The Washington herald., 1918-06-26
AUSTRIANARMY
STILL In FULL
RETREAT
Battered and Beaten De-
gions Now Driven Far
Beyond Piave.
5000 MORE CAPTIVES
TAKEN In "a HOURS
Prisoners Mostly from Pave
Front-Mountaineers
= Now Fired Also.
AUSTRIAN DEBACLE RECALLS
LAST CHARGE OF RUSSIA
Frantic Drive Collapsins Similar TO
Brussilof's Final. Fatal Rush
to Imaginary Victory.
5000 MORE CAPTIYES
TAKEN In "a HOURS
AUSTRIAN DEBAcLE RECALLS
LAST CHARGE OF RUSSIA

Rome, June zs.-Choked In
their own blood at the moment
when they thought victory with
in their grasp, battered and beaten
by the foe whom they meant to
crush like chafT, Austria's legions
in Venetia continue in full re-
treat, with the Piave the river
of fate" far behind them, and the
Italians in relentless pursuit.
"The right bank of the Piaye
has been completely reoccupied
by u.s. Gen. Diaz was able to
announce IN his bulletin from the
front late today. Another 5000
prisoners were taken by hrs VIC
torious troops in the last twenty
four hours, more than half Of
them on the Piaye.
t11ert Fierce Pressure
his forces on the mountains. rfred
by the deeds Of their comrades in the
lpressUre against the Austrians. They
have won q signal victory at Mount
iGrappa, Saw Mountain" the impen-
etrable bsstion that defied all OF
Hoetzendorfrs infuriated atteml Is TO
smash through In the first phase OF
the gigaRtic battle.
Right BANK Reoecupied.
Rome, June S.-The right bank Of
the Piave has been completely re-
occupied by the Italians. the war Of
tfice announced late today. Eighteen
officers and LOT men were taken
prisoners in the clearing operations.
The Italians also gained ground
northwest OF Grsppa mountain. where
they captured LBS prisoners and six
teen machine guns. Nine hostile ma
chimes were brought down.
Two Armies Surrounded
London. June Z.-The extent TO
" hich the Italian pursuit Of the Aus
trians across the Piave has developed
is not known here and no detailsd
reports have been received bringing
events up TO date.
A statement current IN London yss-
terday that the Italians had taken
4 aosupJ pT4SOutIH u bdlQ " l1c LDOI uAnk
newspapers TO be confirmed by the
Italian Embassy. The same state
ment il attributed TO Premier orlSn-
ldo by the Rome correspondent of the
Exchange Telegraph Company.
The same correspondent quotes the
lGiornale d'Itaiia as saying that the
troops OF Archduke Joseph and OF
Gen. Wurm are virtually surrounded
and mUst surrender or be annihilated
Hin Front stfn Intact.
So far the Austrian front in the
hills is still intact. but as the disaster
of Boroevic's army grows and the
news Of the debacle filters through
the ranks of the northern forces the
troops begin to murInur OF evil things.
Throughout the huge army that the
Hapsburg empire had flung into this
neck-or-nothing gamble the reaction
has set in. The men were keyed up to
the highest pitch OF expectancy.
Nothing to lose, nothing TO gain"
was the cry in their hearts, in their
stomachs, and in their brains. Now
it is just the reverse.
Irrepressibly a terrible picture
rises in the mind, the picture OF an
, other giant army that was f1ung,
, in similar circumstances. into one
/, last supreme effort. \whereupon IL
collapsed and rebelled and disband-
ed. BrussilofT's army in the autumn
! Of last year was hurled against the
; Austrians in Galicla, dashed head
r long for a few days on the road to
an imaginary victory. and then
broke down. dragging down with II
? the whole of Russia; so the Aus
2 trian armies in Italy seem today
: doomed to tear the empire king-
: dom down with them.
AustrIa's Frantic Statement.
The Vienna war Office. continuing IN
> its frantic attempts 70 keep the fading
I light OF public confidence selirnmer.
, gave out q statement today claiming
! that the Italians had been "thrown
I back" everywhere. To this claim Il
added figures: 80. 900 italian prison
ers," and $4,000 total losses" ernpha-
Sizing that this is 'the lowest esti-
o mate"
= Roundabout and heavily censore,
= dispatches from Vienna and vsr5c'
= points along the Austria-Hunge a
/. border picture the internal situ Ion
lin the dual monarchy as little mort
$ Of chaos. This news alone. tn, sating
h as Il does that the Austro-Hi -Igarian
i home 'front.' threatens 10 ave IN,
k gives a correct index 70 the motives
:, for the wild claims Of a n once
ooSnNuD on RAsx rHRR