Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-26
RIVER FRONT HELD
BY ITALIANS, WHO
ARE PURSUING FOE
High Water Has Washed
Away Pontoon Bridges,
Making Chase Difficult.
| HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED
IN HARASSING CONFLICT
Reserves From East Rushed to
Scene to Retrieve Situa-
ton if Possible.
NOTABLE GAINS ARE MADE
Bombardments and RaidinE Opera
HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED
IN HARASSING CONFLICT
NOTABLE GAINS ARE MADE
tions Mark Progress Of Battling
on Franco-Belgian Front.

The Italians at last have cleared the
| remaining Austrian rear guards from
the west bank Of the Piave River, and
now in possession of the entire
river front from the Montcllo plateau
to the sea. At last accounts their
forces which crossed the stream in pur-
suit of the retrcating Austrians were
Still harassing them. inficting heavy
casualties and forcing the enemy to
| continue his disorderly retreat.
! Fate, however, has turned somewhat
/ its balance in favor of the Austrians.
| fer the piave River again has risen,
and some Of the pontoon bridges the
Italians had thrown across the stream
have been carried away. making impos-
sible quick pursuit and the crushing
OF the Austrians. which General Diaz
had counted upon. The Austrans are
declared to be rushing up reserves from
| he east in an endeavor partly to re-
trievc the situation.
The Austrian War Office admits a
| reverse along the Piave. hut announces
! that the retrograde movement has been
carried out In accordance with plans
and without loss of material. It Is
added that the Austrians have taken
more than 10000 prisoners from, the
Italians since June 10, and that the
aggregate losses OF the Italians I'm, the
lighting at the lowest estimate are 15o.-
900 mon
So far the Austrian front in the hills
Is still Intact, but as tho diaster OF
Eoervic's army grows and the news
or the debaclc filters through the ranks
OF the northern forces, the troops begin
to murmur OF evil things. Throughout
the huge army that the Hapsburg EN-
pire had flung into this neck -or-noth-
ing gamble the reaction has set in The
men were keyed up to the highest
pitch of expectancy. Nothing TO lose.
everything to gain" was the cry in
their hearts. in their stomachs and in
their brains. Now II is just the re-
verse.
Irrcpressihly a terrible picture rises
in the mind. the picture OF another
giant army that was lung, in similar
circumstances. into one last supreme
cHort. whereupon it collapsed and re-
be!led and diSbandcd Brusilof's army
IN the autumn OF last year was hurled
against the Austrians in Cialicta dashed
headlonE for a few days on the road to
an imaginary victory. and then broke
down. dragging down with 1t the whole
OF Russia SO the Austrian armies in
italy seem to-day doomed to tear che
empire kingdom down with them
Holding the upper hand along the
borders of the Venetian plain. the ItaI.
ians have turned on the offensive
against the enemy in the mountain re-
sion and are attacking on various Sec
tors. Notable gains of ground have
"een made and. in addition to heavy
c"saafics inflicted on the enemy,
large rumber of Austrians have been
made prisoner and sixteen machine
10 Rome. The Austrian war Office
however asserts that all attacks in
:his region have been rcpulsed. r.a
BOMBARDMENTS RAGING on
FRANCO BELGIAN FRONT
on the front in France and Belgium
bombardincnts and raiding operations.
the latter in considerable strength. con-
tInuc. The French near lie Port. north
OF tho Aisne, have repulsed a German
attack. but several other sectors
notably in the Woevre and in Lorraine.
themselves have carried out successful
raids and taken prisoners The Ca.
nadians acdr Arras have been success.
ful III an enterprise which netted them
twenty-five prisoners and six machine
guns. The Germans are bombarding
the British front east OF Amiens.
In local effort In Belleau wood,
northwest of Chateau-Thierry, Amer.
lean troops have completed the capture
OF the wood by clearing the Germans
out of the northwestern portion. some
prisoners and five machine guns were
taken. In Alsace several Americans
are missing a S result of enemy raids
There is no confirmation OF the Berlin
ofhcial report that forty French and
American prisoners were captured In
raid near Badonviller. on theL unevilie
front. %8
Simultaneously with the defeat Of the
Austrians in Italy and the spirit OF
unrest prevalent in the dual monarchy
comes another acknowl ledgment from
Germany that that country is DESTROYS
OF peace.
Through its Foreign Secretary. DR.,
Richard Won kuehlmann. the German
government has made the admission
that the end OF the war could hardly
be expected through purely military
decisions alone and without recourse 30 r.