Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-07
Territory Twice Fought Over in
Present War Bids Fair to
Again See Clash Of Armies
in Its EnVironS,
CORRESPONDENT TELLS
OF FIRST BLOW OF HUNS
Suddenness of Attack, Great
Number of Troops MaSSed
by Austria Took Italy Off Her
Feet MomentariIy
fAssuciated Press Correspondence)

Headquarters of the ltaEan army
Northern Italy, Dec. l2.-GoriZia is a
symbol. "On to Gorizia," was the cry
Of the Duke of Aosta's soldiers as
they pressed through the little town
of Lucinico a few months ago, fight
ing their way down the lsonZo river,
then across the western bridge lead
ing to the city, when the cry changed
to "Gorizia at last"
Then, a week ago, this was re-
versed when the overwhelming inVad-
inc force of Austro-Germans took up
this same cry, ION to Gorizia," press
ing down from the north, across the
northern bridge to the city, and end
ing with "Gorizia at last"
Twice Fought Over.
Thus Gorilla has become symbol
of the huge change which has oc-
CURED within the last ten days. 1t
was one of the furthest points for.
ward on the Italian line, the center
OF vast arc of fighting front stretch
| ing from Plezzo, far In the north,
down to the Adriatic at Montefalcore,
and it was the most populous and inn
portant city in the great crescent of
territory which the Italian army has
sliced off southwestern Austria-some
coo square miles in all. And so Gori-
zia was symbolic of that entire region
which has twice changed hands in
this war, and of the furthest advance
in the first Italian campaigns.
l visited Gorilla just nine days ago
and saw the city on the eve of its ag-
ony, 1t was the last visit made there
by anyone outside the military before
| the retreat began. The rear of the
great Austro- German offensive al
ready had commenced, though for the
moment it was taken for a spasmodic
renewal of the cannonade which has
| been going on for weeks. Within
twenty -four hours the enemy had
crossed the Isonzo fifteen miles fur
ther north, turned the Italian left
wing, beaten back the Second army
under General Capello, threatened to
envelop the Third army under the
Duke of Aosta, brother of the king of
Italy, and put in execution that gi-
gantic hammer-stroke by which they
hoped to finish Italy and cripple the
whole entente.
Work Done at Night.
The visit was made by invitation Of
the supreme command with a staff ed
itor from headquarters as escort. AS
we sped along the road in the big
army auto ] noted there were no
troops along the road and bordering
fields as one sees approaching Verdun
or in the Somme or Flanders. All the
reprovisioning of the army was done
at night, and the roads were left clear
by day most of the time.
Ten miles out we crossed the 1tal-
IAN Austrian frontier and entered Aus
tria. The frontier was marked by ar
empty river as the mountain current
had run dry. There were scrub trees
along the banks and our escort noted
the strange fact that bears were quite
numerous in these parts and back tc
the Julian Alps. Near the frontier
bridge was a party of soldiers goine
home for two weeks leave; they
looked very happy and were quite un.
conscious of the escape they were
making from the crash to occur a few
hours later.
Signs Tell Populace.
At Cormons, an Austrian village or
the road, the signs above the shop,
were all Italian, showing the Italian.
were right in the claim that all thi.
section was racially Italian At thi.
town, too, was a statue of the Arch
duke Maximiiian which had jus
passed through a queer experience
Some Italian soldiers passing through
the town had seen the statue, and no
being familiar with Maximilian they
had taken it for the great Genoese
navigator, Christopher Colum bus
With true Italian fervor they had dec,
,rated the statue, and there stood
Macmillan with garlands about his
neck placed there by Italian soldiers.
The cannonade began to be heard
for the first time ten miles west OF
Gorizia-a low rumble to the north
east with now and then the mufflet
boom of a great gun. Day by day the
great fire was getting heavier, said
our escort. who knew the ground by
heart; and he added that the enemy
forces had been increased from 12t
battalions to $50 battalions.
J The visit to the citadel was ths