The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-11
Threaten Bulgarian Right
Wing Near MOnastir.
Make Important Gains on a
Sixty-Mile Front.
A GRAVE THREAT To AUSTRIA
Austria Loses Ground in Italy
as Well as Albania.
Italians Improve Positions All
Along the Front.

Rome, July 1.-THE Italians,
continuing their advance in AL
bania, are forcing the Austrians
backward toward the Skumbi
river, the italian war office an
nounced today.
London, July 11.-Italian
troops on their offensive in AL
bania continue to advance, says
dispatch from Rome to the
Central News agency. The
Austro-Hungarians are falling
back on the Skumbi river, 25
miles north of Berat.
New Line Organized.
Vienna, via London, July live
! have organized our new defensive line
in Albania the Austrian war office
! announced today. ------..----
"A French company, feeling its
way down the valley of the Devoli was
| repulsed."
Gain in Italy Also.
Washington, July 11.-Local gains
! along the Piave and in the Italian
mountain fronts were announced in
| official cables from Rome today.
| simultaneously with further progress
of the Italians and their allies against
| the Austrian forces in Albania.
The fall of Roccib Anzini, on the
left bank of the Brenta river, and the
| complete restoration of the Italian
| lines in this sector is disclosed. The
| lines around Mt. Grappa were forti-
fled and a number of prisoners. ma
chine guns and a firewerfer were
| taken.
Italian positions on the Piave Neuva
were strengthened and enemy assaults
| at Cornone were frustrated by artil-
| lery fire. Italian airship planes and
airships made a sally over the enemy
| lines and bombarded Austrian military
| camps.
Extended Offensive in Albania.
italian authorities here assert that
most of the five hundred thousand
| Italian soldiers in Albania have b, en-
| busy building up the lines OF COM
| munication behind the Italian lines
and that an extended offensive may
| be expected.
| London, July 11.-Italian forces
| aided by French and Albanians to-
| gether with British naval units are
| sweeping northward across ractically
| the entire width of Albania in what
may be one of the most important
military and political orfensives of the
war.
| According to the latest dispatches
] received here the allied troops in ad-
| dition to making important gains on
| the sixty mile front between the
! Adriatic and the Devoli river. are
! threatening the Bulgarian right wing
| in the vicinity of Monastir, 115 miles
| from the sea.
The main military objective of the
allies evidently is the old Roman road
I connecting Monastir with the sea at
! Durazzo, the possession of which
| would permit free movement of troops
| and supplies directly from the Adriatio
into southern Serbia and would Sc
riously thr eaten the enemy's hold on
a great p,ltion of the occupied areas
of that country.
Starting a the Vojutza river, the
Italians, with the aid of British moni-
tors have advanced to the Semeni riv-
er, a naxi--um gain of fifteen milea
| The nearest portion of the old Roman
| highway lies just the same distance
northward along the Skhumbi river.
west of Ell Basan-
Might Cause Revolt in Austria.
But the offensive also has far reach-
ing political aspects. Already. consid-
cradle forces of Albanians, under Es-
sad Pasha are fighting with the allies
and are rendering valuable assistance.
Any considerable advance by the
French in the Monastir region will
have its effect on Bulgaria, which 10
reported to be low in morale. both
militafily and economically. The most
significant angle, however. is the
probable effect on the southern Slav
nations of Austria, already on the verge
of active revolt A decisive allied VIC
tory in Albania may prove the torch
that will ignite the whole of the dis
contented elements of the dual mon
archy.
One of the significant phases of the
Italian advance is the frank admission
of reverses by the Austrian war office.
The latest official statement from
Vienna said the Austrians ''in the face
of pressure from strong enemy forces"
had withdrawn across the Berat- -Fieri
line. Fieri already is in the hands Of
the Italians and Berat. the most inn
portant city in southern Albania, ap-
pears about to fall.