, 1918-06-20
AUSTRIA STARTS
DRIVE IN ITALY
ALLIED LINE BLOCKS HEAVY
BLOWS AFTER FRONT POSI-
TIONS ARE WON.
PAVE RIVER CROSSED
CAPTURE OF 10000 PRISONERS
REPORTED-BATTLE IN
FRANCE QUIET.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Italian Headquarters in Northern
Italy, June 1.-THE Italian and allied
armies are bravoly sustaining the
weight of the Austrian forces which
are attacking along the front of the
Italian heater from the northwest OF
the Asiago plateau eastward TO the
Piave river and thence along that
stream to whore it joins the head
waters of the Adriatic sea, a front OF
nearly 100 miles.
The Austrialc, having made exten-
sive preparations for the drive by
bringing up strong achievements in
men and guns, many of them coming
from the former battle line in Ru-
mania and Galicia as a result of the
debacle in the east, is using them
without stint il tie effort to debouch
from the mountain passes mt cross
the Piave river and gain the Vene
tian Plains. Everywhere the fighting
is of an extremely sanguinary charac-
ter, especially cast of the Asiago pla-
teau, in the Brenta valley and on
Monte Grappa.
~ s4S - NSS SASA4y
succeeded in capturing several front-
line positions in the mountain region
from the British, and also in crossing
the Piave. Counter attacks, however,
have restored all the positions in the
mountains, including territory to a
depth OF 1000 yards along a $500
yard front captured from the British.
At last accounts the allied troops
everywhere we strongly holding the
enemy and King Victor Emmanuels
men were gall~ntly striving to throw
back the invaders across the Piave.
j The Italians have taken more than
5000 Austrian prisoners, among them
eighty-nine officers.
As yet the Vienna war office has CIV
en- only brief mention to the battle
saying hat the Austrian armies had
invade the Settle Comuni plateau, ly-
ing at an altitude of 3,40O feet north
west of Asiago, and that up to noon
Sunday more than 10000 Italian Eng
lish and french soldiers and a consid-
cradle number of guns had been cap
tured.
With the commencement of the long
expected Austrian offensive, the fight
ing in France has simmered down al
most to %subnormal, except southwest
of Scissors; where the French have
delivered several violent attacks
against the Germans holding territory
captured last week. Where the enemy
a week g was throwing thous-
ands upon thousands of men
against the allied lines between
Montdidier and Noyon, Sunday saw
him worn out with his useless efforts
and his forces sadly depleted through
men killed and wounded, unwilling or
unable further to give battle.
In Macedonia the operations daily
increase in Importance. Along the
greater part of the front there have
Teen heavy reciprocal bombardments
and Bulgarian troops several times
have endeavored to penetrate the al
lied lines. All their efforts, however,
met with i'll success.
London.-British troops in a local
operation have captured the German
forward positions on a front of two
miles north of Bethune, according to
Field Marshal Haig's report. .
rdHNSCo impulse iuTcc AItdCkS.
With the American Army in France,
June 17.-About 600 German shock
troops raided the American first-line
positions at the village of Xivray, In
the Toul sector, early Sunday morn
Ing. Some of the enemy got into Xiv
ray, but were o o driven nut. At 9TH
er points the Germans we're badly
haatan Tho attach haoan ~ 0 o,oIooL
In the morning after an extremely VIC
lent bo~mbardment. The Germans ad-
vanced swiftly to the attack but were
met by a heavy fire. Those who pene-
trated Xivray were forced speedily to
withdraw and elsewhere the enemy
was completely repulsed in hard fight
ing lasting more han two hours.
Paris.-French troops have reoccu-
pied Coeuvres ct valsery Southwest
of scissors, an important strategic
been endeavoring to debouch their
troops.
Banker John 3. cosgrIff Dead.
Denver.-John B. Cosgriff. w-o with
his brother founded the Hamilton Ma
tional bank in this city, died in his
home here from a stroke of paralysis.
U. s. Army Of 100000 by Aug. I.
washington.-Three million Ameri-
cans will be under arms by next Aug.
I, the Senate military committee was
told by Provost Marshal General