Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-18
WRITER'S
MISS WARS FACTS
History Of Conflict by General
Vigano Brings Out
Failures.
"DRUNK WITH RHETORIC"
Pareans Of Victory Drown
Voices of Those Who
Know Truth.
tBy Universal servlccl

FAR1S. April 1.-THE world war
is entering now !hto its second life.
that OF history. in Italy also. IL is
passing from the battle fields and the
closed Aalls Of the ministries into the
world o! books. And history is be-
ginning to photograph. on the great
empty space Of, the past, the thing
which was and which is no longer.
the invisible. dispersed In fragments
IN the rraIl uncertain memory or
man.
For men are made like that. They
Keep on asking Ironically whether
history ~ to be taken seriously or as
an amusement. when that same his
tory p-ctends 20 some knowledge OF
the truih in connection with the
events ot The past. and yet. they re.
turn again and again TO the writing
and reading u! history. and at each
return are moro avid than before
Among the more notable histories
o, me war that have been published
OF late Is that OF General Et,orc vi
Eano. which has been published h..
l.emonnie- under the title of Our
war: How II Was Prepared and How
II Was Conducted tp To NOVEMBER.
Simple. Vivid Account.
1t gives. ar the title suggests. The
story Of Italy's war up TO the battle
Of EaDorctto and the faii-back on the
l'iavc: that is 10 say. how the plan
OF great offensive war against the
Austrian empire began. developed
ana faiied. IT Is simple and v!v,r
account. perfectly clear. without I'M
due details or excess Of military cru
dition. and without that empha lis
that has unfortunately disfgured tho
episodes OF our war in SO many books
,hat have been published. whether
those episodes were great or small. or
fortunate or otherwise
IN TINS book our war Is presented
/ with its natural face and in tho real
proporiions OF a human episode. Ana
whni "A number Of legends have had
20 disappear out OF the recital!
Fables Arc i.cnrdcd.
\ considerable part Of the hook dc.
Scribes the battle Of Canorctto ana
Inc retreat that followed Il Ru. IN +.
rcaacr VIII seek in vain for invcctive.
'saihst the defcatism Of the Social.
is's' or determinations against In,
tonc's Encyclical or the suspect or
anu discovered treason OF tho col.
diers: all those subjects that hav,
"Hercd. thr the last three years. suci
ueetnl mark Tor the public ire. Al
back by the historian. to the com
Try they came from. IN" land OF fable
] Sr"r~s General Cadornn
General ViGano's book which II
very other part is inspired by ;
wise and humane indulrcncc 10 n,
/ n" CONTRA" extremely severe ,rnine
General Cadorna. Someone has de
| nned II right away as an "arr,irr
| ment aFains; the first gencral.ssIm,
~ our army II is not the case :,
'SS any Judgment before Genera
.ahor7a has r"0lied: hut. JhtIc await
! ing 'ori tho other side to sneak nm,
/ cannot hut manifest. ones Im,ras
| SONS. And the impression thai nr.
dominates in mo Is 'his: Tha. in IN,
m.ns, rt so many fair and just on
! consider cadorna rcsnons;ble for nr
| F"rs and excuses which MIGHT b<
/ mo!" jus'l" laid mon institu,.ons
"onn notifies, unon q certain snir;,-
'nh not \ hannv sir't--or the t,mes
al ~ which dominated tho war &c
/ n"cially in rs FIRST mart whl.b mic
! ,7rtrne had hnmi'ia'"d and which vIc
/ tory has reawakercd
'""r'a s""TnS 10 no a man mbuet
/ Win thai sneries of fana.ical AFRO.
'nc". which docs not belong to IN,
| old militarisw or rs ~ IL I,rbict
e''ll preserved trac. Of good scn.o,
MI 10 tho very latest milf nrisrn thn,
which fouriehcd af,or 1870 oo1 ,v,.
| G'r"ss"d a7d ar>Ned upon even n,
som" democratic states and nartics
~, h'in"" 10 the miiitarism which hat
ne deirS:nn Of being able to enrol
N s'nEl" army all men from oiph.
i""n TO fortE-fiva years OF orc 4.
! throw th"m. inter n few weeks. in.
/ s'F"c'lon. into tho midst Of the for
/ r"rS and horrors of the hloodiest wa,
/ ftat mankind has ever seen. TO maxi
mem fight tor years and die nv ms,.
mons. and 10 do all this withou: shat.
/ t.-'ng the world
Almost n 'Dictntor,
! cadorna. imbucd like the rn,t with
~" ambition TO imDrovise an armv n,
Nerv"s and nv that To accomplish onf
| ~ the treat undcrtakinys Of The war
] r"nG himself nDrn-cved int, ms
'"ihst OF the civil war Of the parties
mat were striving for the commend
| NJ III" war: he assumed almost n lie.
f''orshiD in I:olv: and he flung hi,,
! s"'f into nm offensive war against ;hs
Austrian emri-n, bloody AMI ;,.er
'o'nnb'" war. trst as If all those mil.
lions OF mon who had been educated
in pcce and for peace and had bccn
torn by him from their dearest ,abors
wer" all tried and hardened warriors
living only for tho nurpose of giving
and receiving blows.
?olit!cs did the rest. We declare
YEAR against Austria IN such an ,x
ir:mity that we had to Hing n,,r
selves nj once into tho attack. unless
We wanted our war 70 be d!scredite ed
CONTINUED on Third Pare)