Evening star., 1918-06-16
Teuton Forces Strike in Early
Morning From Astico to
the Sea.
OFFENSIVE ANSWER
TO BERLIN DEMANDS
Allies Have Been Preparing for
Just Such a Blow as Has Been
Delivered.

The long awaited Austrian Of
fensive against the Italians has
begun. On the Italian front, for
a distance of from Is to 100
miles, Austrian troops and
heavy artillery are endeavorihg
to break down the resistance of
the Italians, who are aided by
French and British forces.
The Italian premier, Vittorio
Orlando, announced in the
chamber of deputies that the
Italian troops were everywhere
resisting magni6cently" and
the Austrians had failed.
!. The present battle line ex-
tends from Asiago to the sea.
East Great Offensive.
The last great Austro-German often
siye, begun In October. 1877, rolled
back Gen. Cadorna's line from the
Isonso front and aiong tho Venetian
plain. More than . million enemy
troops participated fn this operation.
and IL was not for many weeks that
the Italians were able to stay the adj
vance. About the middle Of November
the Piave battle began along q
i,inety-mile front in northern Italy.
and French and British troops were
hnrried to reinforce the shaken italian
army. The crisis was passed about the
nrst Of December. and since that time
there has been :. heavy fighting, IN
which the Italians and their allies car
ried out many successful counter at
tacks.
There have been insistent cries from
Germany for Austrian action along
the italian front, to coordinate with
the German offensive in. the western
some. and for months past the allies
have been preparing for just such a
blow as apparently is now being
struck. The Italian army has been re-
equipped. and Gen. Diaz has succeeded
Gen. Cadorna as the cammander-tn-
chief.
Drive Starts In Morning.
BY the Associated Press.
ROME. Juno 1s.-Ths Austrians be-
gan . great offensive at Z o'clock
this morning on the front from the
Asiago plateau to the sea.
This announcement was made in the
chamber Of deputies today by Premier
Orlando, who added:
'-our troops are everywhere resisting
maSniffcently.
Gaeed, a. the offensive extends with ex-
treme violence from Astico to the
Brenta, from the Brenta to the Piave
and along the Piave everywhere, in
volving the Astico plateau. the Mount
Crappa sector and the plain"
Austrians Have Failed.
Premier Orlando declared that. the
Austrians had failed to achieve even the
preliminary results which usually fol-
lowed . crushing offensive. Describing
the operations. the premier said:
"A very violent bombardment began al
3 o'clock. and at o'clock an infantry
attack was launched along the whole
me summarizing the situation at !
O'Clock 10 that our troops have offered
magnificent resistance"
Fighting in First Zone.
4 message sent from the front to the
premier concludes as follows:
"A comparison Of all reports re.
esivsd shows that the offensive wa,
pressed only in the first zone Of re.
sigtancA, and not even at q few points
has It obtained the effect which thl
enemy must have hoped for from hi.
powerful bombardment and the enor
nous electives launched--an attack
against which our troops are resist
Ing msgnificently."
War once Report.
There 10 intense artillery nghtinl
from the LAgarina valley to the sea
according to the statement issued b,
the war once today. The statemen
reads:
The artillery IRE between tn,
La4arinA valley and the sea hai
Grewn in intensity. It has been ex.
trsmsly violent east Of the Brent.
'four patrols captured 1876 prison
sSS In the Tonale region. and took six
team Austrians captive and war ma
teSial at Gevaxuccharina-"
Dseisivsly Repulssd.
~ he Associated Press.
ITALIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS
Friday. Juno 1.-THE attempted sur
prise attack by the Austrians in tn
Tonals region today was decisivel,
rspulssd By the Italians with artiller.
and machine gun hre and bayone
charges. The frequent encounter
were spirited. notwithstanding tn
esld and binding darkness Of tn
aight
& This action was an aftermath Of tn
enc three weeks ago, when the Ital
ians took the Paradise pass for tn
pufpose Of protecting Val Camontca
CONTINUED on Fourteenth Page.)