war and the future-第7节

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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　hard　to　beat。　　Happily　they　will　soon　get
justice　done　to　them　by　an　abler　pen　than　mine。　　I　hear　that
Kipling　is　to　follow　me　upon　this　ground；　nothing　can　be　imagined
more　congenial　to　his　extraordinary　power　of　vivid　rendering　than
this　struggle　against　cliffs；　avalanches；　frost　and　the
Austrian。

To　go　the　Italian　round　needs；　among　other　things；　a　good　head。
Everywhere　it　has　been　necessary　to　make　roads　where　hitherto
there　have　been　only　mule　tracks　or　no　tracks　at　all；　the　roads
are　often　still　in　the　making；　and　the　automobile　of　the　war
tourist　skirts　precipices　and　takes　hairpin　bends　upon　tracks　of
loose　metal　not　an　inch　too　broad　for　the　operation；　or　it　floats
for　a　moment　over　the　dizzy　edge　while　a　train　of　mule　transport
blunders　by。　　The　unruly　imagination　of　man's　heart　（which　is
〃only　evil　continually〃）　speculates　upon　what　would　be　the
consequences　of　one　good　bump　from　the　wheel　of　a　mule　cart。
Down　below；　the　trees　that　one　sees　through　a　wisp　of　cloud　look
far　too　small　and　spiky　and　scattered　to　hold　out　much　hope　for　a
fallen　man　of　letters。　　And　at　the　high　positions　they　are　too
used　to　the　vertical　life　to　understand　the　secret　feelings　of
the　visitor　from　the　horizontal。　　General　Bompinani；　whose
writings　are　well　known　to　all　English　students　of　military
matters；　showed　me　the　Gibraltar　he　is　making　of　a　great　mountain
system　east　of　the　Adige。

〃Let　me　show　you；〃　he　said；　and　flung　himself　on　to　the　edge　of
the　precipice　into　exactly　the　position　of　a　lady　riding　side…
saddle。　　〃You　will　find　it　more　comfortable　to　sit　down。〃

But　anxious　as　I　am　abroad　not　to　discredit　my　country　by
unseemly　exhibitions　I　felt　unequal　to　such　gymnastics　without　a
proper　rehearsal　at　a　lower　level。　　I　seated　myself　carefully　at
a　yard　（perhaps　it　was　a　couple　of　yards）　from　the　edge；　advanced
on　my　trousers　without　dignity　to　the　verge；　and　so　with　an
effort　thrust　my　legs　over　to　dangle　in　the　crystalline
air。

〃That；〃　proceeded　General　Bompiani；　pointing　with　a　giddy
flourish　of　his　riding　whip；　〃is　Monte　Tomba。〃

I　swayed　and　half…extended　my　hand　towards　him。　　But　he　was　still
theresitting；　so　to　speak；　on　the　half　of　himself。。。。　　I　was
astonished　that　he　did　not　disappear　abruptly　during　his
exposition。。。。


2

The　fighting　man　in　the　Dolomites　has　been　perhaps　the　most
wonderful　of　all　these　separate　campaigns。　　I　went　up　by
automobile　as　far　as　the　clambering　new　road　goes　up　the　flanks
of　Tofana　No。　2；　thence　for　a　time　by　mule　along　the　flank　of
Tofana　No。　1；　and　thence　on　foot　to　the　vestiges　of　the　famous
Castelletto。

The　aspect　of　these　mountains　is　particularly　grim　and　wicked；
they　are　worn　old　mountains；　they　tower　overhead　in　enormous
vertical　cliffs　of　sallow　grey；　with　the　square　jointings　and
occasional　clefts　and　gullies；　their　summits　are　toothed　and
jagged；　the　path　ascends　and　passes　round　the　side　of　the
mountain　upon　loose　screes；　which　descend　steeply　to　a　lower　wall
of　precipices。　　In　the　distance　rise　other　harsh　and