Trench and camp., 1919-01-09

dous, task, such, indeed, as nation
had never had before. Seemingly un-
surmountable obstacles opposed the
advance of the Italian troops. A
chain of precipitous mountains
formed natural fortress more than
hundred miles long. Steep cliffs
which are almost perpendicular run
along the course Of the Isonzo River
and the mountain passes which open
along the river are very few and mar
row.
Perhaps never before in a Euro
pean war has the value of individual
quality been shown so conciusively
as by the Italian troops in this war
Feats of incredible, valor, Of audacity,
OF ingenuity were accomplished by
the Italian soldiers and ofifcera
Mountains were blown up. roads
were built under the incessant fire
OF the enemys artillery, bridges were
set up, impregnable fortresses were
taken by storm. supplies brought by
almost impossible means to impossi-
bic places.
Nor were the people behind the SOL
diers inferior to their task. Italy is
- N1uAtAy WAtu9WC CO04t WktAOuk l-x1u@
eral ore, with few forests and conse-
quently with little lumber. It was
essentially an agricultural country,
but under the pressure of war, it
changed into all Industrial country.
The army was to be supplied with
material and ammunition. it was to
be fed, it was to be transported. All
this was accomplished with scanty
means, while. all over Italy the old
conditions of life were giving place
to the new. The land so enormously
called of the dolce far niente was a
humming beehive of tremendous ac-
tivity.
For two years and half, battling
against man and nature, the Italians
advanced on the rocky passes OF the
Alps, on the plateans covered with
perpetual snow. The Isonzo was
crossed, Gorilla was taken. Noun
tain after mountain, the peaks or the
Carso fell into the hands Of the Ital-
ians. Trieste was almost in view OF
the advancing Italian troops who.
alone and unaided. were fighting
against the formidable army OF the
Austrian Empire, country, be 1t
noted, with a population nearly dou-
BILE that Of Italy.
Meanwhile, the Italian navy kept
the Austrian battleships bottled up at
Pola and Trieste. In addition to that,
it was. helping in transporting and
saving the remains of the Serbian
army. One hundrded and fifty thou
sand Serian soldiers were carried on
Al exINf %r vSln n
where they could recover from the
incredible hardships Of their retreat
Italy was also sending strong ex-
peditionary force to the Balkans both
at Saloniki and by way Of Albania.
In the latter country as we'll as in
the redeemed provinces that were
falling into the hands of the Italians,
roads were built, schools were start
ed. Civilization followed the Italian
troops and marked their passage, just
as surely as ruin, barbarism and des-
olation marks the passage of the
Huns.
In the fall of 1917, Russia had
the ignoble peace of Brest-Litowsk.
The entire army of the Austrian EN-
pire, powerfully aided by the Ger
mans with men, artillery and aero
planes, was thrown against Italy with
view of crushing her and putting
her out of the way, just as Serbia,
Roumania and Russia had been
crushed. and put out of the way. A
cunning and insidious propaganda
preceded the attack on the Italian
troops. False newspapers, seemingly
sincere attempts of determination, all
possible ways Of demoralizing an
army were tried by the Austro-Ger-
mans.
The world was startled in the clos
ing days OF October, 1877, by the
news that Austro- German armies had
burst through the Julian Alps and
along the Isonzo and were sweeping
southwestward into the Venetian
plain.
The retreating Italians fought
heroically, trying to stop the enemy
food in each successive valley as they
fell back. until the Austro-German
hordes were effectively stopped at the
Piave River.
The Allied Powers of the Entente
were shaken by the Italian setback
and brought to a realization OF the
absolute necessity Of unity OF action.
If the whole north of Italy had fallen
into the hands of the Austro-Ger-
mans, another door to France would
have been opened and disaster might
have threatened the whole of the
n A.