Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-06
GOR|z|A BECOMES
HISTORIC SYMBOL
Center of Vast Arc of Fighting
Front on the Ital-
ian Lhne.
GREAT GERMAN OFFENSIVE
Correspondent Gives Intimate
Details of Drive Against
Duke of Aosta.
GREAT GERMAN OFFENSIVE.

S.-Corizia is symbol ION to
Gorilla" was the cry OF ths luke OF
Aosta's soldiers as they pressed through
tho little town OF LuciHico few
months ago. fighting theic way down
TO the lson2o River. than etrass the
western bridge leading TO tho city.
uhen tho c,y changed t. Gorilla at
last"
Then. a week ago. this was reversed
when the overwhelming invading forcss
o. Anstro-G ermans tooI1 up this SANE
cry, "on TO Goriz.a,' prcssn: down
from the north. across tho northern
bridge to the city. ana ending vita.
"Corizia at last 49,. r
Thus. Gorilla has become a symbol
OF the huge change which has occurred
within, the last ten days. 1t was one
OF the furthcst points forward on tho
Italian limo. the center OF a vast arc.
of fighting front stretching from Plezzo..
far in the north, down to the Adratia
at Montefalcone. and it was the most
populous and important city In the,
great crescent of territory which the
Italian army had sliced of Southv:i
western Auetra-somc 500 square miles
in all. And SO Gorilla was symbolic
OF that entire region which has twice
changed hands in this war, and OF tho
further advance in the first Italian CAM.
paisns. -c".s re 49,:
AMONG. LAST TO VISIT ~" :z>
CITY on EVE OF DISASTER
visited Gorilla just nine days aro.
ana saw the city on the eye OF its
agony. 1t was the last visit made there
by any one outside the military be..
fore the retreat began. The,rear OF
the great Austro-G erman offensive al
ready had CONNIE need. though for tlle
moment 1t was taken for spasmorsic
renewal OF the cannonada which has,
been going on for weeks. Within
twentS-four hours ) the enemy4t4hafff
crossed tho ISonxo fifteen miles f6r-
Their north. turned the Italian left vi r,,,r-..
beaten back the Second Army, Under
General Capcllo. threatened to envelope
the Third Army, under the Duke Of
Aosta, brother OF the King OF italy. ard
put in execution that gigantic hammer
stroke by which they hoped. to .fnishs
Italy and cripple the whole entente.
me visit was made by invitation OF
the supreme command. with a star
editor from headquarters as escorf.
As we sped along the road in the bic,
army auto. I noted there were no troone
along the road and bordering fields, ~
one sees approaching verdun or in the
Somme or Flanders. This absence of
troops in the rear was part OF fha
system adopted. it was explained. All
the reprorisioninS of the army w,x
done at night. and the roads were left
clear by day most of the time.
Ten miles out we crossed the Italian.
austrian frontier and entered -AustrIa.
Inc frontier was marked by an emntx
river as the mountain current had run
ory. There were scrub trees n,onc-
the banks. and our escort noted tho
strange fact that bears were quite MI
merous In these parts and back to the
'ulian. AIDS. Near the frontier brids,
was party OF soldiers going home for
Two weeks leave: they looked yerv
HAPPY and were quite unconscious or
.He escape they wore making from
the crash to occur a few hours later.
At Cormons. an Austrian village ON
the road. the signs above the sho,a
were all In Italian, showing the Italians
"ere fisht IN the claim that all this
see.ioh was racialiSn Italian. At this
,o""' 700. was statue of the Arch
uuhe Ma1imi han. which has just passed
."ioush q queer experience. Some Ital.
ian soldiers. passing through the town.
nad seen the statue and. not beSn<
,a,i'iiar with Macmillan, they had
eaAen IL TOT the great Genose navigator,
e"tis.opner columbus. With true Ital.
ioSor' they had decorated tina
ana there stood Macmillan
Win safiands about his neck placed
there by Italian soldiers.
DAY BY DAY FIRE
IL 10 <
ne eannonade began. to be heard
for the first time ten m;,.s
oor low rumble TO the north ana
win now and. then tho muffIed
en- o. great gun. Day by day the
'o WAS getting heavier. said our
escort who knew the ground bv h,art.
and he added that the epcmv &C.,.
nad been increased from 10 batta,ionz
to $50 hattalions.
AS we passed through tho town AZ
a tar-out suburb OF Gorilla.
!, was seen to be half-destroyed. Along
c naih street ran rows OF battered
buildings. with walls haIf-down ANA
sno,i hoies making ugly aashes But
BUSINESS was going on. men were ~
49,. ."e cares ana women and girls etrollcd
the street unconcernedly. Now tina az
fadSera Hill. one OF the outer defensea
OF Gorilla, where bloody hand .to-hand
nshtins occurred. One. could SOC. the
ola trench and wire system. now grass.
seo~n. All this hill had been swert
bare by she'll fire, but nature bad kindly
oniitcrated tho scars. and the hillside
was again smiling with it's perdurs. &
The sound OF firing had now Increased
TO an ominous roar as, we passed
Psdsera Hill
Turning tho corner Of a shattersA
wall, we saw the Isonso River lying
ahead. and on the further side GorIxia
rising tn.terraccs. with the huge battIs- s.
ments OF the citadel towering on the q
right. The river looked abont StHs q
Width OF tho Potomac at sWashinEtap, 81
but with awitter current from I. thc Il
an EIsaih rFaEaS