The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-10-26
EYES0F ALLIED
WORLD ON ITALY
Gen. Diaz Appears to Have
Started Major Operations on
Brenta and Piave.
AUSTRIAN MORALE AT TEST
Americans in Meuse Sector
Take Important 0bserva-
tion Point, Hill 500.
(By Associated Press.l

While the British. French and Amer
leans are slowly breaking their way
through the stubborn German defense
along the line south of Valenciennes,
the attention of the allied world Is
directed. for the moment at least, to
the Italian front. where Gen. Diaz
seems to have started n major opera
ton.
Fighting on large scale appears to
have begun on Thursday when the
Austrian official statement reported
heavy artillery fire from the Brenta
river to the Montello plateau. 1t was
reported yesterday that Italian. British
and French forces attacked between
the Brenta and Piave rivers and ad-
vanced over rough country for a con-
siderable distance. At the same time
the allies moved ahead and captured
islands in the Piave above the Mon
tello plateau.
This stroke was aimed at the angle
IN the Austrian line which runs from
the Adriatic along the Piave until it
reaches the mountains and then turns
to the west II the allied attack makes
material progress, the Austrian armies
on the lowlands near the sea and those
holding the front in the mountainous
sector may be divided. The number of
prisoners taken, 5000. would seem to-
indicate fighting Of n serious nature.
1t Is toe early to determine whether
Gen. Diaz has really begun an often
sive or is merely directing an opera
tion which is in the nature of a diver
sion. 1t may be that the morale of the
Austrian army, which has repeatedly
been reported to be very low. will be
determined by the fighting during the
next few days.
British troops are continuing their |
blow at the German line south of the
bend of the Scheldt. above Valencien- |
mes. Progress there has been compare |
lively slow, but it would appear that |
the railroad between Quesnoy and !
Valenciennes had been crossed and
that the British are in the outskirts
OF Quesnoy. There Is an apparent ef- !
fort on the part of Field Marshal Haig
to avoid a direct assault against the
Normal forest just to the south, where
the Germans are solidly entrenched and
have countless machine guns and light
guns in position. Northeast of Valen-
cicnnes the British and French are ad-
toward the Scheldt
The French on the Serre- Disc front
have continued their attack on the
north side of the angle line. They have
Bdiueu At lIipOitahI poihto, out ehS
Germans are holding their front very
In the Meuse sector, Americans have
captured Hill $50. a height which Is
important for observation purposes and
which was stubbornly defended by the
Germans. Near Grandpre the Ameri- |
cans have forged still further ahead
and appear to be forming quite a large
pocket in the German lines on the east
ern side of the Argonne forest. Amer
can heavy artillery has been pound
ing German concentration points dur
ing the past couple Of days. |,
British divisions in Mesopotamia
nave resumed their attack against the
Turks. Fighting in that region Is next
% impossible during the heat of sum-
ner. Now that autumn has come, 1t
nay be expected that there will he an
,ffort to form n junction between the
orces along the Tigris and those oper- d,
lting north and cast of Damascus. ,,