Bisbee daily review., 1918-06-26
ITALIANS HOLD PIAVE CLEAR TO
 SEA SAYS REPORT
Pursuit of Austrians Hamp- cred by Sudden Rise of River Carrying Away Pontoons

The Italians have cleared the re-
 maining Austrian rear guards from
 tEe west bank of the Fiave river and are in possession Of the. entire
 river front from the Montello plateau to the sea At last ac- cc c-hts their forces which crossed the stream in pursuit of the re-
 treating Austrians were still haras-
 ing them. inflicting heavy casual ties and forcing the enemy to con-
 tir1e his disorderiy retreat.
 Fate has turned somewhat its
 balance in favor of the Austrians. fo- The Piave river again has risen and some of the pontOOn bridges
 the Italians had thrown across the
 stream have been carried away. making impossible a quick pur-
 suit and the crushing of the Aus
 trians which General Diaz counted
 upon The Austrians are declared
 to he rushing ro reserves from the
 east.
 The Austrian war office admits a rev erse alng the Piave, but announcet that the retrograd movement mas been carried in accordance with plans and without loss of materal.
 IL is added that the Austrians have taken more than 50.000 prisoners from the Italians since June 15 and that the aggregate losses of the Italians in the fiehting at the lowest estimate is 15O.0OO men.
 Holding the upper hand along the borders of the Venetian plain the Itai- ians have turned on the offensive against the enemy in the mountain reeian and arc attacking on various sectors. Notable gains nf ground have heen made and in addition to heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy l laree number of Austrians have been made prisoner and sixteen machine oups have been captured accArdirg 10 Rome The Austrian war office. how ever asserts that all attacks in this re0ior have been reDulsed.
 On the front in France and Belgium hnmherdments aud raiding operations. the later in considerable strength con time.
 The French near Beport. north of the Aisne have renulsed a German attack hut on several other sectors. notably in the WOevre and in Lorraine. themselves have carried out success fnl raids and taken prisoners. The Canadians near ArraS have been suc- cessful in an enternrise whicN netted them twenty-tw0 prisoners and six ma chine guns. The Cermans are bom- hardin~ the British front east of Amiens.
 Throuph ifs foreign secretary. Dr. Richard Vou Kuehlmann the govern ment hos made the ndmi0sion that the erd of the war could hardly be expect cd throuoh nurelv military decisions aloro and without raoourse to dinlo- matic reeotiatiou and that if was hOned Cermanv's enemies would req lize that ir view Of the resources of the Teutonic allies victory for the en- te7te wHs dream
 The fC-eion serretarv was evasive with repard to thn future status Of peloiuu1. hut aseerted that the funda- mental via7vs of the imDerial @Ovnrn- r'ent d'fferod from those asoribed [" it nv British s'a'esme~ The Hims l1f Germany and her allies. he said. included free. stronp and indenend- nnt existence "within boundaries drawn for us by history" overseas rcssassions corresponding with their rreatness of wealth and freedom Of the seas to commerce.
 Tn resnonse tn 9 recent sneach hv Nr Asnuith thp fo~mar British nre- ro'er. in which he sold that Great Brit ain would not turn deaf ear to naace nronosaI not oOuchnd iH a"- hi"~ous terms Dr Von Kuehlmann de"la-ed that Gormanv could make q lilye de"'aration "knowing it also to be Ou~ nolicv"
 One 0f the n'"st remarkable utte- anres of the foreio0 secretary was declaratiOn in which he plared the onHs for startino the war on Russia. with France and Great Britain next in order CulDahle.