South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-12
An Austro-Cem1an Offensive In Veneha
By Frank H

n MAY H. 1915, great Austrian offensive was
[ ] launched against the Italian front between the
Brctna and the AsticO that Is. from the Austrian
TSrol, south of Trent and toward the Venetian plain
north OF PaduR and Nicenza Now May TO- 1918
both Austrian and Italian official reports
Invites which seem the preltminaries 10 one more at
tack I'm substantially the region which
rife but abortive offensive of two years
There two aspects from which 5 necessary
TO view the Italian probIem the military and the POI
hticaI Certain military obviously bound 20
flow a great success of the Austrans i'm Venetia:
not less plainly there certain political
which weigh both for and against the making
offensive and other political considerations which
may flow from the offensive If t succeed.
To take the military aspect first IS clear that we
have reached the time OF year when weather condi-
tions make military operations i'm the mountains pos
sble Last winter such operations suspended be-
cause OF the heavy fall of which came later
than usual, to the heavy disadvantage OF the stricken
Italians, but i'm time the Ausrians
mans from achieving the maximum purposes of that
campaign upon which they had embarked when they
attacked and the battle of the Upper IsonzO,
which is known to the central powers the battle of
CaprettO.
When campaign ended the Italians had been
driven all the territory they
quered by years OF incessant effort, a little
slice north OF the cid frontier about LagO di Gards.
They had been driven back from the IsOnzo the
Pia and of all the high mountains, the DOomte
Carnc and Julian Alps which separate Italy
Austria between 0riza and the Brenta. They had lost
some 5000 square miles OF the Province Nenetia,
with certain number of towns of industrial import
ance as IL stood then ana stands now they had lost
about half the which France had been compelled
surrender a result of her defeats in 1914
When the AustrO- German offensive began ~
tumn the Italian front nearly five hundred miles
long and its character exceedingly unfortunate for
the Italians, because the Ausrians i'm the Trcnnc dis
tTCt south of TyrOl close the vital cOnmunica-
of the several Italian armies the d3renta
and holding the semcircuIar front between the
and the AGriac.
At the close of the offensive the Italian con-
tracted less than third of and.
while the chief disadvantage survived, it survived i'm
limited form, since that portion of the Italian army
fighting with its face the east only few miles
beyond the point i'm its communications the
German front. along the. Trentne boundary.
Had the AustrO- Germans been able TO break through
between the the AsticO after disaster of
the Upper IsOnZO, practically all of CadOrna's forces
would have been enVeOped and captured because the
Austro- Germans would have their roads
treat the Udine and also the Trieste railways.
III YOU will look ut the map you will see that the
Italian troops standing behind the Piave river,
the swamps its mouth right up the point
where il from the hills of Monte Grappa,
depend for their munitions and supplies mainly
the railway which comes up from Verona, through
Viccnza TrevsO. If the Austrians could cut this
railway behind the PiaVe armies, these would be in