Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-18

prisoners and some machine
guns.
Italian Army headquarters.
June 1S.-tBy the Associated
Press Bitter fighting Is in pro-
gress along the Piave river. Ths
Austrians are sustaining large
losses from the concentrated fire
of Italian batteries. Repeated
counter attacks are being made BY
Italian infantry, inflicting heavy
heavy losses on the enemy.
(By Associated PressD
Holding their lines intact along
virtually all the 80 miles of front
from the Adriatic to the AsioagA
plateau, the Italian and allied
armies appear to have given the
Austrian armies a serious setback
Cne million Austrians have been
hurled against the Italian front,
where their progress has been lcc
slow to be threatening.
Pay Fearful Cost.
Losses described as frightfu.
have been inflicted upon the Aus
tians. In the mountainous country
where the British have been hold
ing their positions solidly, thous-
ands of the enemy have perished.
while they have paid heavily for
every foot they have advanced
along the Piave river front
In the Montello area on the up
per Piave, the Austrians seem "a
have gained a foothold on the west
bank of the river north of ZensCU
loop and at Capo Sile. lower down,
they have also moved westward.
but their greatest gain does not eA-
ceed two or three miles.
Brenta Line Holds.
The vital mountain sector along
the upper reaches Of the Brenta mas
not been broken. On the contrary
the British claim to have 6Cfea;a !
the foe. There are hints of a conH-
ter offensive in reports from Italy.
The success of the Italians two
weeks ago in the mountainous
country to the west of Lake Gard1
and the evident concern of the
Austrian command over an advance
there may indicate that if the ltal-
ians strike back it may be along
this part of the front 4 success
there would isolate the Austrian
LOlA lE Aill4iE Nci'A VI A~tAHAA ~ --a.E
Use 81 Divisions.
Paris. June lS-Ninety-twO Aus
trian divisions consisting of so L.-
visions of infantry and u of cas-
airy, have been hurled into fhv
greatest battle that Italy has yet
fought, according TO an official an
uouncement al Rome received here
through the Havas agency. Seventv-
one Of these divisions have alreaiF
teen identified.
The forces engaged cOmpr'e"
-fourths OF the whole Austrian
army and the choicest troops under
the command of Field MaUshdt
Boroeyic The number of men iu
an Austrian division is not exact
known but the number OF divisions
engaged would indicate that ap-
one million Austrian
soldiers have been thrown into -.v
battle
Far Behind Schedule.
Papers found on officers show
that after forcing the passage ut
the Piave. the first days objective
was the Treyiso- -Montebelluus rail-
road. In two DAYS Of fighting the
Z thtluF ttlhthAL' t'ti'A Ht-' hs-h-''t ''t...
in realizing the minimum assignee
for the first day, according 10 the
official note issued at Rome
Only one single allied aviator has
been lost during the Austrian 0f-
fensive, while - enemy machines
have been brought down.
Throws All Into Battle.
In artillery and airpiaues, Aus
tria is using all her available re-
sources SAYS the official note
Not less than 1900 cannon Of sl
ralibres have been brought into ls-
ton.
Three Austro-lIuuGarian armioE
under the command of Field Mar
shall Boroevic are engaged. Ordered
10 advance at any cost the Austru-
regiments readily obey
Thousands of CorpSes strew tHN
Hattlefelds bur the ohieCtives
which the enemy was 20 reach are
vet far away"
-- Ruy War Savings Star}pS
LOAN RATE TO BE SAME.
Washington, June 1S.-The treas
lry department indicated the rate
lf interest for the next Liberty loan
would not he raised above A. per
,ent. President Wilson asked em-
ployers to hire uuskilled labor
through the federal bureau only