PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 28, 27 October 1917, Page 8

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

How ill Germany can afford-to detail troops against Italy is indicated in the- continued sweeping success of tho French offensive southwest of Laon. The losses sustained by tho enemy arc, indicated in the 11 000 prisoners, and unmistakable evidence* of the- state of disorganisation into which he has been thrown is afforded in .tlie very largo number of guns captured. The Irench state that they have taken 120 guns, including some six-incb mortars, apart from several hundred minethrowers and machine-guns. As i. whole, the captures are tokens ol tho enemv's overwhelming defeat. The British offensive m Flanders has, of course, contributed in a material degree to the success won by the French, but tho latter, ate evidently making.brilliant use of, their opportunities. Their advance is .important not only as opening a way Into the Laon plain, but because it threatens in flank the formidable positions organised by the enemy In the St. Gobain massif, which covers Laon against approach, from the-west. # * * I Available reports do not clearly ! indicate the stage reached in the enemy counter-stroke on tho Italian front, and in tho absence of confirmation or denial the enemy s claims to large captures of prisoners are best regarded with reserve.. Any attack organised on a. big scale is, ot course, likely to win some eaily success, whatever its after-fate may he The general character of the enemy enterprise will, be readily grasped with the .assistance of a | a p which we publish to-day. East of the llsonzo, m its micidle and ! southern course, the- Italians, hare deep y penetrated the enemy's hill and mountain strongholds .On Mnnte Santo, -north-east ot l*omia, andon the Bainsma Plateau they imminently threaten .the.keystone of the whole" defensive organisation. The enemy.,is attempting to eliminate the tfiwat to his line by athickine the northern flank of the Italian offensive front. His aim is ? 0 compel them to fall back on the the areas in which they have- advanced. Tho enemy has a nod supplv line to Tolmino, along fnl of thVfew" convenient avenues penetrating the mountain country but the Italians also are reasonably well off in the matter of mam communications, and have lahoureclnn"ringly to remedy and overcome deficient transport facilities in tho conquered mountain areas. *** * .

An idea of the state of efficiency reached by the Italian artillery and of the force of guns employed against the Austrian* is given m an Italian semi-official message issued last month. An Austrian newspaper, it observes, stated that the Italians had 5000 guns in the line (on the occasion of their great summer offensive), whereas the Austrian wireless service spoke 01 a thousand batteries. "Everybody il understand," the statement continues, "tho reasons which preonttho publication of the number of nieces the Italians have used, and aro still using, against the 2500 Kims and mortars of every calibre of the Austrian*, but it very tail' idea of the Italian effort can bo gained from the following figures:

On a front of four miles occupied by one of the armies 599 were in "action, and they fired against the Austrian sector about 91,500 projectiles of all calibres in fourteen hours.. There, as elsewhere, the precision and efficacy of the firing -were marvellous. If the Italian material is capable of satisfying the most trying exigencies of the war, the personnel is no less efficient' by reason of its instruction and discipline. But the precision, and therefore the efficacy, of the firing, depends upon ( preparation. It may be affirmed' that the preparation for' this work has been brought to a degree of perfection by the Italians which it would be extremely difficult to surpass. The terror with which prisoners speak of :the Italian artillery is justified. From the very first the Kolonen Wepe, that is to say, the usual routes taken by the troops and the supply detachments for the Austrians situated between the rear and the first lines, had to be abandoned on account of the Italian barrage, as nothing- could pass through ifc. For this reason"complete paralysis of the service supervened, and in many caves and tunnels in the forts around Hermada the Italians found wounded who had been lying I there for five days. Supplies wero I suddenly cut off from the Austrians. lAt the railway station of Sisana traffic had to be completely suspended on the evening of August 18.

» * # * These details assist to indicate the magnitude of the task the enemy has now undertaken in attempting to derange the Italian plan ot campaign and re-establish the Austrian defensive organisation. YUtn their pronounced artillery' supen-. oritv, the Italians have gamed a marked ascendancy, in the air. lno Italian infantry has proved its quality in a long series of battles under tie severest conditions the war can offer. A -Washington report states to-day that General Cadojina has received .reinforce-ments-of French and British troops, but if the report is accurate it probably relates to artillery and specialist detachments. With -some-, thing like 4,000.000 men- mobilised, Italy assuredly stands in.no need ot infantry reinforcements. As jc- : cards artillery and other material equipment,'the Allies may render 4v valuable aid, for the demand is almost unlimited. British heavy batteries have been operating on the Italian front for a long time, past. Italy, however, has made great .progress in developing her own war industries. As long ago as the end of last >;ear 2179 Italian factories were, turning put all soils of war material. These .factories employed 468,940 workers, including 72 324 women, and the number of factories has been-steadily increasing. __—_