THE ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16996, 1 November 1918, Page 4

THE ITALIAN OFFENSIVE.

The advance over the Piave River by Italian and allied troops is rapidly assuming the character of a complete victory. It has already reached to a sufficient depth to neutralise all the defences of the Piave line, and there appears to be no reason why the Italians should not now drive the Austrians before them at least as far as the Isonzo River. As the Italians proved to their sorrow during their retreat, no good defensive line exists between the two rivers, and any stand the Austrians may make will depend on the strength of artificial works and the number of reliable troops they are able to throw into the front. The Livenza, the Tagliamento, and the Indrio may serve the Austrians for rearguard actions, but they share with the Piave itself the imperfection of being narrow, and, except when flooded by heavy rain or melting snow, are easily forded. Although the Italians were handicapped by a sudden rise in the river, the Piave cannot be regarded as a serious military obstacle over the front of twenty-five miles on which it ias been crossed. To the north and south the natural obstacles are considerably greater, consisting of mountains on the one hand and of marshes on the other. The mountain sector is the constant test of the security of the Italian position. Until they had made their possession of the mountain wall flanking the river front very secure tho Italians could risk no advance over the river, and it may be assumed thai the Italian command was satisfied it had the measure of the Austrian army before it ordered an advance, otherwise it would have adhered to the cautious policy of defence from which it refused to depart even after the complete failure of the Austrian offensive in June. As tho battle is now developing, it is a fair test of the strength and quality of the two armies. Both sides are excellently served by roads and railways, except in the coastal sector, to which the fighting is only now extending. For the last ten miles of its course the Piave runs between artificial embankments, and on the western side of the river is a belt of marshes intercepted by innumerable dykes carrying narrow, primitive roads of little use for military transport. The Italians could do nothing here until they had turned the lino of the Piave, but their advance farther north is already threatening the Austrian forces in tha coastal regions. The present Italian advance, following the heavy defeat of the enemy in June, is evidence of a gradual decline in the fighting capacity of the Austrian army. It was until a few weeks ago superior to the Italians in both bayonet strength and artillery, but the surrender of the Bulgarians and the arrival of allied forces on the Danube has probably caused Austria to divert troops to her southeri frontier, while internal discontent has sapped the morale of the army. Although the Italians have so far met with a stubborn resistance, • it by no means follows that the whole Austrian Army is sound. If the Austrian army is demoralised its weakness will become apparent when the battle has lasted some days and the picked troops hava melted before the Italian onslaughts.'