Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-11-15


fhree-quarters Of a mile wide. The
engineers CALAMITY did their share,
building pontoon and foot bridges and
u troops, tired but pbilant, proceed-
ed to chase the swiftly %retreating
Huns to the north and east. The prin-
cipal lateral lines Of communication
between Metz and northern France
and Belgium were thus cut.
"a
Italy took full revenge for the de-
feat of Caporetto before the armistice
with Austria went into effect on No
yember T.. Though the submission Of
the Austrian commanders was a fore
gone conclusion, General Diaz didn't
lose a moment waiting for it. but went
swiftly ahead with the job Of abso-
lutely crushing the enemy forces. It
IS estimated that in that last offensive
the Italians took about 100000 Prls-
oners, and that they hold fully a mil.
lion Austrians in their prison camps
The value of the material captured
In the recent weeks is put at S5.0CO,-
100000. and it includes 100000 horses
and 6,000 guns. The collapse of tho
great Austrian army was complete,
and the scenes in the redeemed Ital.
ian territory where thousands on
thousands of prisoners We're being
moved were said to be reminiscent of
the retreat of Napoleon from Moscow.
OF course the armistice terms granted
the Austrians were most severe. and in.
cluded In them was free passage Of
the allied armies through Austrian
territory, with use of Austrian means
of transportation. This meant the
opening OF the way to attack Germany
from the south and to prorect Rou-
mania. Emperor Charles refused to
sign these terms, SO that was done by
the Austrian chief of staff. There was
some question as to who could repre-
sent the late dual kingdom. for it is
all broken up now. Hungary, under
the leadership of Count KaroIyi, has
made complete its separation from
Austria and VIII hold a plebiscite on
the question Of being a Kingdom or a
republic. Really nothing is left to
Charles except the German part of
Austria, and that shows signs of join,
ing the German confederation. The
disposition Of the peoples of southern
middle Europe is going to be one Of
the most delicate and difficult prob.
lens the peace .~conferees will have to
solve. Ii possible, it must be so solved
that this region, for ages a hotbed Of
international troubles, will be salts.
fed and at peace.
All Italy went wild with joy over
its great victory, and the various cit-
les of Italia I%rridenta, now redeemed.
greeted with acclaim the occupying
forces of italian troops and the civ
ilian authorities. Having conquered
their ancient foe. the Italians dis
played a remarkable spirit Of forgive-
ness and treated the defeated Austri-
ans with utmost generosity.
Russia remains the n field of con-
f1ict. and it is not conceivable that
the fighting can be kept up there for
very long. Siberia is pretty definitely
under the control of the allies, the
Czecho-Slovaks and loyal Russians, at
least as far as lines of communt.
cation are concerned. The government
of northern Russia has acknowledged
the government set up at Omsk as SUI
preme and the bolsheviki now find
their main strength Is confined to the
Volga valley region. The soviets are
still powerful In many places, but the
terrible food conditions and the fear
of the approaching winter are having
their effect. Germany formally sew
cred relations with the bolshevik gov.
eminent last week, and the latter
asked the allies TO open peace negotia-
tons Mt a time and place of their
own choosing. Since none OF the al
lied governments ever recognized the
bolshevik government. 1t Is difficult
to see how anything could come of this
except the surrender of the bolshevfki
to the establishment of decent and safe
governmental conditions.
Ia
Finland is sore. Its people declare
they were misled by the Germans and
that a German king was thrust upon
them without their desire. 1t would
not be at all surprising if that king
were forced to abdicate in the e a flu
ture and If a republican form of gov,
eminent were ~inaugurated.
RI
The imminence of the cessation Of
warfare caused General Crowder and
his aids to consider seriously the sus-
pension of the November draft call. I'M
der which more than S00.0 900 men have
been ordered to army camps. This &C.