Austria's Humiliation

Evening Star, Issue 16780, 8 July 1918, Page 6

Austria's Humiliation

WHAT IT SIGNIFIES

A GERMAN SPEARHEAD.

ARTILLERY AND TANKS

RUSSIA.

[By C<RiT»:us.]

tirrveying tlto theatre of war its. s whole, the two most conspicuous features which present. thonisc.lve.-i tiro the long hill in France —now nearly a mouth in duration — at a time when every moment is precious to tho •enemy, and "the appointment of General Von'Below to the supreme command of tho Anstrians. This latter eventis ono of tho most extraordinary of. tho war, and represents) a- huniiliatiou almost without precedent tor the Austrian army. It is an intimation to the world that tho wholo Austrian army is incapable of providing one man fit for the post of commander-in-chief, .and that a general who .is only in tin; second rank of German loaders is preferable to any general that Austria e.a-n produce. It is .an admission that Austria has neither the will nor tho ability to resist German domination. The Milan correspondent of the 'Daily Telegraph' declares that when tho Fmpotor Charles yielded to the impeiious demand of I/iKlendoi-ff and tho Kaiser tho Au-stria-n generals k-ft the room indignantly. No wonder! A humiliation, had been imposed upon them almost without parallel in militurv history.

But upen what. U\'!ns did the Aiof-ri.-.n Emperor con.-nd to this humiliation? It is incredible thai, he would consent lo accept a. I.tim'nia.ii Commander-in-Chief unless Austria, is to receive tho aid of a, powerful body of Gerurin troops. The humiliation is hud enough in any case, even it V"ii lie low is to have the comma-nd of a. iiumIkt of German divisions as well; but that all the Austrian held-marshals and generals should bo put under the command of a, simple German general unsupported by a German army, like African native troops commanded by a- Furapoaii, would suieiy be too threat a* fall wen for Austria, to endure. tt< is a fair inference, therefore, that Germany is going to reinforce the Austrian.- with a few divisions of German troop*, and the question is whether this help will lo limited or whether Germany will fall back upon the defensive in France in order to throw her whole, weight against Italy. Mr Bonar l,aw anticipates that the attack in the. we.-i. L- going to be renewed, and declares [hat it will not be less dangerous Pecans.' of the time taken in piepirafiou : he- anticipates that it the enemy have scored no derisive success in three months' lime the danger will be over. It certainly seems most probable that the Germans w'i'l m,,ke one more l>i.i eJt'ort for a decision in Franco Lie tore cOiisontiiii. to fall back upon tho defensive there, and in that case their a-ssiistii.net' to Austria will he limited io a few divisoiis; but if is well to visual.Ue all possibilities. A GF.RMAN SPFARHF.AIh Assuming that Von Below is given a small force of Germans- s:ty. three divisions—how will he use it'.' Such a- body doe.? not seem to count for much in a. struggle of millions. Yel it- was dcekircd that Von Below ltd n,.< more than three German divisions to the. attack on the ToLmhio-l'lezxa- sector, which resulted in tho rout of the Italians last -autumn and the loss of it quarter of a million men in prisoners alone and a great part or the Italian artillery. In any offensive which Von. Below launches aga-iiitst the Faliaus he will alni'ist certainly follow tin- -siiine tactics. ijo will not Matter his men among tho Austrian fortes, out. keeping them in ono body will launch them upon some decisive sector, lie will use them as a. soearhsad to the Austrian forces, and, if he can bleak tbroiiiih on one vital sector, he will thus cive the Aus- ; triaiis their chance. The Montoilo Ridge is the most likely sector, and, after that, the Asiago Plateau. Ludendoi ft was right when he denounced the Austrian leadership a.r. incompetent. The Austrian L'enerals dissipated their strength in numerous attacks at widely separated points ■nstead of concent-ratine upon some vital sector. A clean breach on the Monfello sector would enable tho -enemy to turn the line of the Piave, and also the Italian position, to the westward. A clean I..reach <„, the Aaum<; Plateau would end-auger toe creator part ot the Italian army Poss-iLiy ire Litter resentment of the Austrian iienerals at having a (Jenna.ii put over them will hamper the enemy's operations : but the m'xt few months are likely to be anxious ones for Italy. 'MINOR SUCCBSSKS. The Italians have heen conduct! no- a drive on the Lower l'i..ve leainst- tic An--triaus, who hid the ma-i-hy ground be- ! twe.en th.e main mouth of the river and i the Veeebia, month, a iov mile.- lv liewest. Thev were assisted by a powei ill! naval division, which made a diversion by a pretence at a landing, while iloat-s eoiituiuim; burning oil were sent down the i liver to set tire to the hridires. The ;o-a jheld by the enemy west of the Piave ha- . been considerably narrower!. and a c:ui- | s-iderahle number of prisoners and a few guns were captured. Thf Austrian.* admit the pressing back of their southern wintr. A later Italian communique announces tint the fiiemv have been complet ly chared from the'west hank of tho Piave-. Thev ii.ro thus pre.s-ed back to a line 20 mil™ from Venice. Tho Italians also cla'm the capture of 23.911 men. 63 cm is, 1,23 a machine cims. and all the artillery lost srui.etho openimr of the' offensive. j ARTILLLitY AND TANKS. ! The recent operations cad, of Amiei..-, I between the Anerc and the Luce, provide an admirable illustration of the, fact thathlw tact-teal value of tanks, as well as all | other weapons;, depends entirely upon the I skill with which they me u.-ed. They also supply an excellent illustration of how thev 'should he med. and show what, can be accomplished bv the skilful co-operation of tanks and artillery. Mr Philip Gil.bs dtseribes how "the smoke screens sen:. before tho tanks made dense ciouds wbicu lav low on the ground and hid the tanks from the German anti-tank guns, so the ranks nosed their way steadily ic.rward." These smoke cloud* ' would probably be formed bv smok.- shells, and it was under cover of a. similar screen that the Austrians recently crossed the Tiave Only with sutii a-pistanco livm the, ai'.illeiy nr,; the tanks likelv to accomplish much m the taeo »i the anti-tank ghus; and even as it was. several were put out, of M't-ion. It will be. I se.eii that, tnvo.il tho )vrotcetion ot stnli a i smoke scree.i, t'niekness of armor is or ! little account, and ine.-mspifi.ous.ness ami Kwiftness of movement are evorything. bo German machine guns were blinded by (tie smoke as well as 'the anti-tank -ims and , t-ho tanks were thus enabled to break tiia j ba.ck of the resistance with small e-ses to ! the supporting infantry. I INTERVENTION IN ItUSSIA.

It v,as recent]v stated that PresidentWilson would he largely c;ui<le<l by the recommendations of the interallied «»■' Council rcsuocmitr liif P'-'licy towards Kussi:i. It is* now definitely reported from Wellington that the Council and Oeiiei'al Tncli mrent.lv recommend intervention. This is important, because tlie final wor<l vests with President Wilson, and something inav come of it. It is further siuteu Unit' British, French, Japanese. ;ind American marines have boon already laiideil at Vladivostnek: but this probably lefevs only to the tabling of marines wme nine ago* to protect, allied citizens and thenproperty. Of more importance is the statement of the Russian consulate ai Kobe, Japan, that the. Czech o-.Slovaks, commanded by General Dietrich, fully control Vladivostok, r,nd close the port at ni'dit time. It is rath::r curious to reflect that a short time agio great alarm was expressed about the great number of snemv prisoners in Siberia, and the possibility that they might gain, possession of s?te "vast stores along th<j Trans-Siberian railway. Thev have actually gained possess.ion"of the "stores, and appear to control the greater part of the railway irom Vladivostock to the TTrals ; but- tliey sewn to bo favorable to the Allies. The fact was overlooked that the balk of the enemy prisoners in Siberia were Ausfro-Huu-;:ariu.ii race*, a great proportion of 'whom fo-I no lovo for either Germany or Austria.

A Berlin message denounces a-s a fabrication the rejiort that the Grand DukV Michael has been proclaimed Tsar and. is .marching upon Moscow; while another doubtful report is- one from Tiflis which declares that 25,000 Armenians have occupied Erivun, a few miles across the Russian frontier in Transcaucasia, and just k> :'!■.■ north-east of Mount Ararat-. If t:-ii'.. it means that the Turks are in ;>, verv Iv.lil way, an inference supported by many other indications. A WORTHY CELEBRATION.

The United' States has worthily oelobnvted Independence, Day by launching a toG*i of 112 ships, amounting to 450,000 tons, which Mr Schwab (Controller .of Shipping) rightly declares to bo ■ the greatest number ever launched in the history of the work!.. Of ooureo, this was the result of a special effort, and cannot be kept no, but Mr Schwab states that ho expects' tho United Statps to build 3.000,000 tons during 1918. This spectacular record-breaking has a. practical value, inasmuch as it stimulates the emulation of the workers. Nothing excites tho interest and energy of the workers so much as tho knowledge that their yard is buildim: ships in record time or that their country "is beating all records in tonnage output. Every shipyard worker will bo scanning the published figureswith as much eagerness as he studies the football or lascbn.il result*, and he will he stimulated to additional efforts thereby. The output will continue to "row, and; a fraction" of America's annual stcol output of 33.C00.0C0 tons worked upon into ships will put the Allies beyond all danger from submarines.