The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-01
AUSTRIAN LOSSES
LISTED AT 100000
Premier Of Hungary Creates
Furor by His Announce
ment in Parliament.
EXPLAINS THE RETREAT
Says Army Was Withdrawn in
Order to Save Lives, as
Peril Was Great.

AMSTERDAM, June so.-Gradually the
extent OF the Austrian losses in the re-
cent offensive and defeat on the Italian
front Is beginning to reach tho people.
who are demanding TO know the facts.
In the Hungarian Parliament on Satur-
sarian Premier. caused sensation by
stating the losses, according To a des-
patch from Budapest received here to-
day. The Premier admitted that the loss
was 100000 not counting captives, which
he put at 10000.
'The number OF prisoners taken was
recently stated TO be 5000" the rre-
mier replied II must. however. correct
that statement. The truth Is that the
Italians have taken 10000 while $4,000
Italians fell into our hands, In the case
OF an offensive and n retreat this figure
cannot be termed excessively high Much
sadder Is the loss We suffered in dead
wounded and sick. mostly sick. In the
tenth and eleventh Italian offensives we
lost 10000 to 100000 men. Now. how
ever. our losses are similar, about 100, ooD
men"
marked this declaration The Premier
continued
Il am obliged to record this regre,ta-
BILE circumstance. This figure includes
the FALLEN. the slightly wounded and
those brought back as ineffectives"
A great uproar interrupted the Pre-
mier and there were cries of They were
all Hungarians" When quiet was re-
stored Premier Wekerle continue
II mention these figures 10 describe
the situation with perfect sincerity. Also
nlir VIII aip1,
tray these losses in an exaggerated fash
Ion and perhaps also our public opinion.
There are also rumors circulating
| that on this occasion also Hungarian
troops were called uron in excessively
large numbers and that the losses fell
| upon them only. Therefore must point
| out that thirty-three Hungarian and
! thirty-seven Austrian regiments rartci-
pated in the entire offensive and retrea',
or ~ percentage Hungarian and SO Aus
trian,
"In the entire advance and retreat the
italian losses amounted To 10000. far
surprising our losses in dead. wounded
and sick
"A report lie also being circulated that
our losses were due to n lack OF ammu-
| milton" A Deputy shouted, Lack Of
food" To which the Premier replied a.
! sorting that "our army never was 40
well PROVIDED win ammunition as dur
Ing the middle OF June.
ut Is true" the Premier added. that
Of three bridges thrown across the Piave
the uppermost unfortunately collapsed
and then both OF the others We're car
ried away with II. Thus insurmount-
able difficulties arose in bringing IN pro-
visions during the sensational retreat
which was followed according to the
regular plan and only few troops who
remained behind who covered the
| retreat fell into italian hands The en-
tire retreat was carried out I'm such an
orderly and unobserved manner tlat
the Italians continued their attacks on
our former positions.
"lf. despite these reErettahle events. 7
draw deductions from the whole. II IL
not TO be doubted that We inflicted i'm
portant losses on the Italians and nre-
vented them from sending a consider
a Bile part OF their troops 10 the west
ern front, which in the interest n the
common conduct of the war is uudouht-
edly the objective which it was our duty
10 attain. This lin too we attained"