GREAT ITALIAN SUCCESS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144783, 13 September 1915, Page 8

GREAT ITALIAN SUCCESS.

(By J. A. Sinclair Pooley.) LONDON, July IS. The capture of the heights above Monfalcone constitutes one of the most notable successes of the Italian eastern army. Monfalcone was an important Austrian industrial centre, and was used especially as a base for torpedo flotillas. But from a strategic point of view it is even more important, as it is the railway junction joining Trieste with Gorz, Oradisca, and other towns on the Isonzo. With the capture of the' heights above the town this railway is now paralysed, and it will bo impossible for the Austrians to rush reserves to the' front except by a roundabout route. The area cast of the Isonzo now occupied by the Italian armies, according to maps and statements published here, is considerable. The portion on the upper river extends between Caponetto and Tolmino, including the difficult Monte Noro. There is also the triangular strip of country between the Isonzo and the railway, extending from Ciradisca to Monfalcone. It may be presumed that as soon as the present conquered positions are sufficiently consolidated, a squeezing movement by the northern and southern armies against the Austrian centre will bo begun. , . One of the features of the Italian campaign is the great superiority of the field artillery, thanks to which the road has every tiipe been carefully prepared for the final bayonet attacks. In consequence, the Italian losses bavo been comparatively slight. , _ The hunt for spies continues with unabated vigour throughout Italy. \esterday fourteen Germans wore arrested in Milan. Considerable aid is being given to the authorities by the public, and the newspapers, which have opened their columns'to denunciations of not only Germans , and Austrians-who are probably spies, hut of any one heard speaking disdainfully or disrespectfully of Italy. ’. , . Now that the mobilisation is practieallv complete for war service, Italy is faced with another mobilisation no less important, and which is being handled with the same promptitude as the ini-i----tary mobilisation. Two millmn held bunds ave needed for gathering the crops. With the drain on the country caused by the call to the colours of the male population, the number of # agricultural labourers has been seriously diminished, and the Government has now taken the matter in hand. Throughout the country all the available men and'women are being organised, so that no portion of the peninsula shall suffer from lack of labour, and at the same time no district shall have more labourers than h needs, it can easily be imagined that such a scheme is not easy to work, but is hoped by a scries of temporary migrations from one part to another that the grain, maize, rice, and other crops will So dulv harvested. Besides the transport, of these workers, enormous quantities of produce must be transported bv rail to the coast for shipment. In ordinary years tins constitutes one of tlio most serious problems of the Italian railway service, but it is believed that the railways, which were quietly organised during the past months, will be able to face it with success, as they have already handled the military mobilisation without seriously disturbing the ordinary services. . . Details of the first days of fighting after the outbreak of war are beginning to arrive from the front. The chief obstacle winch the Italians have had to contend with has b£en the fearful weather, which was all in favour of the retreating enemy. As a matter of tact. thc 4 rain falls in Friuli on 200 days a year.

From tho very first day the Austrians retreated from the frontier, and within a few- hours of crossing the frontier the Italians were able to occupy tho comfortable cement trenches held during the months of neutrality by the dneray. To cover their retreat tho Austrians erected barricades of trees, w-hile the Italian cavalry were incommoded momentarily by * masses of broken glass and wire entanglements. All the roads were mined by the Austrians, but owing to the swiftness of the Italian advance they wore unable to explode the mines. Monte Con-ado. for instance, which the Austrians defended, was captured after repeated bayonet charges by the Italians. All the roads leading to it had been mined, but tbo Italian Alpine troops passed the Austrian sentries during tho night and cut the wires. The Austrians hold tho position for hours while their engineers tried to repair the wires, and-they finally retired, leaving the hill in the. hands of the Italians. Another remarkably heroic deed was carried out bv a party of Alpines at the Timau Pass. A party bringing .supplies to on outpost at tho top of the pass was proceeding by a zigzag road, when, halfway up. it was surprised to find that tho outpost had been , forced to retire, and that tho summit of tho pass was held by a force of Austrians, who immediately began an offensive movement. Without a moment’s hesitation the. Alpines, seeing, that retreat was impossible, chose between surrendering or going over a precipice. Tho choice naturally fell on the latter expedient. First tho boxes of munitions wore unloaded and thrown over, and then tho men and mules went over together. Marvellous as it seems, the loss was insignificant and the name of the regiment was saved. A letter from a young soldier attached to an infantry regiment at the front gives interesting details of the first advance into Austria. When his regiment crossed the frontier every man fell on his knees and kissed the sou of Italv finally redeemed. Although many of the men wore from tho plains and unaccustomed to tho rough mountain work, few showed signs of fatigue and every one was fired with tho greatest enthusiasm. Tho King is always on the mpve, visiting various scones of ae,tion. His activity is not without danger, as ho is often within the zone of fire, and it is said that last week, while watching an engagement in a mountain pass, his foot was badly bruised by a fragment of shrapnel.