The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-06-24
WAR SUMMARY

III tIC news VI lllS HuSt1la lai oSASa
), along the Piave.
4 Unable to force his way beyon
the west bank of the river. and wit
, bridges thrown across the strear
swept away by the food pourin
I down from the mountains, the enc
my began a precipite retreat Satur
day night.
So hasty was his withdrawal tha
he left a great many cannot on tn
west bank of the Pitve, while hi
retreating infantry columns, accord
! ing to news dispatches, are alread,
being pressed by Italian dctacll
ments, thrown over to the easterl!
side of the stream.
From the Montcllo plateau, south
ward to the Adriatic, comes the
same story OF the Austrian retreat
The Piave River formerly emptied
into the sea quite near Venice. In
the first rush of the Austrian often
sive the enemy succeeded in cross
ing the old river bed, which now is
canal From his positions there
the foe has been driven and the
Italians are relentlessly pressing the
pursuit.
The latest news dispatches Dom
the Piave River front, sent out on
Sunday, tell of Italian bombing
units being thrown across the main
stream of the Piave, which seems to
indicate that the Austrian retreat
was not stayed at he eastern bank
of the river.
There is every indication that the
Austrian hunger offensive" has
been forlorn hope for several
days. The effect of the defeat on
the internal conditions of Austria
Hungary, when once the news is
made public, can only be conjectur-
ed, but it may be that the Italians
have dealt the enemy a harder blow
than merely that involved in the
military feat of pushing him back
across the Piave.
There have been no further re-
ports foreshadowing a new attack
III the mountain sectors of the ltal- |
ian front Thrilled by their signal
victory in the lower reaches OF their |
battle front. however, the Italians
and the allied troops fighting in
that theater of the war may be cx-
pected to meet any new move with
the stubborn resistance which SO
far has nullified the efforts of the
Austrian emperor to carry the war
into the plains of Italy and q let
he murmurs of his soldiers with
he loot from captured cities.
Early Rport.
Shattered on the rock of Italian
'esistance, the Austrian offensive
las turned into a retreat, and from
Montello to the sea the enemy is
back across the Piave be-
ore the closely pursuing Italians.
AuStrias defeat is being hailed
throughout Italy and allied coun-
ries, not so much because of Ital-
an victory, but because OF the awak-
ming OF the Italian morale, which
vas shaken severely last fall by the
\ustro-German offensive. Holding
he final barriers to the Venetian
lain and Lombardy, the Italians. by
heir steadfast resistance during
light days of heavy fighting, turned
he great enemy onslaught into l
isorderly repulse. 5
Whether the several enemy divi- I
ions which had crossed to the west
rn bank of the Piave will be able
escape capture or destruction in {
tempting to re-cross the stream
III be the most interesting devel-
pment OF the defeat hours. The
ver is swollen, and Vienna, in its
test communications, seems to be
repairing the country for unwel-
ome news. 1t dilates at length on J.
lie burdens placed on the troops by .
lie heavy rains and the torrential
AVE. Most of the Austrian mill
ry bridges are gone and the ltal-
n heavy artillery is still within ):
nge at two points where the Aus u
ians crossed, and near the river
INK where the Italian line has held
ST. =
Undoubtedly General Diaz's men -
alize the predicament of the enc
y, and their pursuit OF the fleeing
uStrians will be pressed with ardor.
Withdrawing from Montello the
emy probably will meet with as
uch difficulty in the water-soaked
wlands on the lower part of the
ave.
To aid in the troubles OF the
lstrian command, their advances
ross the Piave have been on un-
injected sectors with the Italians
lding the sectors between.
Previous to the beginning of the
envy retreat there had been little
fantry fighting along th Piave tor
hours.
The Italians had occupied the
ne in heavily shelling the enemy
es and communications
In the mountains the situation is
changed, although the allied ar
Iery has been very active in some
tors.
Austria officially claims the cap