The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-06-22
Where Italians Held Austrian Offensive
By E1LAIRE BELLoC.
By E1LAIRE BELLoC.
Antaer ~ Elements OF tho Great war;
and Rritain's Most Distinguished
Military Critic.

ThH Austrian offensive 'a:lH"t n u"-
SrStrrd w;thHu; 4 :uit realization ~
the situation OF The "rrosia: forces ~
attach WAS taunchrI.
Las; autumn In, cu',,Iy achieved t"r
the FIRST tia" a ;rw" rupture ~ ;he
| WeSt":n line. liz broke through 1T "a
porritH IN the iSnnzN. "1i:!urk"" me
whole mass Of the ltalIan army S"u:A
Of shat point and imposed upon = ill
extremely ar,iouS and :apri retreat. i'll
SotVluE the loss Of over -""""" n"i
and "m0p guns Many EXPLANATIONS
havr been offered for that disaster. H"'
the main underlying caus'' :'h"u% ;'i
lh.x ]; Was The first effect NJ N" !t"S-
! sian collapse.
With the Russian collapse thH wtc.e
c.nirc - gravity of the war WAS >H'i;-
cd. \ very great prep"n"etants a.
numbers returned 70 the Central En-
pircs. which Oh the West front had been
on the Defensive VIC ncrer had ON the
Nest front aeains, the Germans ana
AustrianS anything like tho superiority
which they now hlv" hGainS; us. II was
this special training and to develop that
tactic which enabled them II break tho
line.
There followed III succHssI"n HE
breaking by them II OUR I'm" near -
Quentin in March. IN" breaking =; y III
front Of Lii" IN April and tn" hT%ak.s.<
between scissors and Rheims III May.
and the war became III the r:al+r a "H'
IF movslucn, IN which the iniilatiS' ';s';
pasScd 70 th.. enemy. In spite ~ ~" ''H-
mense losses or both sides his 'a'i'"'a-
ton was and ~ that thus rrc2; Hiii:t'E'-
cal superiority will serve hu ~ TIE ;'ili-
tual attriticn which h" has ""S"n s""
that nc will exhaust th' Allies before
Inc Amerlcy-I rerrHltnrcn: IAN tarn 'h'
scale against hum.
Ready to Sacrifice All for Victory.
He is occupied now III extending taat
war movement to Italy. The retreat
from C'apurctta last autumn landed IN
what arr known ;tS The lines CT the
Piays" 1.-The kind OF warfare which
the French III Napolcon'S time used TO
call a logical war. that is. war
which IS fought with no consideration
at all except that Nt victory. and AT amy
. Price and with any sacrifice IN view o.
victory. the obvious line upon when inc
Italians should have retired was me
Adigc River som. miles behind the Pr
ave. The AdsEe IS Il broad RAPID ana
.>arnanent river. Of considerable volume
with banks which arc difficult |" cross
II instead Of following il 70 its mouth
tho T,.crnSiS. lines are - be- carried ~
the 20 md thence follow that river IN
tho saa they ran along Il still strong
obstacle, for the 70 is far broader. deep
er and more rapid even than the A'ITr.
and more difficult [" traverse. 7" mold
that line ct the .Ndigc I" I'll" rlouth "f
th, Pc would be To hold The strongest
hulwark against the invasion ~; ltaiE
from The. northeast. The -tdigc has al
way. h.en rightly called III" strategy
cal front IL Italy.
Eut iher. is 4 very strong reason
against CARRYING I'll" Italian r"t!r"m"n;
~ far Some II these reasons were
political. but on" ot ih'tu WAS strictly
srratcgical: [" Wiz. tha> haSiaS the
lines on The .NGIS" would htv'' IuN"iE-
ed the loss NJ Venice. which th'y uu-
covered; tina; IS the loss ~ ~" "isly
martini. d"ini and arsenal when Tie
Italians iaI.. nu IA. .Nariatlc proper.
Pave Line the Weaker One
Th.rrfor.. II Was determined |" h"lo
Tho far less strong lines on III" f"iN'.
l,t M, describe those linrS. only halt
Of which ara IN tttc !iaT'' itS'''' 'u'
which take their nam" from taat river.
Starting from the swiss tr"nti"r uo"H
- far ~ LAX, Giuarria. you nave 4 very
high crest ~ mountains with only one
practicable. PASS for guns. THIS hrSt
,ar, nf ~. linz" r..k"niuG tr"'H t''r
.o,,;hcos. .ovcar.. M. lett - So S'7''ns
ma, !, ".cnr :" ~. h.ld ~ r"n'ii'Fa-
:5,.fv f..w tr"r:r~ against ANY VI
,ark,r 50 t"aS rs tn" Offenders """