New-York tribune., 1918-06-22
Military Comment
By William l.. Mcpherson

Hungarian armies on the
- west side Of the Piave River
is becoming more and more precari-
Gus. They are being pushed back to
the river bank and the connections
between the various bridgehead
groups are being severed. Many Of
the pontoon bridges to the east
shore are under artillery fire, and
are also being bombed by Allied air
men. Allied supremacy in the air is
factor of great Importance along
the Piave line. Air attacks can
greatly harass defeated armies try
ing to recross a river barrier.
The Italians have now recovered
the greater part Of the ground lost
by them early in the week on the
Montello plateau. The enemy holds
only the eastern section. He has
been unable to debouch from the
plateau in any direction. An unoffi-
cial report from London yesterday
afternoon said that the Italians had
recaptured Nervesa, on the Piave,
at the southeastern edge of Mon
tello. They occupy the line Of the
river north Of the plateau. So a
double flank attack on the river
communications of the Austro-Hun-
garians on the Montello heights is
easily within the range Of probabili-
! ties.
All the way down the river from
Nervesa the Italians have been
driving the enemy back and captur-
ing prisoners. The Austrian offensive
against Treviso and Venice has gone
glimmering. It's renewal is unlikely.
Reserves may be thrown in by
Boroevic in a demonstration intend
ed to cover the retreat across the
Piave, which now seems imminent.
The Austrian venture here has been
obstinately prolonged, although the
armies of General Conrad Won
Hoetzendorff, on the northern line,
quit cold after two days of punish
ment.
Boroevic ought to be satisfied by
this time that the Venetian plain is
thoroughly defended on the east. If
he isn't ready to concede failure, his
logical move would seem to be to re-
new the attack from the north, be-
tween the Piave and the Brenta, or
between the Brenta and the Astico.
Five miles Of progress south in
either Of these sectors would be
wotth much more to him than ten
,sar Fifteen miles of progress west
r5Nrpm the Piave.
i The size Of his strategic reserve
can only be guessed at. 1t has been
falready drawn on, undoubtedly. And
his troops have shown little ardor
or staying power. Austro- Hungari-
an morale is low. And it is hardly
reasonable to suppose that Ger
many, having declined to contrib
ute a "stiffening,' in order to
carry through last Saturdays at
4 tack, will now hurry reinforce
ments south in order to redeem
Boroevic's failure. Berlin may send
4 few scanty rations to Vienna to
stop the hunger riots. But she needs
all the troops she can scrape togeth-
I-er to support LudendorA's desperate
offensives. From the German point
of view the arena of decision is in
! France. Since Caporetto, the North
ern Italy venture has been merely a
"side-show."
The fact remains that Austria
left to herself-has not successfully
carried through a single offensive
since the war began. The one based
on Trent--in May and June, 1916
promised we'll for time. It almost
reached the Italian plain. north of
Vicenza. Yet it collapsed almost in
sight of the lowlands. The Polish in
5 vasion and the two Serbian inva-
sions ended in disaster. Austria
Hungary lacks military compe.
= tency. She showed this lack
4 throughout the Napoleonic wars.
She showed it at Magenta and
Solferino, and again at Sadowa.
Francis Joseph was unable to crush
the Hungarian rebellion of 1S4s-49
until Russia came to his assistance.
Austrian leadership has run true to
form in this war. 1t takes a nation
to fight in the true modern sense of
that word. And Austria Hungary