ITALY’S SERIOUS PLIGHT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1016, 8 November 1917, Page 5

ITALY’S SERIOUS PLIGHT.

SITUATION CONTINUES GRAVE, (Unit-eti Service.) LONDON, Nov. 6. The Italian situation continues grave. The new retreat coven, a .front of a. hundred miles Large zones of consolidated defence have" been abandonee!. The troops are Hill desperately fatigued and possess few inins The Außtro-Gcrmans are bringing sufficient light artillery forward to break the Italian formations. Hie Piavo hue promises to provide strong features for defence. but it is only 15 milt* fmm Venice. The German propaganda m Italy was the. old lie tlsat. the Germans are rescuing the country from British tyranny. Iho propagandists represented England .as revelling m luxury, while allowing her victims jo five/.e starve, and die. This has been skilfully used in both Italy and Russia. AUSTRIANS CROSS THE TAGLIA MENTO. IT \ IT AN DEFEAT DUE? TO SUPERIOR GERMAN GUN FIRE,. “ITA LEANS SHELLED TO RAGS.” Recoined November 8, 8.4(3 a.in. U LONDON*, Nov. 7. Mi- Pcroival Gibbon says The Austrians crossed the Tiitfliamento at a point where it. has live channels, all passable by motor car. Their shelling across the river dims far is exclusively by field guns German superiority in gunfire is the kov to Uu> Italian let real The Gormans shelled tlu- Italians to rags, holding half their lire until the infantry were, in the open, m order to I secure a. surprise. ~ , Reorganisation, is the order of the* day on ( the Italian front. Committees established ovory where have received the refugees. Ahe one question is whether' the Allied remforenmeiits will arrive .in force before the. AuslroGermans again attack. WITHDRAWING IN GOOD ORDER. ITALI ANS BOM R EKEM V TROOPS. Received November B, 1(7.25 a.ni. LONDON, Nov. 7. An Italian official message says.: We have withdrawn in good -order • toCLtvenza; as the defence of the TiigliamenUo is difficult owing to the low water. Our aciroplanos and airships repeatedly bombed Hue enemy troops repairing' Hie bridges on' the laglia~ inento and crossing the river.. “WORKING TO A TIMETABLE.” Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON/, Nov. 6. Mr Jeffries states that cavalr v were the first enemy troops across the r I agliamcnto. The Italian cavalry drove then t back, but had to retire before motor ma chine guns. General retirements are going on in. complete order, working to it time-taible. Eneiru scouts are 12 miles westward of Tagliamento.

AN APPEAL FOR UNITY AND FORTITUDE. “SAVE THE COUNTRY FROM THE FOREIGN INVADERS.” Received November 8, 10.S a.in. ROMFi Nov. 7. Three hundred and fifty-six deputies of a!) parties signed a manifesto appealing for unitv and fortitude. The battfio cry for. all must be: “Save the country from the foreign invaders.” THE GERMAN GLAUM, Received November 8, 10.''fO a.ni. LONDON!. Nov. 7. German oliicinl: We continue our pursuit of the Italians in the mountains, and on the Venetian plain. Thousands have been made prisoners.