Newspaper Page Text
®he Atlanta 3mmral
VOLUME XX.
ITALIAN COUNTER ATTACKS SPLIT HUN FORCES
DEFEAT OF AUSTRIANS TURNING POINT OF WAR
VIEW FDDO RIOT
REPORTED : (WY
■ is seo cm
Bakeries Are Broken Into and
Premier’s Residence Stoned.
Trouble in Berlin and Other
Cities Is Repotted
LONDON. June 2v. —Serious rioting
broke out In Vienna yesterday, says
an Exc-iange Telegraph dispatch from
Amsterdam. The mob broke into
number of bakeries, stoned the resi-1
'srfencc of *ne premier, and also one of i
the wing* of the Hofburg palace, the I
message adds. I
Cavalry is being rushed to the capita! i
to restore order. It is probable, it is I
stated, that martial law will be pro- ■
claimed. The rioting was in protest
against the reduction of the bread ra- 1
•* tion.
There have been reports from va- ,
ricus sources recently* of trouble in Aus- j
tria. notably tn the. capital, because of
the bread ration reduction, forced by
the virtual exhaustion of the Austrian
grain supplies. The bread allotment to
each individual in the city of Vienna is
now less than 1 1-2 pounds weekly, it i
was stated in a dispatch from Copen- I
■hagen on Tuesday.
Protests against this rationing have i
been vehement from various quarters. ;
the Vienna city council on Tuesday ,
adopted a resolution of protest and the
labor council in that city emphasised its
similar protest by the passage of a reso
lution renewing its demand for a speedy
general peace.
Strikes in Vienna and elsewhere have
been one outgrowth of the situation, ac
cording to reports from Switxerland. and
fearuse have been expressed in Austrian
quarters that what would virtually
amount to a general strike was immi
nent.
In one recent labor demonstration in
Vienna the police had to be called upon
to disperse the rioters, it was said.
Austria, it. appears, is entering the
new harvest year without any reserve
stocks whatever and is dependent upon
, Gertndrly for such -scanty supplies as
she is receiving. Germany herself, how
ever. is able to extend little help Seem
ingly there are still supplies in Hun
gary from which Austria might derive
some small assistance, but appeals to
the Hungarian authorities do not ap- ‘
pear to have brought results.
Workmen Are Killed
. In German Riots
LONDON. June 20.—Heavily censored
private messages received in Stockholm
indicate that peace demonstrations were
he'd recently in Berlin. Hamburg and
Cologne and that several workmen were
killed and many persons arrested, says
a dispatch to the Morning Post from
Stockholm. The police and military dis
pe.*sed crowds of demonstrants.
Jugo-Slavs Believe
in Entente Victory
GEXEI’A. Wednesday. June 19. —The
Jugo-Slavs firmly believe in the eventual
victory of the entente allies, according
to the Journal Novin, of Agram. Hun- .
gaTy.
"General Foch. whom David Lloyd <
George called a great soldier, has not .
yet disclosed his intentions.” says the
newspaper. “He is carefully holding ■
back his reserves, and nobody knows
where he will employ them.
"Every month the allies grow strong- i
er in men and richer in material. Alto- •
gether it is to the interest of the cen- >
tral powers to conclude a peace quickly. |
The internal strife between the nation- !
alities of Austria-Hungary has reached
its height. Never before in history has
the peoples' spirit for freedom and in
dependence been so agitated as now. We
have every faith in the allies.”
More Food Increases
Predicted by Vorwaerts
AMSTERDAM. Wednesday. June 19. ‘
The Berlin Vorwaerts. the German So
' cialist organ, in announcing the in- ,
crease in the price of bread to five |
pfennings per pound, says this price!
will bring the land owners 1.000.000.000!
marks surplus profits and necessarily!
will be followed by increases in the*
cost of milk, butter and beef.
The Socialist party, says the news-1
paper, has formally protested to the (
government on the ground that the in
crease will be sure to create the great
est of ill feeling.
Vienna Labor Council
Demands General Peace
AMSTERDAM, June 20.—The Vienna ;
labor council has passed a resolution
declaring that a substantial, lasting im- ,
provement in the food situation is im
possible during the war and demanding
a speedy general peace, it was learned I
>■ here today.
General Strike Is
Planned in Austria
ZURICH. June 20.—There is enor- ;
mous feeling in Vienna regarding reduc
tion of the bread ration, according to
dispatches received here. 1
What is practically a general strike ■
is said to be formulating in Vienna and !
Neustadt.
40,009 Peasants Join
Revolt in Ukrainia
LONDON, June 20.—The revolution
which broke oat In Kieff has spread to
the districts of Chemigotl and Poltava,
to the eastward, according to an inter
cepted wireless disratch received in
Moscow and related here. Forty thou
snad armed peasants tn these districts
are said to be organixed to resist the
German-controlled Ukrainian govern
ment.
Artillery supplies and stores in Kieff
are reported blown up. Street fight
’ ing Is under way. The civilian popula
tion is fleeing.
Full Associated Press Service
AMERICANS SQUEEZE
fflS FROM SALIENT
nearly mile square
Barrage Opens on Front Near
Chateau Thierry and Ger
mans Fail to Oppose Ad
vance of Infantry
WITH THE AMERICANS ON THE
MARNE, 4 p. m„ June 20.—The Amer
icans squeezed the Germans out of a
salient a kilometer (two-thirds of a
mile) deep and the same distance in
width west of Torcy, (6 miles northwest
of Chateau-Thierry), early this morn
ing.
The Germans did not remain to fight
after they were struck by a barrage be
ginning at 1 o'clock and when the Fn
fantry went forward there was no one
to oppose them.
German casualties In the fighting in
this sector are now estimated at 800
killed and 5,000 wounded.
Private James A. Donahue, who was
taken prisoner eight days ago, escaped
and joined his command last night. He
declared that a few other American
prisoners are compelled by the Huns to
work in the front lines.
Donahue also said he saw Germans
burying their dead, twenty in a grave,
in crosswise layers.
Americans in Alsace
Threaten Rhine Region
BT J. W. T. MASON
NEW YORK, June 20.—Movement of I
American troops into Alsace is a stra- 1
teglc measure that must exercise a se
rious influence upon future disposi
tion of Von Hindenburg’s fast dwindling
reserves, and may interfere with h'.s
plans for a new offensive in western
France.
The new American positions are so 1
far away from the present area of ac
tivity along the west front as to com- I
pel Von Hindenburg to organize a large
separate reserve force to protect the up
per Rhine against sudden American at
tack. These reserves must be drawn
from the central German reservoirs that
make good the losses incurred by Von
Hindenburg's futile drives in Flanders,
Picardy and Champagne.
Any strengthening of the German po
sitions in Alsace as the result of Ameri
ca's increasing power in that sector
must necessarily decrease the striking
force of a German offensive toward
Paris and the chanel ports. If Von
Hindenburg prefers to take chances with
the Americans and weaken his Alsace
line for the benefit of future opera
tions in western rFance. the Stars and
Stripes may be planted on the banks
of the Rhine ahead of scheduled time.
American units in Alsace are about
twenty miles from the Rhine. Capture
of the river near the Swiss boundary '
might suddenly become an immediate ;
American objective any time in the near I
future if Von Hindenburg leaves the
pathways guarded only by weak detach- '
ments.
Before the German spring offensive
began. Von Hindenburg had a large re
serve army stationed near the Swiss bor
der in anticipation of an American at
tack in that area. There is reason to
believe the slaughter of German man
power in Flanders. Picardy and Cham
pagne compelled Von Hindenburg to
deplete reserves very considerably. This
is doubtless one of the considerations
that led General Foch to send the new
American troops into Alsace.
In consequence of General Foch’s
move. Hindenburg again is compelled
to face one of those terrible puzzles
that General Forh so persistently forces
upon the General general staff. If the j
Rhine is left partly open In Alsace an '
American offensive is deliberately In
vited: while if it is closed with heavy
German reinforcements, the slim chance
of reaching Paris or the channel ports
become slimmer still.
Bone-Dry Amendment
Action Is Postponed:
Wilson Not Opposed
WASHINGTON. June 20.—Because of
the rush of other business in which mem
bers were interested, the meeting of the
senate agricultural committee scheduled
for today at which consideration of the
Jones prohibition amendment was to
have been taken up was postponed un
til tomorrow.
Few senators would express an opin- '
ion as to the probability of the amend
ment's being passed by the senate- for ■
the reason that President Wilson i*- ‘
understood to have told Senator Smith, ,
of South Carolina, acting chajyman oCj
the agriculture committee, yesterday,
his declination to oppose the amend
ment* depended on whether the discus
sion of it holds up important legisla i
tion.
Not Desirable to Take
Steps Against Sinn Fein
LONDON, June 20. —Edward Shortt, |
chief secretary for Ireland, stated in
the house of commons today that there
was sufficient evidence against the Sinn
Feiners recently arrested to enable their
prosecution for treason, but that it was
not desirable or necessary to insti
tute it,
TRAVELING AGENTS
OF WESTERN UNIBN
: : SAVE BEEN ARRESTED
Postal Inspectors Uncover
System of Transmitting
“Night Letters" by Messen
gers on Fast Trains
WASHINGTON, June 20. —Postal in
spectors today arrested a number of
traveling agents of the Western Un
j ion Telegraph company on trains be
tween Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
! Baltimore and Washington, and seized
suitcases they were carrying tilled with
messages filed for transmission by tele
i graph.
This practice, which is eaid to have
' been in operation by the telegraph com
pany for sometime, is considered a vio
lation of postal laws forbidding persons
■ not connected with the postal service
: from conducting a traffic in communica
tions over regular post road.
The facts discovered will be present
ed to grand juries, and officials of the
telegraph company will be summoned
to explain the practice. The penalty for
violation of the postal law is a fine of
! not more than SSOO, or six months’ im
prisonment.
Postal authorities for several weeks
have been investigating reports that the
telegraph company was sending night
letters and other messages by train
rather than by wire, and delivering
them the following, day with all the
j marks of telegraph transmission. The
practice was reported to have extended
even to some day messages, intended for
immediate transmission.
Owing to the extreme rush of tele
’ graph business In recent months, the
> company found it impossible to trans
mit all messages offered by wire, it is
I said, and resorted to the messenger
system, using fast trains between east
ern cities. So far as is disclosed by
postal authorities, tti system was not
used jextftnsivqly in other parts of the
country, although investigation will be
made to determine its. extent.
, The number of agents taken today
was not announced by the postoffice de
-1 partment. It was Intimated, however,
; that the men had been followed in their
, trips from city to city for sometime,
and their schedules of delivery had been
carefully worked out.
The routes and schedules had been
systematicizcd, it is said, so that often
the messages were delivered about as
quickly as if they had been sent by
wire, particularly considering the delay
caused by rapid increase in telegraph
traffic due to the war.
The raids on the train agents were
planned for this morning and all were
made simultaneously. Definite charges
have not been made gainst some of the
men. it was explained, pending determi
nation of the extent of their knowledge
of what they were about. Whether any
high officials of the Western Union
company were familiar with the practice
and sanctioned it, was not disclosed by
postal authorities. It if certain, how
ever. that they will be called on to ex
plain.
Five Mon Caught
Later, the postoffice department an
i nounced that five men had been caught,
but that a number of others were en
i gaged in the traffic.
Messages from Washington for New
i Vork were carried by a messenger leav-
I Ing Washington on a midnight train. He
i was met at Baltimore by another agent,
who turned over a brief case or suit
case full of messages, and this also
vas done at Philadelphia, so that a
batch of telegrams from each city was
delivered in New York the next morning
Messengers also came from New York
tn the same way.
More than 1,500 messages were seized
looay. The postal inspectors immediate
ly notified the Western Union offices
at the cities where the messengers were
taken, and the company was permitted
to copy the telegrams and to deliver
these to the addresses.
The messages are said to have been
tvped on receiving blank forms at the
I criginattng offices, and bore fictitious
marks, designating the hour when the
telegrams were supposed to have been
received by an operator at the destina
t on, and the operator's marks.
Information concerning the practice
will be turned over to the department
of justice to ascertain whether prose
cutions also might be made under other
I statutes, such as that punishing obtain
! ing money under false pretenses. This
'action, however, would have to be un-
■ dertaken by the states.
German Naval Critic
Now Virtually Admits
Failure of Submarine
LONDON, June 20. —The German
c-boats are unequal to the warfare
against them, is the virtual admission
' of Captain Persius, the naval critic of
; the Berliner Tageblatt, says a Rotter
' dam. dispatch to the Daily Telegraph
1 Captain Persius writes:
I “Every layman knows that U-boat
«i losses are unavoidable owing to the
: continually increasing sharpness and ef
fectiveness of the defense measures of
the enemy which, perhaps, will further
! increase as trie war progresses. . •.
“It is scarcely to be aenlcd that our
enemies are both carrying on the war
, and living and that it will be possible
for them to defend themselves against
tonnage needs for a long fime at any
rate. From the beginning or the U-boat
war it was a mistake, often committed
amongst us, to underestimate the re
sources of our enemies.”
Historian Dead
PARIS. Wednesday, June 19.—George
Jacques Maur Pellissiere, a literary his
torian, principally on French and gen
eral literature of the nineteenth cen
tury, died today. He was born in 1852.
ATLANTA, GA., FRIDAY, JUNE 2,1, 1918.
HUNS CAPTURED IN PICARDY. Thousands of German soldiers were captured by the British during the
German offensive of March on the plains of Picardy. This photograph shows one camp behind the lines filled
with the captive Teutons waiting to be sent to the internment camps in England.
YNkWkOk KEM
n woo p (A. <//Y/?£atvoop . . '
OfIDE EXEMPTION BOMD
REMOVED Bl PRESIDENT
Deliberate Juggling of Order
Numbers .Is Charged
Against Members
Major Joel B. Mallet, officer in charge
of the selective service law in Georgia,
on Thursday announced that the mem
bers of the local board of Dade county
have been removed by President Wilson
because o fthe juggling of the order
numbers of registered men, and becaues
of the deliberate skipping of the order
number of four men, two of whom were
closely related by kinship to a member
of the board.
The members of the -hoard removed
from office are W. H. Cross, sheriff of
Dade county; Lee Forrester, ordinary;
Dr. D. S. Middleton. medical officer of
the board. To succeed them President
Wilson has appointed W. S. Alliion, a
Confederate veteran, farmer and brother
of Judge Allison, of Chattanooga; C. S.
Turner, a newspaper man and Dade
county food administrator; W. F. Mor
rison, a graduate of Georgia Tech and a
well-to-da farmer. The board took the
oath Wednesday and elected Mr. Allison
chairman and Mr. Turner secretary.
In his statement, Major Mallet says
there were many complaints by citi
zens and registered men of Dade coun
ty against the manner in which the
board was calling men up for service.
Major Mallett made an investigation
and the department of justice made
an investigation. oßth reported to Pro
vost Marshal Crowed in Washington.
The reports coincided. He recommended
to President Wilson that the board be
summarily removed, and rPesident Wil
son acted in conformity with the rec
ommendation. Major Mallet says the
members of the new board were selected
after careful investigation and it is
felt that he entire county has confidence
in their integrity, impartiality and strict
justice.
Concerning the conduct of the old
board. Major Mallet says:
“The board juggled order numbers.
Registrants with lower order numbers
were sent to the service before other
registrants who according to their or
der of liability should have been sent
first. There were four registrants
whose order numbers the board arbi
trarily skipped, and sent other men in
their places., Two of these men were
very closely related to one of the-4w>ard
members. The board failed to measure
up to the standard of duty which should
obtain in the administration of the se
lective service law.”
The statement ehen goes on to show
that this is the fourth board removed
in Georgia. Fulton county local board
was removed for favoring white men
and discriminating against negroes:
Taliaferro county board was removed
for the same cause; Jasper county board
was removed for general Inefficiency,
carelessness and neglect of duty.
Kaiser Now Willing to
Share Credit With God
AMSTERDAM. June 20—In replying
to congratulations from the president
of the reichstag on the anniversary of!
his ascension. Emperor William, accord
ing to the Frankfurter Zeitung, sent the
following telegram:
“Our troops have gained fresh great
successes in the most severe struggle.
Gratitude to God for them cannot be |
great enough. May it find expression '
in the people at home by a spirit of I
patriotism, confidence and vigor, which
is splendidly present and gaining an
ever-firmer shape.
“The German people wntch has offer
ed a bold front to the entire world in l
long years of struggle is destined by |
God for great things not only for itself I
but for all humanity. In <n:s faith we I
will endure the last struggle till a vic
torious peace and a blessed future. God
grant it.”
CROWDER FIGURES
ON MEN AVAILABLE
UP TO AGE OF 45
Secretary Baker No Longer
Opposes Extension of Select
Service Age—Data to Be
Transmitted to Committee
WASHINGTON, June 20.—Prepara
! tion of statistics showing the number
of men available for the nation's army
if the call should be extended to the
various ages between 18 and 45, was
begun today by the office of Pro
vost Marshal General Crowder. This
information, it was stated, will be trans
mitted soon to the senate military com
mittee, which is considering a bill by
Senator France, of Maryland, Republi
can, fixing the selective service limits '
( at those ages.
The work of preparing the statistics
F follows »n announcement from Secre- !
! tary Baker that he no longer is op- I
| posed to the proposed age-limit exten- .
sion. The general principle of the bill ;
was indorsed by General Crowder some i
time ago, in stating that class one of |
those now registered, including the re- |
I cently announced estimate of 250,000 '
re classified men, will be exhausted by I
j the end of this year.
Information may be expected soon, it j
! was said today, on the number of men |
I made available through putting into es
, feet the "work or fight” policy. Spe- '
cjjic rulings on the occupations classed .
as non-essential are expected this week. |
i It developed today heavy calls will
come next month, out that thereafter
a sliding scale of fewer men than here
tofore will prevail as transportation
must be adjusted to supply problems
soon after we pass the 1,000,000 troops
mark.
21-Year-Old Drawing
To Be Held About July 1
WASHINGTON, June 30.—Drawing .
for the twenty-one-year-old registrants’
numbers will be held at an early date, |
it was announced at the provost mar- i
shal general’s office today. The date, |
although not announced, is understood j
to be around July 1. The drawing will
be held in the same manner as the orig
inal one with a few slight variations.
Express Rates May
Be Increased Somewhat
WASHINGTON. June 20.—An order
' refusing to reopen the application of the |
i leading express companies for 10 per
cent increase in rates so as to consider;
!an increase of 15 per cent was handd ■
down by the interstate commerce com
! mission today and a few minutes later
' was withdrawn without explanation.
I The commission is expected to give a
decision in a few days on the 10 per cent
■ application. Authorization of some in- |
! crease has been anticipated, with the
I understanding that the commission was,:
; waiting only for government approval of:
i the new war-time express combination,:
i which was given yesterday.
Mother Sees Her Son
In France on Screen
Before he sailed for France Lieuten
ant Arthur Bass promised his mother,
Mrs. H. G. Bass, of 61 Cleburne ave- j
nue, that he would wave his hand and
say, “Hello, Mama,” if he was in the I
, focus of a movie camera while abroad.
A day or two ago, in Loew’s Grand,
Mrs. Bass gave a little cry of pleasure,
for out of a khakied row that flashed
i across the screen her son smiled at her, |
waved his hand and moved his lips in
I greeting.
TWO STUMERS BEPOBT
BRUSHES WITH IHWS
One Is Chased Off Sandy
Hook, Other Off South
Carolina Coast
A GULF PORT, June 20.—A coastwise
! passenger steamship which arrived here
late yesterday encountered a German
submarine at 1:35 p. m. last Saturday
off the coast of South Carolina, it was
learned today, but made good her escape
because of superior speed and her wire
less calls for help, which apparently
forced the submersible to give up the
chase.
Officers of the steamer sighted the
submarine as it came to the surface less
• than a mile off the port bow. It started
! full speed for the ship, at the same time
i diving. The steamer was immediately
I put on a zigzag course and when the sub-
I marine came to the surface again it was
nearer but for some reason did not fire.
' Wireless calls for help were being sent
! out rapidly and the U-boat quickly gave
i up the chase, apparently fearing the ap
i pearance of patrol vessels.
Only two passengers were aboard the
1 steamer.
Steamer Is Chased by
U-Boat Oft Sandy Hook
AN ATLANTIC PORT. June 20.—Ar.
j American steamer arriving here today
I from a Central American port, report
ed that at 4 p. m. yesterday afternoon.
180 to 200 miles south cf Sandy Hook,
she sighted a submarine and was pur
sued by the U-boat.
The captain said that he put on full
speed, zigzagged and escaped by outj
distancing the U-boat. Tis ship car
ried 57 passengers.
This is the first report of the appear-
I ance of a German raider so far north
j since ships were sunk by submarine at
| tacks off the Jersey coast in the latter
I part of May.
Crown Prince’s Army
Is Becoming Exhausted
PARIS. June 20. —The sanguinary
j defeat suffered by the Germans before
■ Rheims is pointed to by the morning
! newspapers as an excellent augury for
l the allies in the operations to come,
i The military experts, the Havas agency
1 notes, are displaying satis
faction over the outcome, regarding it
as further proof of the exhaustion of
, the crown prince's army, w’hich is show
: ing itself incapable of prolonged efforts.
The commentators, however, do not
seek to minimize the ability displayed
by the defenders, and point particular
ly to the remarkable artillery barrage
; fire, the notable resistance of the in
fantry and the Irresistible counter at
tacks of the brave colonial troops un
: der General Gouraud.
"Never did so important an attack
! fail so compleiely,” the Petit Journal
I remarks.
Germany’s Reply as to
Prisoners Unsatisfactory
WASHINGTON, June 20.—Germany's
answer to the American state depart
. rnent's proposal for a conference on pris-
I oners, at Berne, has not been very satis
i factory, it was officially learned today.
Further inquiries are being made, how
ever, and it Is possible the conference
will ultimately be arranged for.
Incidentally, it became known the
I conference would consider not only
I treatment of prisoners btu also exchange
of them.
NUMBER 77.
AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS
ACROSS PIAVE filVEfi
HEMMED IN BY FLOOD
Swollen Stream Destroys
Twelve of Fourteen Bridges
and Large Enemy Forces Are
Split by Counter Attacks
LONDON, June 20.—Italian forces
are now counter attacking at various
points along the whole Piave river line,
it was authoritatively learned today.
On the middle Piave the Italians hava
driven forward to the west bank of the
river, splitting the Austrian forces in
that region, and rolling them back to
the north and south.
The enemy detachments on the lower
Piave have been pushed back until now
they hold only a third of their original
advance toward Venice.
The Italians also made other slight’
gains at Nervesa, in the Montello re
gion.
News reached London this afternoon
that the Italians have regained Capo!
Sile. the town on the lagoon to the
west of the Piave river near Its mouthy
which was captured by the Austro-Hun
garians in the beginning of the offen
sive.
It is also reported thaf the Italians
have regained all the territory between
Zenson and the Fosseta canal. The
Austro-Hungarians, it is declared, have
been confined to the ground between the
Fossetta canal and the Sile canal, on l
the west bank of the Piave river.
Austrian Defeat Believed
Turning Point of the War
WASHINGTON, June 20.—Italy’s bril-
I liant fight against the Austrians is ex-|
; pected, by well informed American offi
cers, to mark the turning point in the,
war this year.
The news today that many of th«
bridges thrown across the Piave by the
Austrians, have been swept away by the
swollen river, was decidedly encourag-’
ing. Those enemy forces which hava
crossed to the west banlt of the river are
in precarious position, and if Diaz
follows up the advantage created by na
ture, the capture and destruction of a
considerable part of the AWfetrian army'
is almost inevitable.
It is well known that the Italians are
eager to undertake an extended offensive
movement and it is realized here, as
well as in other allied countries, that a
campaign against Austria offers splendid
opportunity for not only punishing the
dual monarchy but also bringing the
German efforts in France to a halt.
Officers here point out that Germany
cannot afford to have the Austrians de
cisively beaten. Hindenburg would be
forced to send aid to his allies if they
were strongly pressed, and in doing so
he would have to abandon his plans In
the west.
Foch. it is felt here, would be quick
to seize such an opening to launch a
counter offensive in France. Attacked’
on both fronts the Teutons would have
their
American participation in operations
in both Italy and France is another fac
tor counted on to swing the tide against
the kaiserbund. With their mountain
flanks holding firmly, It is confident-
Iq believed here that before the
summer is ended the entente army in
Italy will be pushing ( the Austrians back
to the Isonzo, while at the same time
the Germans are being hammered in the
west.
Austrians Driven From
The Air by the Italians
ITALIAN ARMY HEADQUARTERS,'
Wendesday, June 19.—(8y the Associat
ed Press.)—The Italians have won com
plete control of the air along the Piave
lihe, where the most determined fightingl
of the present Austrian offensive is in
progress. This afternoon not a single'
Austrian machine was aloft on this
front.
In general the situaton of the Aus
trians along the Piave appears far from
satisfactory to them. Prisoners taken by
the Italians all declare the Austrian,
army has little food. Some of the pris
oners have not eaten for forty-eight,
hours.
Twelve Austrian Bridges
- Are Destroyed by Flood
WITH THE .ITALIAN ARMIES IM
THE FIELD, June 19.—(Night).—Tita
elements are aiding the Italians.
Heavy rains in the mountain regions
have changed the Piave from a slug
gish stream to a rushing flood,
ing bridges and cutting off Austrian
forces on this side of the river from
their source of supplies and reinforce
ments.
British airmen report that 12 of thd
14 bridges flung across the Piave by the
enemy have been carried away. Trap J
ped on the west bank, Austrian detach
ments are subjected to almost constant
mauling L- the Italian artillery and
bombs dropped by allied airmen witn
no avenue of escape.
The Austrians thus caged in havq
an advantage in defensive positions and
are yet too well supplied with ammunh
tion to warrant a frontal assault. There
is every possibility, however, that ex
haustion of their ammunition and food
supplies, together with the pounding
they arc undergoing, will eventually
force them to lay down their arms, of
sacrifice themselves in desperate az-»
saults on the Italian lines.
Frantic efforts to restore the pon
toons so far have been frustrated by
the swollen current and the accuracy
of the Jtalian artillery.
The enemy’s losses on all parts of
the front in the first three days of
the offensive are now estimated at
150.000. The heaviest fighting is still
around the bridgehead the Austrians
have established on the lower Piave,
from where they are trying to push
westward toward Venice. The enemy
now holds the west bank of the rivet
from Massrada to Fossalta and Saa
(Continued on Page 3, Column 4.)