New-York tribune., 1918-07-21

cruit q large number of Slav troops
in the East, for the growth Of the
American contingents would other
wise reduce him to a position Of in
creasing inferiority. If he does not
renew the offensive and does stand
on the defensive for the remainder
of this season he will do so upon a
political calculation-first, as to the
attitude of the Slavs in the Eastern
territory he has overrun; second,
as to the attitude of his own people,
who may not be prepared for a con-
tinuation of the very heavy losses
recently suffered, and, third, from
a calculation that the continuation
Of the war by maintaining a strong
defensive unbroken will give him
better terms than an offensive which
might fail with disastrous results.
Such are the alternatives, and
more than that we cannot say.
OF the local actions, of which
alone we have any recent news, by
far the most important was the Ital-
ian advance in Albania, supported
on the flank by French troops. This
operation has not been sufficiently
carefully followed in the West, on
account of the unfamiliarity of the
ground and because of the fact that
its whole Importance is local. But
it is we'll worth examining, for It
may have considerable effect on a
future campaign in the Balkans.
If you look at a map of the Adri-
attic you will see that there is no
harbor for modern shipping on the
Italian shore, save at Venice on the
rorth and Brindisi on the south, of
sufficient size to serve as base for
a whole modern feet. This condi-
tion has greatly crippled the Italian
naval work, and the possession by
tie Austrians of very different nat
ural harbors has given them a
marked advantage in certain phases
Ct this war. They have both Trieste
and Fiume at the northern end of
the Adriatic, and then a major Sc
ries of deep landlocked channels be-
tween the Dalmatian Islands and the
coast, ending with the superb inlet
of Cattaro, which is completely Sc
cure in its defence against any at
tack from the sea.
Submarine Realigns
Naval Values
Now, from Cattaro southwark
there is no harbor serviceable for q
modern fleet until you get to the
singular geographical accident called
the Bay of Valona. The bay is lar.
ger than any other inlet on the
Whole Adriatic. 1t is deep, almos.
completely landlocked, with high
ground on either side and The town
OF Valona at its southern extremity
1t stands just opposite Brindisi, com.
manding the Straits of Otranto.
Before the advent of the submarine
any one holding Valona Bay and
Erindisi at the same time would
have been master of the Adrjatic
had he possessed a sufficient fleet.
Tor the straits are not more thar.
nifty miles ac-Sss and nothing could
nave passed. On that very account
rome Of the great powers dared to
occupy Valona, which until the Bal
kan war was in Turkish territory
for fear of provoking a war.
When Italy entered this war, how
ever, by agreement with her allies
she at once occupied the bay and
town. The use of the submarin..
has, of course, taken away some
thing of its value, but it still re-
mains the most important point so
far as the mere geographical con-
tiguration goes. on the whole Adr;.
attic coast, and it can be made int,
a most formidable naval base. Tho