ignorance of what has gone.on i
 allied countries for the last six week:
 In addition to the aerial activities re
 ported from the Italian front Britis
 airmcn have been active in Franc over some of the territory occupied b f the Germans. The British headquarter f report Saturday said that 13 hostil , airplanes had been accounted fo f eleven of which were shot down an
 the two others driven down out ( . control. r The British lost three machines a these aerial combats and of the Gel man airplanes. destroyed the Britis
 land guns brought down four.