The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-05-20
ITALIAN FORCES
IN GOOD CONDITION
Lines Have Been Strengthened and Whole
Region Is Interlaced with Power
full Defenses.

| Headquarters Italian Army, May 20
| Correspondence of the Associated Press
The italian and allied forces on the
mountain front are in the best of condi-
| tion. The winter months have been util-
lied in strengthening the defenses and
reinforcing lines of works until the whole
region is interlaced with powerful sys-
TENS of defense and attack. There are
vast stores of guns and ammunition,
and the spirit Of the men is one of con-
fidence and eagerness for an approaching
conflict in the mountain regions.
General Plummer, commander of the
British forces, recently announced their
establishment in new positions in the
mountain sector around Siago, and Gen
eral Diaz' bulletins now refer to the
operations of the British forces in that
mountain region The French too, who
made their brilliant stroke in Mount
Tomba, are also in this mountain region.
1t is here that three Austrian armies
under Field Marshal Conrad Won Hert
2endorf are in position. the 10th army.
18th army and what is known as the
Kraus army, under General kraus. These
armies comprise in the neighborhood of
40 divisions. besides several divisions of
reserves; while on the Piave front the
Austrian commander, Boroevich has
about ID divisions and some reserves.
The divisions on the north recently have
been strengthened by fresh troops
brought from Austria's sections of the
Russian and Rumanian fronts which no
longer need her attention.
This enemy concentration has been GO |
ing on steadily for months and the Ital-
ian and allied forces have also made |
powerful preparations for the coming
The main cause for this shifting of at
ention from the Piave to the mountain
inc is of strategic character. The
Italian front has two main branches, one
unning northward from the Adristic ct
point IL miles east Of Venice; and the
,ther turning westward across the noun
ain regions and running irregularly up
o the Swiss frontier. When the enemy
made his rush last fall the first pressure
vas felt along the Pave as the enemy
wept in from the east. But later, when
he Italians threw the enemy into the
liver at Fsgare and Zenson and estab-
ished solid defense of the river line,
he enemy turned his attention to the
orth and began pressing down from the
Most of the enemy forces first brought 9
0 the Pave line were gradually with
rawn to the mountain line. Won Be- {
,w's German divisions were among those !
hifted from the Pave to the mountains, I
efore Won Below went to the French c
-ont. The British reinforcements, which ?
rst took position on the upper Piave
t Monticello, soon observed that the en- a
my artillery had slackened off TO almost I
othing, and that the enemy positions c
n the east bank were apparently de- d
,rted The British made many raids I
cross the river but met little opposi- a
on, and there was some prospect this "
ould permit an advance by the Italians o
nd their allies eastward into the region e
vaded by the enemy but held by them e
it'll reduced forces. CT
II was evident, however, that the en- 81
nys inactivity on the Piave was part 81
strategic plan, by which his massinc ST
forces on the north would not only
'rmit him to make an offensive in the Il
ountain regions, but would also give b.
m position on the Italians left flank cl
case of an Italian advance across the 81
ave into the invaded region. He was m
Hing therefore to leave the Pave with IS
light forces, and eoncen- re
ate most of his strength in the noun at
ms. tr