The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-11-13
SHORTAGE Of SHELLS.
IN ITALIAN ARMYS
Italian Army Expert
Analyses German
Advance.
SAYS WHOLE OF ITALY is
HONEYCOMBED WITH SPIES
Declares That Foe Will Be Driven
Back From Country, German Ac-
count of Prisoners Inaccurate


many's offensive against Italy, re-
duced to military essentials and
stripped of it's possible political sig
nifcance, is an attempt to repeat
the Dunajec drive of 1915, which
blasted Russia out of Galicia and
Poland, and the Serbian drive of the
same year, which blew open the
road to Constantinople.
General Mackensen, the comman-
der who carried out the big smash
es of 1915 and who is again head
ing the Germans, is the "pinch
hitter" of the Prussian war machine
The Germans believe the Italians
are caught in the same relative po-
sitions as the Russians and Serbs in
1915. The Russians had run out of
munitions. The Serbs had little ar
tillery. In both campaigns Macken-
sen literally blasted his way by
drum fire.
Italy has plenty of guns, and her
munitions and supply departments
are alert, but the submarine cam
paign and ship shortage which have
failed to cripple France and Bri-
tain, have reduced Italy's munitions
supplies far below the danger line.
The Italian offensive of the early
summer consumed most of her re-
serve munitions. Italy has neither
coal or iron and must get both by
sea. For five months the Italian
military commission in Washington
has been struggling for American
wheat, steel and coal.
That the Italian army is hamper
ed by a serious shortage of shells
in the face of the big German Of
fensive is freely admitted by Ital-
ian officers in the United States.
Captain Count Lucerna de Campeg-
lioni, who arrived here only recent
ly, says the whole thing hangs on
Munitions, Munitions, Munitions"
paraphrasing Lloyd Georges "Ships
Ships, Ships" with real Latin in
tensity.
The count, attached to the italian
military mission, says there is no
reason to mince words about some
thing the Germans knew all about
when they decided to launch their
attack.
"Then they know about the con-
ditions in the Italian army?" he was
asked.
"Certainly, German spies are on
every street corner in Italy, or in
Europe for that matter. We have
done our best to catch them, but
where one is caught, others take his
place."
The count says the German often
sive has been expected for some
time-in fact, it has been inevitable
ever since the Russian armys dis
organization in July.
The first blow was expected on
the Bainsizza plateau, where it fell.
The next stroke on the upper Isonzo
was not so clearly anticipated when
the count left Italy, because the
complete decentralization of Russia
and the safety with which Germany
can withdraw troops from the east
ern front was not then so apparent.
Asked whether the railroad facili-
ties between France and Italy would
allow the transfer of French, Brit
ish and American troops to stem a
German offensive on the Italian
front, the count said the railroads
were available, but that there was
no need of allied infantry.
Italy has plenty of men-also
to handle the guns.
The Italian shell shortage made
itself felt long before the end of
the recent Italian offensive, and the
presence of ten British batteries on