Evening star., 1918-06-30

How long can Austria now ape
the undermining influence which de-
stroyed Russia one short year ago.
On the eve of battle the COM
manders Of the Austrian armies ad-
dressed their troops in words recall
to equally famished soldiers nearly
a century and a quarter ago. They
peomised their divisions that they
were to find food and plunder in the
cities and fields which fed the Napo-
leonic veterans of the earlier period.
the strongest incentive of the ad-
vancing Austrians, but what must
be the feelings Of the survivors, for
whom Italian booty is no longer
even a remote hope? For whom hum
ger is now assured without promise
of the relief a promised victory held
out?
One of the great dangers of the
year has been removed, one of the
causes of apprehension has been
eliminated; we do not have to hold
the west front while the Venetian
line still worries US. The boche is
stopped from the Alps to the sea
this is the immediate conclusion to
be drawn and its Importance is i'm
mense. Half way through the cam
paign of 1913 the issue on one front
is disposed of, while the prospects on
the main front are hourly improving.
Attack on 1oo-Mile Front.
On thte military side the story of
the battle of the Piave. one of the half
a dozen great struggles of the war. is
simply told. Attacking on a front of
a hundred miles, nearly twice as broad
mans on March 21 in Picardy; using
seventy-one divisions, a round million
OF troops. quite as large a force as
the Germans used between Arras and
Noyon, backed by 1900 guns and an
unlimited amount Of ammunition; en-
ploying the same shock tactics which
the Germans used successfully in
Picardy. Flanders and Champagne, the
Austrians undertook to break the
whole Italian front fro mthe Adige
to the Adriatic.
In this great effort there were three
distinct operations. On the north be-
tween the Adige and the Piave the
Austrians attempted to crowd the
Italians down of the Arsiero. Asiago
and Grappa highlands into the plain
cut the roads and railways which run
along the foot of the hills and thus in
tercept the Italians along the Piave.
whose sole line of retreat was these
roads. The successful strategy of Ca
poretto was invoked again. Had It
prevailed the Italians along the Piave
would have suddenly found them
selves threatened with development,
as did their comrades on the Balm
sizza plateau last year. after the col
lapse at Caporetto.
At the same time there was a tre-
mendous push west at the point where
the Piave emerges from the hills and
enters the plain. Here the Italian
line makes an almost complete right
angle and thenceforth follows the
west bank of the river southwark to
the sea. At this point there is on the
west bank a, considerable isolated
plateau, from which, were 1t in en-
emy hands, Austrian guns could rake
Monte Grappa. between the Piave and
the Brenta and behind the Piave from
Nervesa southwark.
Main Austrian Effort.
Montello heights, to give this pla-
teau its familiar name, is the key
many miles southwark, to the high
ways supplying the front of the
Piave and to a vital portion of the
front on the hills. The push at Mon
tello was the main Austrian effort and
hot until the Austrians had been
driven from this high ground toward
the end of the battle was the Ital-
quite all Of Montello was at one time
in Austrian hands, a portion was
held until the closing hours Of the
offensive, and at this point the Aus
trians came within an ace of scoring
decisive triumph.
Southwark of Montello the Austrians
effected a number of crossings OF the
river, but their main thrust was al
most at the edge of the marshes.
where the river divides into several
channels. Here they came nearest to
Venice and at one moment were less
than twelve miles from the City of