The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-04
Fleet May Be Battered to Pieces
at Anchor Unless It Risks
Battle at Sea
EMPEROR In TRENCHES
TO ENCOURAGE MEN
German Reinforcements Easily
Overcome by Italian Ad-
vance - Internal Garrisons
Are Depleted

Washington, Sept. 3.-The Italian
embassy learned here today from
Swiss sources that the English and
Italian monitors are now operating
south Of the Adrtatic coast from
Trieste They are within eight miles
OF Pola, where the Austrian feet lies
bottled up.
The feet consequently faces de-
structton by the great guns Of the
the open sea.
Meanwhile the land offensive pro-
ceeds with the most violent fighting.
Monte San Gabrielle and the de-
Tense of the Brestoyizza valley alone
stand between the Italians and Pola
along the level stretches of the Carso
plateau. German reinforcements. the
dispatches received today state, are
being defeated as easily as the Aus
trians The embassy gives no in
formation of the army supposed to be
pushing towards Vienna.
The dispatch reads;
THE battle about Monte San Ga
brielle and the Brestovizza valley con-
tinues with the greatest violence. The
Austrian army Is here making the
greatest resistance to save those strong
points, the loss of which would entail
the development OF the wing and the
opening to the Italians of the under
lying fiat country.
'Reinforcements are being constant
~ brought up from all the internal
garrfsons Of Austria Hungary. which
have now been reduced to about one
third of their wartime electives, De-
spite this, the Austrians seem not able
| to hold their lines and German troops
are now defending the greatest portion
| of the Carso sector. But these troops
are being as easily defeated as were
the Austrians.
| According to the Vienna Frenden-
| hlatt. the Austrian emperor Is doing
everything in his power to raise the
morale of his troops by going all over
| the front and reaching even the first
| line trenches.
News from Hungary places the
| Austrian losses thus far at l25,ooo
men and $500 officers Further in
| formation from these interesting Hun
| ga rian sources contain the runaor that
General koervess will be appointed
| COMMUNICATIVE chief of the Austrian
| forces to succeed Borevio, who Is held
responsible for the Austrian defeat.
"a great tribute to the valor of the
| italian troops is paid by the Gazette
de lausanne under which he writes,
| the italian infantry accom- lished Won
derfui deeds. valiantly sustained by
the italian avtators, whose bravery Is
becoming legendary.
THE same paper In discussing the
naval situation in the Adrtatic saws II
| is most surprising that the Austrian
fleet did not appear when the Italian
and English monitors were hattering
down the coast defenses of the Gulf
of Trieste
From Swiss sources comes the first
irtimation that the AngloItalian
monitors have extended their opera
lions much further south OF Trieste
than was AT first supposed.
The italian general command in
Albania Is proceeding with the de-
vetuprTre-rt- +taa-accupiad- reginn--
Vast tracts have been cultivated with
cereals by all the available troons.
Time has been taken to carefully
prune the abundant olive trees of the
region. assuring good crop for next
season.