The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1918-01-06
HOW CERMANS MADE.
BIG ITALIAN DRIVE,
ACCOUNT OF oVERRuNNlNG OF
ITALY BY HUNS.

HEADQUARTERS OF TIE ITALIAN
.ARMY, Northern Italy, Jan. 4-Gorizia
is symbol, con to Gorilla was the
cry of the Duke Of Aoster's soldiers as
they passed through the little town of
Lucinico few months ago, fighting
their way down to the ls0nzo river,
then across the western bridge lead
ing to the city, when the cry changed
to Gorilla at last"
Then, week ago, this was reversed
when the overwhelming invading for
ces of Austro-Germans took up this
same cry, con tn Gorilla" pressing
own from the north, across the north
ern bridge to the city, and ending with
"Gorizian at last!"
Thus Gorilla has become a symbol
Of the huge change which has occurred
within the last ten days. 1t was one
of the furthest points forward on the
Italian line, the center of a vast arc of
fighting front stretching from Plezzo
far in the north, down to the Adriatic
at Montefalcone, and it was the most
populous and important city in the
great crescent Of territory which the
Italian army has sliced off southwest
ern Austria-some six hundred square
miles in all. And so Gorilla was sym
bolic of that entire region which has
twice changed hands in this war, and
of the furthest advance in the first
Italian campaigns.
visited Gorizian just nine days ago
and saw the city on the eve of its
agony. 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 spasmodic
renewal of the cannonade which had
been going on for weeks. Within "a
hours the enemy had crosses the Ison-
20 fifteen miles further north, turned
the Italian left wing, beaten back the
second army under General Capello,
threatened to envelope the third army
under the Duke of AOsta, brother Of
the King of Italy, and put in execution
that gigantic hammer stroke by which
they hoped to finish Italy and cripple
the whole entente
The visit was made by invitation Of
the Supreme Command with staff ed
itor from headquarters as escort. As
we sped along the road in the big army
auto l noted there were no troops
along the road and bordering fields as
one sees approaching Verdun or in the
J Sommen or Flanders. This absence of
troops in the rear was part Of the sys-
tenn adopted, it was explained. All
the re-provisi6ning Of the army was
done at night, and the roads were left
i'clear by day most of the time
Ten miles out we crossed the Italian
Austrian frontier and entered Austria.
The frontier was marked by an 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 to the Julian
Alps. Near the frontier bridge was a
party of soldiers going home for two
weeks leave; they looked very happy
and were quite unconscious Of the es
cape they were making from the crash
tc occur few hours later.
At Cormons an Austrian village on
the road, the signs above the shops
were all Italian showing the Italians
were right in the claim that all this
section was radically Italian. At This
town, too, was a statue Of the Arch
duke Macmillan which had ust passed
through a queer experience. Some Ital-
ian soldiers passing through the town
had seen the statue, and net being IL
miliar with Macmillan they had taken
it for the Great Genose navigator. !
Christopher Columbus. With true Itol-
ian fervcr they rad decorated the 8t9t, |
lie, and there stood Macmillan with |
gorlands about bis neck placed there
by Italian soldiers.
The cannonade began to be heard for !
the first time ten miles west Of Goriz- !
| ia low rumble to the north and cas-, /
with now and then the muged boom Of !
a great gun Day by day the fire was
getting heavier, said our escort, who |
knew the ground by heart; and he ad !
ded that the enemy forces had been in |
! crease from 100 battalions to $50 bat |
talions.
As we passed through the town Of |
Lucinico, a far-out surburb of Gorilla |
it was seen to be half destroyed a /
long the main street ran rows OF bat /
tered hltildinpc with vvoIIc half down /