SPRING IN TRENTINO.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14406, 17 May 1917, Page 7

SPRING IN TRENTINO.

WINTER PREPARATIONS .

ROADS AND WLRKWAYS

rfho coldj snow, sleet, ice, and winds of an unusually rigorous winter have augmented the .difficulties of warfare in the Trentino, but they have not succeeded in deadening the activ^ of-the opposing armies Holding its -heights, says tho correspondent of the "London Times" at Italian headquarters. It would almost seem as if the violence of Nature's opposition had hardened the ivills and steadied the energies of those who are equally determined to conquer and to hold. The perils and incessant hostility of winter have taken their toll of life and limb. One unit lost 400 fighting men in one week from avalanches, and we know from many sources that the enemy's losses have been equally heavy. On a mountain 5500 ft above the sea the other day at sundown I watched some hundreds of civilians from j Sicily and: the south of the peninsula in obligatory military service returning to their evening meal from a day's roadmaking and roadteuding. Their energy, their industry and their patience before this war" had generally been devoted to the improvement of highways and railways in other countries. The engineers and infantry have been working like bees since the suspension of hostilities -in September. Nothing that the enemy may have thought out in the Trentino lias passed unobserved._ Our allies are prepared for. any spring operations, although May seems likely to be the first feasible month for large-scale movements.

VVhat the Austrians have accomplished in the Trentino since their retreat of .June 29, 1916, furnishes food for reflection, and is open to more than one interpretation. Since last summer they_ have made, or made servlcable for n.ilitary transport, some 2000 miles of military roads between the Ad>ge Valley and. Cadore, and have constructed hundreds of miles of the temendously important "wireways" wlu'cT: before the war were almost unknown in Austria. The effective use made of them by the Italians for military purposes lias been imitated-by the. Austrians on a truly imperial scale. Enormous sums have been expended in their construction, and there are several now in operation having a length of 25 to 40 miles. Besides roadmaking, Austrians have been very busy' tins winter constructing barracKs ana munition depots, and have laid in huge stores of supplies of all sorts.

Whatever may be the purport of these preparations, whether offensive. or defensive, there are certain facts which merit serious attention. First, the Austrians have pinned down on their Trentino front between two and three times a9 many men as they had there this time last year, and secondly, with their vastly improved communications, they could at very short notice transport men and gxms more quickly and in greater numbers than last year. The recent visits of Baron Conrad yon Hotzendorf, General Ludendorff, Marshal yon Mackensen, Marshal yon Hindenburg, and the Emperor Charles to this front may or may not be significant of aggressive intentions, but the Austrians aro certainly infinitely better prepared to carry out an offensive on a large scale in the Trentino than they word last j year. The Italian?, have not been idle.

Those memorable mountains, which, talced but for the blood of their defenders, saw the Austrians come up on one side but never go down on She' other, are now bristling with great works of defence. Almost more impressive than the military works Aytus the spirit of the men constructing them. Everything is being dono ■ "coi? smore" and the soldiers were convinced that the enemy would never pass such formidable barriers. "We only hope they will .try" wa's iho word I heard everywhere passed along.