Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-25
TROOPS FIT
TO MEET TEUTONS
In Best Of Condition With Plenty
of Stores and Munitions They
Await Austrlans.

Headquarters Italian Amy. April 20
The Italian and allied forces on the noun
tain front are IN the best ~ condition
The winter months have been utilized in
strengt henlng the defences and reinforcing
lines OF works until the whole region Is
interlaced with powerful systems Of
defence and attack There are vast
stores Of guns and ammunition and the
spirit OF the men is one OF confidence and
eagerness for an approaching conflict IN
the mountain regions
General Plummer. commander Of the
British forces recently announced their
establishment in new position in the
mountain sector around Asiago and
General DIazs bulletins now refer 10
the operations OF the British forces in
that mountain region. The French. too,
who made their brilliant stroke in Mount
Tomba, are also in this mountain region
Ii IS here that three Austrian armies
under Field Marshal Conrad Won Hertzen-
dorf are in position: The Tenth army,
Eleventh army and what Is known as the
kraus army, under General kraus. These
armies comprise in the nelghhorho0d Of
forty divisions besides several divisions
of reserves. while on the Plave front the
Austrian commander EorOeYch has
about fifteen divisions and some reserves.
The divisions on the north recently have
been strengthened by fresh troops brought
from Aslstrias sections Of the Russian
and Rumanian fronts which no longer need
her attention.
This enemy concentration has been
gong on steadily for months and the
Italian and allied forces have also made
powerful preparations for the coming
campaign.
The main cause for this shifting of
attention from the Piave TO the mountain
line IS Of Q strategic character The
Italian front hes two main branches, one
running northwerd from the Adriatic at a
point twelve miles east OF Venice; and
the other turning westward across the
mountain regions and running lrregularly
up 10 the Swiss frontier. When the enemy
made has rush last fall the first pressure
was felt along the Piave rs the enemy
swept in from the east But later. when
the Italians threw the enemy into the
river at Fagare and Zenson and establish
ed a solid defence of the river line, the
enemy turned his attention to the north
and began pressing down from the noun
tains
Most Of the enemy forces first brought
TO the Plave line were gradually with
drawn to the mountain line Won Be
lows German divisions were among those
shifted from the Piave TO the mountains
before Won Below went to the French
front The British reinforcements. which
first took position on the upper Playe az
Montello soon observed that the enemy
artillery had slackened off to almost moth
ing, and that the enemy positions on the
east bank were apparently deserted
The British made many raids across the
river but met little opposition, and there
was some prospect this would permit en-
advance by the Italians and their allies
eastward into the region invaded by the
enemy but held by them with reduced
forces
1t was evident however. that the
encmys inactivity Oh the Piave was part
Of a strategic plan by which his nl4ssing
of forces on the north would not only
permit him to make an offensive in the
mountain regions, but would also give him
a position on the italien left flank in
case Of an italian advance across the
Piaye into the Invaded region Hc was
willing therefore to leave the Piave with
comparatively light forces. and concen-
trate most Of his strength IN the noun
taIns