tree； into which I clambered with my guide。 I was able from this
position to get a very good idea of the lie of the Italian
eastern front。 I was in the delta of the Isonzo。 Directly in
front of me were some marshes and the extreme tip of the Adriatic
Sea； at the head of which was Monfalcone； now in Italian hands。
Behind Monfalcone ran the red ridge of the Carso； of which the
Italians had just captured the eastern half。 Behind this again
rose the mountains to the east of the Isonzo which the Austrians
still held。 The Isonzo came towards me from out of the
mountains； in a great westward curve。 Fifteen or sixteen miles
away where it emerged from the mountains lay the pleasant and
prosperous town of Goritzia； and at the westward point of the
great curve was Sagrado with its broken bridge。 The battle of
Goritzia was really not fought at Goritzia at all。 What happened
was the brilliant and bloody storming of Mounts Podgora and
Sabotino on the western side of the river above Goritzia； and
simultaneously a crossing at Sagrado below Goritzia and a
magnificent rush up the plateau and across the plateau of the
Carso。 Goritzia itself was not organised for defence； and the
Austrians were so surprised by the rapid storm of the mountains
to the north…west of it and of the Carso to the south…east； that
they made no fight in the town itself。
As a consequence when I visited it I found it very little injured
compared； that is； with such other towns as have been fought
through。 Here and there the front of a house has been knocked in
by an Austrian shell； or a lamp…post prostrated。 But the road
bridge had suffered a good deal； its iron parapet was twisted
about by shell bursts and interwoven with young trees and big
boughs designed to screen the passer…by from the observation of
the Austrian gunners upon Monte Santo。 Here and there were huge
holes through which one could look down upon the blue trickles of
water in the stony river bed far below。 The driver of our
automobile displayed what seemed to me an extreme confidence in
the margins of these gaps； but his confidence was justified。 At
Sagrado the bridge had been much more completely demolished； no
effort had been made to restore the horizontal roadway； but one
crossed by a sort of timber switchback that followed the ups and
downs of the ruins。
It is not in these places that one must look for the real
destruction of modern war。 The real fight on the left of
Goritzia went through the village of Lucinico up the hill of
Podgora。 Lucinico is nothing more than a heap of grey stones；
except for a bit of the church wall and the gable end of a house
one cannot even speak of it as ruins。 But in one place among the
rubble I saw the splintered top and a leg of a grand piano。
Podgora hill； which was no doubt once neatly terraced and
cultivated； is like a scrap of landscape from some airless；
treeless planet。 Still more desolate was the scene upon the
Carso to the right （south） of Goritzia。 Both San Martino and
Doberdo are destroyed beyond the limits of ruination。 The Carso
itself is a waterless upland with but a few bushy trees； it must
always have been a desolate region； but now it is an
indescribable wilderness of shell craters； smashed…up Austrian
trenches； splintered timber； old iron； rags； and that rusty
thorny vileness of man's invention； worse than all the thorns and
thickets of nature； barbed wire。 There are no dead visible； the
wounded have been cleared away； but about the trenches and
particularly near some of the dug…outs there was a faint
repulsive smell。。。。
Yet into this wilderness the Italians are now thrusting a sort of
order。 The German is a wonderful worker； they say on the Anglo…
French front that he makes his trenches by way of resting； but I
doubt if he can touch the Italian at certain forms of toil。 All
the way up to San Martino and beyond； swarms of workmen were
making one of those carefully graded roads that the Italians make
better than any other people。 Other swarms were laying water…
pipes。 For upon the Carso there are neither roads nor water； and
before the Italians can thrust farther both must be brought up to
the front。
As we approached San Martino an Austrian aeroplane made its
presence felt overhead by dropping a bomb among the tents of some
workmen； in a little scrubby wood on the hillside near at hand。
One heard the report and turned to see the fragments flying and
the dust。 Probably they got someone。 And then； after a little
pause； the encampment began to spew out men； here； there and
everywhere they appeared among the tents； running like rabbits at
evening…time； down the hill。 Soon after and probably in
connection with this signal； Austrian shells began to come over。
They do not use shrapnel because the rocky soil of Italy makes
that unnecessary。 They fire a sort of shell that goes bang and
releases a cloud of smoke overhead； and then drops a parcel of
high explosive that bursts on the ground。 The ground leaps into
red dust and smoke。 But these things are now to be seen on the
cinema。 Forthwith the men working on the road about us begin to
down tools and make for the shelter trenches； a long procession
going at a steady but resolute walk。 Then like a blow in the
chest came the bang of a big Italian gun somewhere close at
hand。。。。
Along about four thousand miles of the various fronts this sort
of thing was going on that morning。。。。
2
This Carso front is the practicable offensive front of Italy。
From the left wing on the Isonzo along the Alpine boundary round
to the Swiss boundary there is mountain warfare like nothing else
in the world； it is warfare that pushes the boundary backward；
but it is mountain warfare that will not； for so long a period
that the war will be over first； hold out any hopeful prospects
of offensive movements on a large scale against Austria or
Germany。 It is a short distance as the crow flies from Rovereto
to Munich； but not as the big gun travels。 The Italians；
therefore； as their contribution to the common effort； are
thrusting rather eastwardly towards the line of the Julian Alps
through Carinthia and Carniola。 From my observation post in the
tree near Monfalcone I saw Trieste away along the coast to my
right。 It looked scarcely as distant as Folkestone from
Dungeness。 The Italian advanced line is indeed scarcely ten
miles from Trieste。 But the Italians are not； I think； going to
Trieste just yet。 That is not the real game now。 They are
playing loyally with the Allies for the complete defeat of the
Central Powers； and that is to be achieved striking home into
Austria。 Meanwhile there is no sense in knocking Trieste to
pieces； or using Italians instead of Austrian soldiers to
garrison it。
II。 THE MOUNTAIN WAR
1
The mountain warfare of Italy is extraordinarily unlike that upon
any other front。 From the Isonzo to the Swiss frontier we are
dealing with high mountains； cut by deep valleys between which
there is usually no practicable lateral communication。 Each
advance must have the nature of an unsupported shove along a
narrow channel； until the whole mountain system； that is； is won；
and the attack can begin to deploy in front of the passes。
Geographically Austria has the advantage。 She had the gentler
slope of the mountain chains while Italy has the steep side； and
the foresight of old treaties has given her deep bites into what
is naturally Italian territory； she is far nearer the Italian
plain than Italy is near any practicable fighting ground for
large forces； particularly is this the case in the region of the
Adige valley and Lake Garda。
The legitimate war； so to speak； in this region is a
mountaineering war。 The typical position is roughly as follows。
The Austrians occupy valley A which opens northward； the Italians
occupy valley B which opens southward。 The fight is for the
crest between A and B。 The side that wins that crest gains the
power of looking down into； firing into and outflanking the
positions of the enemy valley。 In most cases it is the Italians
now who are pressing； and if the reader will examine a map of the
front and compare it with the official reports he will soon
realise that almost everywhere the Italians are up to the head of
the southward valleys and working over the crests so as to press
down upon the Austrian valleys。 But in the Trentino the
Austrians are still well over the crest on the southward slopes。
When I was in Italy they still held Roverto。
Now it cannot be said that under modern conditions mountains
favour either the offensive or the defensive。 But they certainly
make operations far more deliberate than upon a level。 An
engineered road or railway in an Alpine valley is the most
vulnerable of things； its curves and viaducts may be practically
demolished by shell fire or swept by shrapnel； although you hold
the entire valley except for one vantage point。 All the
mountains round about a valley must be won before that valley is
safe for the transport of an advance。 But on the other hand a
surprise capture of some single mountain crest and the hoisting
of one gun into position there may block the retreat of guns and
material from a great series of positions。 Mountain surfaces are
extraordinarily various and subtle。 You may understand Picardy
on a map； but mountain warfare is three…dimensional。 A struggle
may go on for weeks or months consisting of apparently separate
and incidental skirmishes； and then suddenly a whole valley
organisation may crumble away in retreat or disaster。 Italy is
gnawing into the Trentino day by day； and particularly around by
her right wing。 At no time I shall be surprised to see a sudden
lunge forward on that front； and hear a tale of guns and
prisoners。 This will not mean that she has made a sudden attack；
but that some system of Austrian positions has collapsed under
her continual pressure。
Such briefly is the /idea/ of mountain struggle。 Its
realities； I should imagine； are among the strangest and most
picturesque in all this tremendous world conflict。 I know
nothing of the war in the east； of course； but there are things
here that must be ha