Bisbee daily review., 1918-05-15
Haly and Austria

While the eyes of the world are cen tered upon the great struggle between the contending hosts on the western front, 1t might be we'll during the Hull in the con- flict, to consider the Italian front. Of course the war will not be decided there, no matter how the next battle goes on that front But the result of the next Austrian offensive upon Italy will have its effect in the west Austria is Germany's chief ally. She is still in arms, but she is exhausted and broken by the long and terrible struggle. She would be willing to eagerly embrace almost any kind of peace, for the sake of ed by famine, racial feuds, discomfort and almost by open rebellion. It is even said that there will be no Austrian offensive unless it Is forced by Germany.
 Italy, on the other hand, while badly beaten last fall by the Teutonic offensive, has rallied in wonderful fashion, and now
 presents stronger and more determined front, both in the battle line and behind than ever before The fact is, she must be resolute and fight to finish. or she will meet the same fate that befell poor Rou- mania Germany's iron hand in the Uk- raine in Finland, in Courland and in Rou mania has, more than anything else. aroused Italy to the necessity of war to the end, be it bitter or sweet.
 German propaganda in Italy this sum- mer Is not apt to be as effective as 1t was before the German mask fell when the Ger man hand clutched Russia and Roumania. Italy is no inconsiderable ally. She has at least three million first-line soldiers. She has expert fliers and wonderful artillery and engineering units. She has not the resources of the great allies, nor have her soldiers the irresistible valor of the French or the dogged staying qualities of the Brit ish fighting men. But the Italian is mar tial by instinct and tradition and his pride is overwhelming. The further the Teutons penetrate into Italy the more bitter will be. the Italian resistence.
 In this offensive soon to come 1t may well be that the allies will have to give up the Piave line and Venice They barely held these last fall when the winter snows stopped the offensive. But as the war wears on 1t Is most reasonable to assume that the allies can count more and more on ltaly's support to the last lap and the last ditch, while in the same proportion Ger many can count less and less upon the sup port of Austria. Patriotism will burn like flame in the Italian breast as the foes ad- vance into Italy, and it will dim almost if not quite to darkness in the Austrian breast as the war devolves more and more into war of conquest for Germany only.
 In the meantime the offensive against Italy has not yet materialized, and the of fensive in the west has stopped dead for over two weeks. Great events are impend- ing. We know that the allied battle line and the allied industrial and civil lines await it with dauntless confidence How of the Teuton? Is his morale as hig gh as it was the last week in March. The beaten British and the supporting French and Americans are indomitable. How of the Hun2 The next struggle may we'll be decisive for the year. Another advance by the Prussians means a general allied withdrawal An other check like that before Ypres means a recoil of the German hordes and it may well also mean counter stroke by Foch that shall bring disaster to all those Ger man forces that occupy the two great salients in Picardy and Flanders.