The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-10-29
TeutOns Take Burning City
of Cividale in Stupen-
dous! Drive.
WHOLE ARMIES WAIVER
Rome Admits COwardice on
Julian Front, but Hopes
Troops Will Rally.
INVADERS FOUR TO ONE
Mackensen's Forces Outclass
Defenders in Almost Over
whelming Numbers.

LONDON, Oct. 2s.--Field Marshal Won
Mackensen continues his eledge hammer
drive against the Italians with hia
Austro-G German forces-the invaders out
numbering the defenders four to one
until the italian front has been shaken
from the mountains in the north to the
sea in the south
After hammering back the Italians at
several points until their own soil had
oeen reached the Austro. Germans
pressed forward on the Italian left wing
and captured Cividale, nine miles north
east OF Cdine, an important railroad juno
tion. and are forging ahead to the Italian
plain beyond
Goritz. a point OF great strategic value
and held by the Italians since the drive
in the summer in 1916. also has been
taken by Won Mackensen's forces
The night statement issued by Berlin
reports 100000 prisoners taken In the
present drive and more than 700 Guns
and also says that the second and third
Italian armies are in retreat.
The off1cial Italian statement admits
the retreat TO prepared positions on the
plains. asserting that the troops showed
cowardce in the face o: the foe, thus
permitting the break in the left winS
and Offering access to Cividale
The Rome statement however, ex-
presses confidence that the Italian forces
Will turn about and give battle to the
enemy in open country fighting. II re-
s!stance ia not offere-l soon the greater
part OF the Italian forces on the north
eastern line will be threatened with cap
turs.
: Supplies for the Italian forces operat-
hA
forwarded through Cdne. and capture
or this railroad junction by the Austro.
Germans would force a retirement alone
the entire lsonzo front.
German Omcial Rcport.
The official statements on the fighting
follow:
German 'day) Rapid development
or the united attack on the Isonzo
again brought entire success yester-
day. The Italian forces which sought
TO prevent our divisions from emerging
from the mountains were thrown back
by powerful thrusts. In the evening
German troops forced their way into
the burning town of Cividale, the first
town III point OF position IN the plain
The Italian front AZ far as the
Ndrlat!c Sea is Navcring. Our troops
are pressing forward on the whole
line. Gorizia. the much ulsputed
town in the Isonzo battles was taken
early this morning by Austro-Hun.
garian divisions
the number OF prisoners has hecn
increased to more than sn. OOn and the
number Of guns 10 more than 500.
German 'nightb-Ihe Italian second
and third armies are in retreat
toward the west our pursuit is ad
as TAR As the sea Up to the present
1oo,"oo prisoners and 200 guns have
hcen enumerated.
fowRrdic~ on Julian Front.
Italian Tho fa'Jrc to rcsis, on the
part Of som" units forming our Sec
"nH Army "h'Ch ~ cowardics retired
Wfhon' hCHiiug or SGrr' nd.rcd to the
enemy allowed the NustroL;ern,n
forces To nrcah into our left wing on
tho JuliaH front The valiant efforts
~ other troops d'd not enable them to
prevent til" enemy from advancing
into the sacred soil q. our Fa,herIa-d,
We are Withdrawing our lines accord
ing 10 the plans prepared All stores
and dopois in the evacuated places
were DESTROYED
The record of many memorable bat
ties tough, with success by our brave
soldiers dWigG two and one half years
Of war is sufficient to assure the COM
loaud.r m chief that tho army TO
wh"h IN" honor and safety Of tire
g. untry ar" coafldcd viii know how to
fulnl its duty.
tl,tdale is y toVI of about 5000 in
Frluli, nire miles northeast Of tho ~,
portant railroad centre Of l'tiirc Il i,-
near the entrance to tho VALLEY of tic
Natisonc River, alon- which the ,ustro-
German forces, which broke tho Italian
lin" in IN" Tolminn region. havc battered
their way, tlvidale is I'm tho foothills "
the Julian Alps, beyond which lie the
plains Of northern Italy.
Goritz was captured hy tho Italian.
on August 2, 1915. at Ia. time of the
svnchronous offensive Of tho Allies on
the French, Gali'ian and Italian fronts
} Th" Italians took about ." 600 prisoners
In the city.
1t is town Of $1,000 inha ahltarts on
the lsonzo. half way down Tho prcscn,
Austro-German front Of attack hc'wccr
Tohnino and the sea. II is strongly sit-
uaied among hills OF great dcfensiy.
value, in which there was hcavl ilghtire
hefore the Italians reached thc city it,
self
Goritz is twenty-five miles uortlves,
Of Trieste. Austria's big scapor, at the
head OF the Adrlatir, the capture Of
which Ia one Of the r'incpal Italian
/ aspirations n the war