New-York tribune., 1918-05-12

the Italian front between the
s,.nta and the Astico, that is, from the
luxrian Tyrol, south Of Trent, and
.,~ard the Venetian Plain north of
p.dus and Vicenza. Now, on May z,
,ms both Austrian and Italian official
,,oorts Indicate activities which seem
tAe preliminaries to one more attack in
abstantially the same region which saw
De terrific but abortive offensive Of two
yss ago.
There are two aspects from which it
i necessary to view the Italian prob
: IN. the military and the political. Ger
TIN military results are obviously bound
7 q Aow from great success Of the Aus
tins IN venetia; not less plainly there
No certain political considerations
vtdch weigh both for and against the
raking Of such an offensive and other
POLITICAL considerations which may flow
from the offensive if it succeed.
The Military Aspect
To take the military aspect first: It
Is clear that we have reached the time
Of year when weather conditions make
military operations in the mountains
possible. Last winter such operations
| were suspended because of the heavy
fall Of snow which came, far later than
usual, to the heavy disadvantage of the
stricken Italians, but in time to prevent
1 the Auszians and Germans from achiev-
ing the maximum purposes of that cam
mien upon which they had embarked
4 when they attacked and won the great
hstls Of the Upper Isonzo, which is
Mcwn to the Central Powers as the
Battle Of Capretto.
When the campaign ended the Ital-
ians had been driven out of all the Aus
tian territory they had conquered by
mo years of incessant effort, save lit
ta slice north of the old frontier about
agc di Garda. They had been driven
back from the Isonzo to the Piave and
out OF all the high mountains, the Dolo-
mite, Carnic and Julian Alps, which
separate Italy from Austria between
Gorizia and the Brenta. They had lost
some 5000 square miles Of the Province
u Venetia, with a certain number of
towns Of industrial Importance; as it
Fccd then, and stands now, they had
lot about half the area which France
md been compelled to surrender as a
result of her defeats of 1914.
Contracted Line
When the Austro-German offensive
began last autumn the Italian front was
nearly FIVE hundred miles long, and it's
character was exceedingly unfortunate
ior the Italians, because the Austrians
the Trentine district south of Tyrol
we're close to the vital communications
y the several Italian armies east of
NE brenta and holding the semicircu-
" 'front.' between the. Brenta and the
Adriatic.
AZ the close of the offensive the Ital-
an line had contracted to less than a
nrd OF Its former extent, and, while the
sasi disadvantage survived, it survived
~ united form, since that portion Of
g Italian army fighting with it's face
ne east was only few miles beyond
- point in its communications nearest
me Austro-German front along the
sune boundary. Had the Austro-
nans been able to break through
6ss~een the Brenta and the Astico,
-'ss tne disaster on the Upper Isonzo,
ea!ly all of Cadorna's forces
S''d have been enveloped and capt
because the Austro-G Germans
IVA have cut their roads for re-
- the Udine and also the Trieste
ailsays.
Behind the Piave
you will look at the map you will
snat the Italian troops now stand
eenand the Piave River, from the
at its mouth right up to the
Wnere it energies from the hills
Monte Grappa, depend for their
g and supplies mainly upon the
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