The Robesonian., 1918-06-24
VOL. IXL
AUSTRIANSDEFEATED

hooSSS @AS"'J aAPASoS SOA-
fidence in Outcome When Sec
ond Phase of Battle Begins.
The latest dispatch states that the
Italians aided by American aviators
captured $4,000 Austrians and that
the whole Austrian army is retreating
in disorder, the Italians in hot pur-
suit.
From Montello to the sea the enc
nv has been defeated and forced by
Italian troops to cross the Piave river
in disorder, states dispatch of the
23rd from Italian headquarters in
Northern Italy; and in the Senate at
Rome Saturday Premier Orlando an
nounced: "The Austrian offensive was
more than a failure: it was a defeat
for the enemy, who at several points
was times stronger than the Ital-
ians."
This mornings press summary has
the following:
The first phase of the Austrian Of
fensive has ended in failure-in de-
feat. The elimination of what was in
tended to be the crushing of Italy be-
tween the jaws of the Austrian pin
GERS. is the rout of the invaders
themselves.
With their backs to the swollen
Piave river, the Austrians for several
days past had been trying to ward
off the vicious counter attacks of the
Italians, and save the situation. Now
they are endeavoring, still under great
pressure, to ford the stream and
reach safety on it's eastern bank.
From the Montello plateau to the
Adriatic sea the enemy is in retreat.
Already his losses are estimated at
100000 men and the chances of his
escape without additional heavy casu-
alties and men made prisoners seem
remote.
Large numbers of pontoon bridges
that the Austrians threw across the
Piave have been swept away by the
now torrential stream and on all the
sectors of the 33-mile front where
they gained edges of the Venetian
plain they are being sorely harrassed
by the fire of the Italian guns and RI
fes and by the machine gun fire and
bombs of the allied aviators who have
done such notable execution since
the attempted drive was started.
Monster preparations had been
made by the Austrians for what was
to be the death blow to King Victor
Emmanuel's men. Thousands upon
thousands of men, many of them
brought from the Russian and Ruma-
nian fronts and guns and stores in
tremendous quantities had been par
celed among the various commanders
for the drive over a battle area of
virtually one hundred miles, running
from the Asiago plateau to the Piaye
river and then following that stream
to the sea.
Undoubtedly the Austrian high COM
mand had built largely for success en-
the belief that the Italian morale had
been shattered when last year their
great pincers closed in upon the Ital-
ian front and forced back the lire in
a great semi-circle from the Julian
Alps to the Piave and from the noun
tains in the north almost to the plains
of Venetia
Such belief, however, was entirely
erroneous. From the first onslaught
the enemy met rejuvenated army
which fought him with the greatest
gallantry, never ceding an inch of
ground unless it was dearly paid for.
Aiding the Italians in the mountains
were British and French armies who
also fought nobly and everywhere de-
feated the enemy. Territory taken in
the mountains was almost as quickly
regained and the enemy held in check.
Along the Piave, especially on the
Montello plateau, the gateway to the
venetian plains from the northwest
and at several points farther south
where the Austrians succeeded in
crossing the river, the Italians every
where opposed such strength against
the enemy that he was unable to en-
large his gains and then, with redou-
bled efforts, forced him to commence
the retrograde movement which has
developed into disordered flight.
Large numbers of the enemy have
been reported recently as coming up
behind the northern line in the noun
taln region and it is not improbable
that shortly the second phase of the
battle will begin. Complete confidence
Is felt in the Italian and other allied
commands, however. that the enemy
Will meet foemen of superior quality
and that his efforts will go for naught
-, On the battle fronts in France and
FLANDERS the Germans are holding
their men to the trenches except fo1
small attacks here and there There
Is no indication that for the present il
IS their intention to launch anothe,
pig offensive. Both the British anc
French have carried out successfully
several minor operations and repulset
an the enemy's maneuvers. Neal
hhgny, In the Marne region, the Ger.
mans succeeded in gaining footing
IN IN trench, but an Italian contingent
Immediately elected them.