Arizona republican., 1918-01-07
'ON ID GOR|Z|A''
 ONCE AOSTA'S CRY;;
 NOW THE TEUTONS'

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ITAL- IAN ARMY, Northern Italy, Jan. ). .Gorizia is a symbol, On to Gori- zia," was the cry of the Duke of Aosta's soldiers as they passed the little town of Lucinico a few months ago, fighting their way down to the IsonZo river, then across the western bridge leading to the city, when the cry changed to ''GoriZia at last."
 Then, a week ago, this was re- versed when the overwhelming in vading force of Austro-Germans took up this same cry, On to Gorizia, pressing down from the north, across the northern bridge to the city, and ending with "Gorizia at last."
 Thus Gorizia has become symbol of the huge change which has oc- cured within the last ten days. 1t was one of the farthest points for ward on the Italian line, the center of a vast arc of fighting frort stretching from Plezzo. far in the north, down to the Adriatic at Montefalcone. and it was the most populous and important city in the 0Iteit SitSttllL OL ltllltOiS W hANh NiN Italian army has sliced off south western Austria-some 600 square miles il. all And so GoriZia was symbolic of that entire region which has twice changed hands in this war and of the furthest advance in the first Italian campaigns.
 I visited Gorizia just nine days ago and saw the city on the eve of it's agony It was the last visit made there by anyone outside the military before the retreat began. The rear of the great Austro- o-German of fensive already had commenced, though for the moment it was taken for spasmodic renewal of the can- nonade which had been goin o1. for weeks. Within "A hours the enemy had crossed the IsonZo 15 miles further north, turned the Italian left wing, beaten back the second army under General Capello, threatened to envelope the third army under the Duke of Aosta, brother of the king of Italy, and put in execution that gigantic hammer stroke by which they hoped to finish Italy and cripple the whole entente.
 The visit was made by invitation of the supreme command with a staff editor from headquarters as escort. As we sped along the road in the big army auto. I noted there were no troops along the road and bordering fields as one sees ap- preaching Verdun or in the Somme or Flanders. This absence of troops 1 iH the rear was part of the system adopted, it was explained. All the provisioning of the army was done at night, and the roads were | left clear by day most of the time Ten miles out we crossed the l Italian-Austrian frontier and entered Austria. The front was marked by an empty river as the mountain cur rent had run dry. There were scruI trees along the banks and our escor noted the strange fact that bear. ! were quite numerous in these part. and back to the Italian Alps. Nea1 the frontier bridAe was a party O
 soldiers going home for two week!
 leave; they looked very happy a1.t
 were quite unconscious of the es
 cape they were making from tn
 crash to occur few hours later
 At CormonS, an Austrian villag
 on the road, the signs above tn
 shops were all Italian, showing tn
 Italians were right in the claim tha
 all this section was racially Italian
 At this town, too, was a statue o
 the Archduke MaXmilian which ha
 just passed through queer eX
 perience. Some Italian soldiers pass
 ing through the town had seen tn
 statue, and not being familiar wit
 Maxmilian they had taken it for tn
 great Genose navigator, Christophe
 Columbus. With true Italian fervo
 they had decorated the statue al.
 there stood MaXimilian with gar lands about his neck placed there b Italian soldiers.
 The cannonade began to be hear } for the first time ten miles west ( } Gorizia-a low rumble to the mort 5 and east with now and then tl !. muffled boom of a great gur.. Da |, by day the fire was getting heavie l said our escort, who knew Il 9 ground by heart; and he added tn;
 the enemy forces had been increase
 from 120 battalions to 330 battalion As we passed through the tow of Lucinico, q far-out suburb Gorizia, it was seen to be half d, , stroyed. Along the main street ra j. rows of battered buildings, vii p walls half down and shell holes nal
 ing ugly gashes. But business W; ? going on, men were at the cafe }. and women and girls strolled u e street uncohcernedly. Now the aut, f mobile turned up the steep side II Padgera Hill, one of the outer d. n lenses of Gorizia where blood
 hand to hand fighting occurred. Or
 could see the old trench and wi $ system, now grass grown. All tn IS hill had been swept bare by shel : fire, but nature had kindly oblite ated the scars and the hillside w
 again smiling with it's verdure. IT
 sound of firing had now increas
 to an ominous roar as we pass p Padgera Hill.
 'o Turning the corner of a shatter .s wall, we saw the Isonzo river lyil a' ahead. and on the further side Gol ,o zia rising in terraces with the hu
 battlements of the citadel toweri ,, on the right. The river looked abo ui the width of the Potomac at Was - lngton, but with swifter current fire ~ the mountain feeders. Along t , edge of the river raI. rows of she
 torn walls with gaping window This whole water front had be E torn to, pieces, and yet many of {
 demolished remnants of the bull
 ings were occupied. and work alo
 the river wharves was proceeding. < To the left, as we approached { 9 river, stood out the palatial cas
 of Count Coronini of Vienna, t q close personal friend of Empel
 Francis Joseph up to his death, a II, the master of ceremonies of | of imperial household. In this cas ar had died King Charles x, and 1a body still reposes in the nearby co m vent of St. Caterina One of { 1- lions of St. Mark, which had capI ,d the entrance to the castle. was talk -e. down by the Austrians before tt