The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-18


serves by withdrawing them from divi-
sions of the 18th and 18th armies, and
these were exhausted. The army groups
OF Won GallNftz and Duke AIbrecht had
to exchange rested divisions against
those wearied with fighting.
Again it was a case of raising the
strength of the army and making it
ready for the forthcoming attacks. In
and behind the front the same life
went on as before the beginning of
the attack on the twenty seyenth OF
May.
FAILURE OF THE AUSTRIANS
The attack of the Austro Hungarian
army in Italy was originally fixed for
June IL. 1918. owing to the backward
state of the preparations Ii was put
off till the fifteenth. It was to com
mence with an advance at the Adamel-
10 on the west Tyrol front, so as to
distract the attention of the Italian
headquarters in that dire stion.
General Won ATE intended to make
the main attack between Asiago and
the sea in several groups directed on
the Brenta. the Montello. ana further
down the Paive. In spite of local sue
cesses the attack produced TO gain, and
after few days General cvon ARR had
to make up his mind to withdraw the
troops that had pushed across the
Pave under General Goiginger
tThe Austro Hungarians forced a
crossing of the Paive from tho noun
tains to the sea, but the italians, who
did pot stenuously approve of the cross
SING launched a counter attack which
resulted in the complete defeat of the
! attacking army. A sudden flooding
on the Piave prevented retreat in COCA
order apd thousands surrendered. In
the mountains the Austriaus were ur-
able to make any headwayD
According to the reports 1 received
from Baden. the Austro- Hungarian
troops had fought WE'LL What causes
prevented their success I do not know.
have no means of judging whether it
is correct that the attack was made
on too broad a front, as 1t is STAGED
to have been.
BERATES HUNGARIAN OUTCRY
The manner in which the failure on
! the Piave was discussed shortly after
wards in Austria Hungary. especially
in the Hungarian Parliament, was
most deplorable. Under similar cir
cumstances after the Aisne-Cham-
payne battle in 1916, and now in far
moro difficult ones, the French hal
maintained a great and dignified de-
meanor.
From BUDAPEST we heard unpleasant
speeches, which could only make every
one more depressed Nobody asked the
I prom .nced this criticism. Had it
really done everything to make vic
DRY possible? If so it might criticize,
but to do so in public and at that time
was a mistake. The impression pro-
duced by he failure on the Piave was
hrther deepeneu wants in the
Dual monarchy.
Buda- Pest of the slaughter of Hunga-
rians in the Piave battle. 1t was
charged that the Austrian command
put Hungary in the most DANGEROUS
positions so that Hungary might be
weakened and Austria might preserve
her strength.)
The Intellectual attack Of the Imperial
could NO longer hope to weaken the
| western front in Italy itself. In other
respects the military positions then
continued the same. The two powers
for the moment balanced each other.
There was no fear that the Italians
could further strengthen the entente's
west front in France. General Won ARR
contemplated a renewal of the attack
in the autumn.
ASKS FOR AUSTRIAN TROOPS
now Immediately proposed our
Ally's Chief command to divert all
available strength to the west front.
General Won ARR agreed. In this matter
1T IL true that he was Obliged to Op-
pose his imperial master, who was
averse to this disposition of forces.
The reinforcement which Austria
Hungary brought to the west front
amounted. after long pressure. to four
divisions. In July there came only
two They were indeed considered
particularly good material. but their
condition, particularly their ammuni-
ton supply was lamentable. They re-
-
they were fit to take tneir place as
reserves in active warfare on the west
front.
At the end Of August and the begin
ming of September the two other divi-
sions arrived. BY the middle OF Septem-
Der General Won ARE wanted to send
two additional divisions, out they had
to go to Siberia, since Bu,garia's de-
lection threatened to lay bare Austria
Hungary, and Herewith also our own
flank to the Entente.
lGERMANS HAD TO FIGHT ALONE
On the west trout the German army,
/ then as befofe. had to continue the
fight without substantial aid, with that
which General Headquarters could
bring together and what could be sent
from home.
On the remaining portions of the al
! lied fronts in Europe. no particular
activities had taken place. only TO the
west Of Lake Ochrida in Albania. the
! Imperial and Royal Austrian troops had
been pressed back to northern Serat in
June and July.
Opinion of the Bulgarian army was
now somewhat more favorable. The
morale had improved with the frs.
consignment of clothing and hospital
supplies General Won Scholtz did not
fail to realize the earnestness Of the
situation. He also complained that the
army Nas being more and more drawn
into political agitation, In order to be
played against Radoslavoff. He would
have been glad to have more German
troops, but as they were being used on
| the west front, they must get On in
! Macedonia too without them. General
Headquarters and the army commands
counted on local retreats. In case of an
attack by the enemy. The Bulgarian
reserves which had meanwhile been
built up, offered a certain security
against deep breaks into the front.
In Palestine local attacks by the
British had been unsuccessful; in Me-
sopotamia the English attachments
which had pressed forward toward
Mosul had again been driven back On
| the other hand. the English seemed to
have grown stronger In North Persia
and on the south shore of the Caspian