The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-06-28
AUSTR|ANS DRIVEN
ACROSS THE pave
ITALIANS PURSUE THE PANIC
STRICKEN FOE TOWARD THE
MOUNTAINS.
invaders Thrown Into Panic When
They Learn That Their Lines OF
Communication and Food Sup
plies Have Been Cut off.

Rome. From Monteilo to the sea,
fhe Austrlans, overwhelmed, are re-
treating Ia disorder. The retreat Is on
d front Of almost fifty miles and from
the confusion which reigns In the
enemy's ranks, the losses have been
large. The playe has been swollen be-
You'd all sembiancG Of Its former self
during the past week, and the hastily
constructed bridges Of the enemy, over
which he feared to bring his artillery,
has been carried away. The Informal
tlon at hand does not record how many
bridges the Auslrlnns maintained
across the river. Vienna admitted
that communication between the
forces on one shore and those on the
other had been impossible for hours,
and the admission spelled the newt
able disaster was flashed to the world
only few hourse later.
The Austrians who had succeeded In
the initial onrush In reaching the west
ern bank Of the river were thrown in
to panic when they saw that their lines
Of communication and their food sup
plies were cut off. The food had been
brought by aeroplanes and the allied
ayiatOrs, including Americans, concen.
trated successfully In cutting the lines.
Many, In Panic, Lost In Retreat.
Panic, at first small, soon became
general when the Italian pressure on
the Monticello and all the way along the
line to the Adriatlc sea slowly but
surely turned into victory. Before the
retreat the Austrians were whipped
and whipped well, and the defeated
and overwhelmed attackers or rather
defenders of small slices of terrain,
broke and rushed back across the river
as best they could. Many are believed
to have drowned In the precipltous at
tempt TO reach safety.
During the past week the Kaiser's
forces have failed to make progress
against Italy or the allied forces In
the Rheims sector The Germans have
been boastlng In their newspapers that
they have devised new form of Of
fenslve capable of attaining results far
more valuable than was possible by
the older methods. When we attempt
to anallze the German methods we
find nothing especially new. The
break-through on limited front and
the development of the breach was car
ried out with considerable success by
the British at Cambria, where the ele-
ment Of surprise also was present. The
Germans and Australns tried the plan
with success In Italy last autumn and
trIumphed beyond their brightest ex-
pectations.
Indications are that the Austrians
q further effort against the Italians,
and 1t Is reported that German divi-
slons are going to their assistance.
In the weeks battle the enemy took
10000 prisoners, according to Vienna
claims. The allies claim about $4,000
prisoners, placing the total enemy loss
at 10000. The allied loss probably
was under 100000.
British, French and American have
been actively raiding the German lines
In France. The American attacks took
place In the Chateau Thierry and the
Mondldler sectors. Northwest of Cha
teau Thlerry they cleared the enemy
out of the northern part of Beileau
wood Near Cantlgny. In the Mont
didler sector, they ralded the enemy
lines, taking prisoners.
Our troops now hold thirty-eight
miles of battle front, In addition to the
sectors where they are fighting beside
the British and French.
Turkish troops, entering Tabriz in
Persia, are said to have sacked the
British and American consulates and
the American missionary, Presbyterian
hospital.