J. A N 1) .S: W A 1 1'^ K 
Juno 8, i()i() 
IV 
WalsCaQtia 
ftafum Tron^ 
s- "lilies' 10 
1 
failed to cany. Tlicy cannot push down llu' Adigo 
valley much beyond .Marco, and the Italians still 
strongly hold the height of the Conizugna which is about 
5,ooo feet abo\'e the sea, though theyliave lost the lower 
summit of the ridge to the north, tlie Zugnatorta. Just 
south of the Conizugna and immediately above Chicsa, 
is a pass (without a road) called the Buole pass. It is 
only 700 feet below the peak of the Conizugna. I have 
marked it on the above sketch Map III. with the letter X. 
The enemy are fighting as hard as they can up from the 
valley at Chiesa to force the ])ass of Buole and so to come 
down on to the Adige valley. If they could do that they 
would cut off the Italians to the north, and would about 
double the present strength of their hold upon the road and 
railway that follow the Adige valley south of Rovereto. 
Probably their main dihkulty consists in the fact that the 
Italian batteries on Mount Pasubio command the Buole 
pass. But how far it is thus overlooked and with what 
effect only those on the spot can know. At any rate, 
this attack upon the Buole pass with the object of getting 
into the middle of the Adige valley is the first part of the 
present Atistrian effort. 
The second i)art is an attempt to get hold of something 
second best in the way of communication. That is, the 
excellent road of which we have already spoken w-hich 
runs from Rovereto behind the mountain of Pasubio to 
railhead at Schio.* 
If they can get this road they would have an avenue 
of supply down towards the plain only second in value to 
the two main avenues of the Brenta and the Adige. 
rhey would lay a light railway, of course, immediately 
along the road and they could feed with munitionment an 
advance towards Vicenza. The crossing of the northern 
line at Vicenza would be a blow of capital importance, 
and I repeat that the excellent road from Rovereto to 
Schio with the rail beyond gives an avenue of supply if it 
were once thoroughly held by the Austrians, for an 
advance on Vicenza. 
They have been all this week fighting hard to obtain 
full possession of this road which runs from Rovereto to 
Schio and the possession of this road depends upon their 
being able to turn the Pasubio position. 
The Italians on Mount Pasubio stand, and have stood, 
for now three weeks, against all attack. It is the moun- 
tain block which dominates all that country. To push up 
• There is .a tramway on to a point a mile or two higher up the 
valley, but Scliio is the point where the most natural transhipment would 
take place between road traffic and rail traffic. 
the road behind the Pasubio the Austrians found im- 
possible. Thev got as far as Chiesa and were there held. 
The Austrians must therefore try to get round, and that is 
what they are now doing. 
The Italians on Pasubio can be amply supplied by the 
smglc line railway from Vicenza to Schio and thci up 
this excellent road C C, which runs behind the mountain, 
the road which the Austrians are trying to seize. 
In.'portance of Posina Ridge 
It is obvious that if the Austrians from A (iii the above 
I\Iap IV,) were to strike across the Posina Torrent, through 
to a point between Schio and the pa.ss of Fugazze, the 
position on Pasubio would not only lose its importaftcc, 
but probably its guns and its men as well. The Itahans 
would have to withdraw everywhere from the road 
between Rovereto and the point W'here the Austrians 
had got in behind them. And the Austrian ma'in effort 
at this moment js being made to effect this : — To get upon 
some part of the road south of the Fugazze pass and 
so turn the present Italian hold of the Pasubio momitain. 
Let us see w'hat the local conditions of this effort are. 
There runs from the Pasubio mountain block (which 
has two i)caks, one B about 7,000 feet above the sea, 
and the other E, rather over 6,000) a ridge, steep and with 
high crests, which I have marked on the accompanying 
Map IV. with tiie letters E E E. The summits of this 
ridge are from 1,200 to 1,600 feet lower than the Pasubio, 
and these chief summits, or teeth upon the sharp edge of 
the ridge, which I have numbered i, 2 and 3, arc Mount 
.•\lba, Mount Posina and Mount Cogolo respectively. 
The ridge ends sharply at the gorge of the Astico, but is 
continued beyond the .\stico in the ridge D U D, .which 
stretches on to Valstagna, and is also held by the Italians. 
The Austrians are engaged in an attempt from the region 
.\in the above Map IV. to carry the ridge E E E, to cross 
it and to reach the main road somewhere about Valli 
dci Signori. They have crossed the Posina toiTent 
and have got a footing in the villages of Bettale and 
Posina, and are now doing their utmost to force their w*ay 
up the steep slope to the summit of the ridge. The peaks 
of this summit are about 2,000 to 2,500 feet above the 
torrent, and the niain attack is against the slopes of 
Mount Alba and of Mount Posina, but we may take it 
that the whole of this stccji and high bank is under attack. 
Up to the moment of writing the Austrians have had no 
success here, and the position covering the road is still 
solidlv in the hands of the Italians. 
Losses in Front of Verdun 
WITH the continuation of the German offensive 
rhythmically, month after month, in great 
intense efforts succeedirig the long intervals of 
preparation, opinion in this country seems to 
have wavered somewhat upon the fundamental point pf 
all, the fact that the German tactics, as well as the 
main (ierman strategic policy here — which is a continued 
offensive— necessarily invol\-e very much heavier losses 
to the enemy than the enemy inflicts upon the French. 
NN'hat the enemy thesis is in its continued attack, how 
