Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-05
ALLIED ARMY WITH
ITALIANS To PATCH
Up BROKEN LINES
SECRETARY BAKERS WEEKLY
REVIEW or WAR SITUATION
SAYS CARDONA CAN NOW HOLD
oNCOMlNG HUNS.

P Washington. Noy Italy expect
the United States 10 declare va
>aortly against Austria
Italian officials here. rcAectin
opinion from Rome forecast AMER
can participation on the Italian iron
as an inevitable outcome of the Ten
: tonic invasion.
They Interpreted is virtual con
tirmati0n OF their views these state
men-s in Secretary Of War Baker
weekly war review, issued today
The western front today stretche
from the North Sea to The Adriatic.
The Venetian plain has become
part OF the western battle front"
The Italians pointed also to the sig
nifeance OF Secretary Bakers desig
nation Of the Italian front as tht
Italian sector"
A further falling back of the Ital
ian armies was indicated today b,
Italian military experts. American
military experts shared this expecta
ton
II was pointed out thai regardless nt
the menacing Teutonic turning move
ment on the Trentino Cadorna'5 best
strategy would be Il withdrawal fan
enough south to permit him to thoos,
his own battlefield.
Secretary Bakers summary fol
lows.
!, Our attention during the past
week has been centered on the ri.
gantic struggle now going on in the
Friulian plain
THE Austro.German forces.
breaking through the Italian de.
lenses along the upper REACHES OF
the Isonzo, have erupted into the
lOwlands and carried forward a Sc
ries Of rapidly co,ordinated opera
tions which have resulted in the
conquest of much territory.
France and Great Britain already
have dispatched large reiniorcennnts
TO the threatened battle area. The
western front today stretches from
the North Sea to the Adriatic.
"'rhe Venetian plain has become
part of the western battle front. No
doubt the enemy calculated that Italy
would be abandoned to her fate, or
that the allies would he unable To
dispatch the necessary forces in time
to be Of effective value.
England. France and Italy stand
firmly united. ready to oppose any
further advance Of the enemy In the
Italian sectors.
The moment0us events in italy
should not lead rs to forget that the
principal battle front OF the war re-
mains. as il has been since the be-
ginning, the important sectors Of the
western front. In France ana Fland.
ers
Here the overwhelming bulk Of
enemy strength il concentrated Here
our forces are fighting.
Steadily the FrancoBritish forces
are pushing forward In Flanders al.
lied attacks were particularly success.
ful The British have compelled the
Germans to retire nGrth of the Ypres.
Roulers road They have penetrated
within 100 yards of passchendaole,
whore the Canadian troops distin.
guishea themselves by capturing Rel.
levue spur after in0icting serious
losses on the enemy
In the vicinity OF Dixmude the
Belgians executed several success.
lul raids, while the French. by a
wel-drected assault, occupied the
eastern outskirts Of the HouthuIst
wood and captured several villages,
including Merken ana kipps, as well
! as Il number OF strongly fortified farm
houses.
This success Is OF importance as
marking an extension Of the allied
lines north Of Ypres, which means a
further sharpening Of the blade OF
the wedge In Flanders.
North Of the Aisne the French
have enlarged their success Of the
preceding week by taking certain vii
lagos which they have successfully
held in the face of strong counter at
tacks by thcrenemy, Though men
toned only briefly in dispatches
these operations are Of great tactical
importance
THE Germans, unable TO withstand
the intense pressure Of the French
in this sector, have made retiring
movement. AS yet no exact ndica.
lions have been received as TO its ex.
tent, though II Is anticipated that It
may result In n rc.adiustment of the
enemy line in the region of Laon, La
Fere. and even northward to st.
Quentin