n
:feLjZ .
; fcitntag ffijfit "
cr
rUBUC-UEDGn COMPANY
crnira tt. K. eimfis.. PiHiDrxv.
m M. LoSfiatm. Vic rrlsnt i John C Martin.
T MM Tieaturf t rMltp I). Cetllna, John U.
imwon.
KDITQRtA!. 60AtlD
Ctstis H. K Ctim, Chairman.
B WHALgT.... . . .,. Executtra' Editor
C. MAXTIM,
.Oantrat Butlnut Manager
ally t PcsUo LtMU tlolldlnf.
net Squara, rMladtlphta.
t ... Bread and Chtitnut Ftrttta
w Cm.
.........!;..' ""'oo uuiiainf
i lfO'A. Metropolitan Tower
..,.. . ... . .00 CDni Jtuiiginc
,........... ..03 OI6M Democrat HulMIn
- i . ...i.i.:
,,,, ..,.1 ,1302 TnoiiM iiuiiaira-
...........a Waterloo riiet, -au man, u v.
NEWS' BUREAUS I
frltVTKeto JIwhuc Th Tott nulldtnr
SW TOM IHUI ......... Th rtniff lllllldlnf
ntit mwktt. 1. ..,.,.,... ..if) rriadrlcnttraMo
U0MlrciMttu,.t....,.i...,3 Pall Mali Et. 8. W.
Past Heme....,., 12 Itoa Loula U Orana
BUBSCRtrTiON TERMS
' etrrfer, Diar 0at, ttx etnti. Br matl. potpald
m riiasenia, mm nn nnipi pattact
. DtitT Onlt. ob month. twentyflveentl
tr( m year, threo dollars. Alt mall tub-
awe in asvanco.
writers wlthlnr addreat ehannd muit
I well tt haw tddreea.
Mttt, MM WALNUT
XETSTOM. MAI MM
pr .tiMreet aft nsmmotilaillemf to Jfifwlnff
ly4rT, Inttptn&mc SQtart, iTil'adelpsla.
it rniussirnu roHTomca it ieoond
CUM Mitt, MiTT
M AVBfAGE NET PAID DAILY CMCULA-
TKW OF TUB EVENING LEDOCtl
FOR JULY WAS 81.M4.
ntMAflUMU, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER , 1915.
J U eniv the gambler who think t that money
m alwayt trump n the game of life.
ENLISTING FOR THE FIGHT
THS most encouraging symptom In the
present political condition of the city Is
the popular Interest in too election. Tho
fort day's registration last year when a Gov-
t4nor and United States Senator were to be
ejected was only B8.0M. The first day's regis
tration this year is about 123,000, an Increase
qfryS,(fOO. If the intesest continues the num
ber of qualified voters will be greater than
f In iJU when Mayor Blankenburg was
pteciea.
Every irlend of tho olty Is hoping and pray
ing that the Interest may not be slackened
that whatever the result of tho polling
ysay be It cannot bo said that the voters were
Indifferent.
t- '
THEORIES DEMOLISHED BY FACTS
P.J0 FINESPUN academic theory of eco-
XN nomlcs can stand ud befom tho fnt nf
commerce. Therefore we And the Demo
cratic opponents of the policy of protection
advocating some form of protective legisla
tion for the development of the dye Industry
In the United States.
Their arguments are undoubtedly sound.
The war Is acting '.as a protective barrier
aaafnet the Importotlon of German dye
aXUfTs, and wo are sUfTerlng as a result.
WhCj; tho war Is ended the German dye
makers will unload their goods upon tho
market and wo shall once, mora be dependent
n the foreigners for art article needed In
OUr domC8tiC bUBlnCSS. Thcrn nrn nnul
.' 'wtao cart tell the yays and Means Committee
pc me uouse exactly what degree of protec
r .tlon Is needed to qncourage American manu-
i-mrrs j mao plans permanently to sup
y,tM Jjopie market. Tho nation expects
remaps" 10 pot :ia tneories In cold .storage
Cwalie It faces the facta takes th Hvio
pt experts and pasies laws dictated by
common sense.
, TnEY OUGHT TO AGREE
THE? conspirators, in Philadelphia, have
sa!4 that they have decided to forget their
inferences and work tmrnthef n h iM.i
thk year' because of Its great national sig
Rlflcance. Th Governor, In California, says that this
"Is purely a jocal election" and that he "does
uui care to express an opinion regarding can
fldates." 'Before the pampalgn proceeds any further
fcy ought to get together and agree on
' m? thty 6re Ro,nff to te or somebody
will b In an embarrassing predicament.
I
THE GREAT DAY OF FRANCE
iA TEAR of ralnmltv hr.. n. j i ..
i ft day on the River Morne. In
wat time the Imagination of men has be
onw hardened against the keen edgo of dls
tr and Is neither moved by fatalities nor
I","" - " tvi"i.ur unu picturesque.
Jk war Itself bag stiffened In fibre; It Is a
4ustlon now of diplomacy, of munitions and
time, nd the world Is weary at heart of
)n waoin.,
Tst to this day-the nfth of September
f irlt of free men still rises with a quick
df tsd reverence, it marked. In mere
totf Um turning of the tide In France. On
lht day the enormous maneuver of th?
'"" anniea wai completed ann h
W gray legions of Germany wm km
!. m ineir masierrui dash Into the
ntot France.
' $P0Sslblfi even now fn ... n An .
. , ,
I vrthe spell of those itnnn ..
1s- which marked thn hptnnin u.
W The ttreir helplessness, the Inability to
jallse that the days of high tragedy had
come, can easily be recovered. We stand
one mora In the confusion of many tongues
proclaiming bitter curses and impassioned
defiances. The violation of Belgium, a mere
word at flrst, but destined to become a
awadful reality in the blood and tears of Its
victims, gave way, In the popular mind to
crushing anxiety for Franci. For the next
ay the incredible advance of German arms
IM-eoceupM the worldi It Is marked in the
Bamea ot Ue, Namur, Mom, Longwy and
&ouva4fi. On (He 3th of August Paris Dre.
"for a Mgn, On the third of Septem
ftts) dvwMt moyfKi Taris to
ux.
-ftv rwn mUe a Oarman Wmtwer
Bftaimssi w th HaU of Mirrors
HI. Two MfMMUtoM bad rrr.
hteM of tNt vmM, a4 mw,
Ww had mHsml Hart. uir
r kUy4 by Ms Jnf tsrtar.. The pia
n i iw lavumni sc me cajHlsl
a4 tfa tbrsUmaieal lvWtlo of
M Knitmr W a Mmr I. tj-
I tmne to faHlmsni.
ffnCO. with Ml Btooiurv nf auiiuia
II .fa hmr Ups, i4s am Uks Nth 4 ie.
.h. it. wnsn ths OsrasM losea Ncfc4
hafsifs uf the llarne, and hfWid htjh Mm
i of tlctoty.
It uill not i i.jii (or thoaa ka lau
"u h,-v which told tiki warU
ft - '" ; ' ' if!ns," to think that
'- " " ..uii.i i,ti' it(ehatyed
' in .um riir tut. "" lru foia
t.tn.j j! ph u.i5, ttud the acrauiKBtsJ
ISTS
ttm std
jt
EVENING LEDGEB-PHILAPELEflA, SATURDAY, BEPTEMBEB ,4,
,!!!, ' 'I 1 I - " ' ' ' i I. ! III I HI I m, I I "TT "T. 1 '
! , l.ll I III I.M.I II Oll I Will ' " M ' S
wine of human liberty was borne safely back
to Hs altar. France had held truel
If France hod foiled tho war would now
be over. Tct who would purchase peace with
the disgraceful coins of slavery and humilia
tion? It Is said that In the gray days pf the
Invasion Paris, and all France, went through
Its hours with daed and unseeing oyes. It
Is known that when the danger was over
there was no rejoicing. Thore was Instead
a gravity which was not fearful, a determi
nation which would not bo undone.
For France, and with her the world, had
looked Into the eyes of death and was not
abashed. What terror could now rear its
head to affright her?
UNITED IN THE PRESENCE OF LOOT
TUB real reason for tho solicitude of tho
contractor bosses for harmony has not yet
been publicly confessed by them. Their can
didate for Mayor has Interested himself In
politics because It helps his business. Ho
has admitted as much to his friends. The
contractor bosses aro,tn politics because it
helps them got contracts. Their lntorcst In
the success of tho Republican party arises
from tho fact that this Is a Republican city.
If tho Democrats were in tho majority they
would bo prating about tho lmportanco of
demonstrating to the nation that this great
mnnlolnnlltv wns behind tho President and
all his policies. They aro endowed with tho
gift of enough reason to find reasons for any
thing that they want to do without giving
tho real one.
One of the considerations which led the
lnmb to consent to He down Inside of tho
Hon at the now historical meeting of the
Republican City Committee can bo found In
a casual glance at tho list of great public
works, the contracts for which are likoly to
be let during the next four years. It was
printed in the Evenino Ledger yesterday,
and should be cut out and preserved for the
edification of the Judicious. Between $43,
000,000 and $60,000,000 Is to be spent on rapid
transit work. A new sewage disposal sys
tem costing $24,000,000 Is planned; $10,000,000
can be spent on tho Parkway and (20,000,0000
Is needed for tho elimination of grade cross
ings and dock development in South Phila
delphia, and other millions for other Im
provements. Then there aro tho usual street
cleaning and garbage contracts, which
amount to millions.
Our rulers are "out for their pockots" all
the time; only they are not quite so frank
about It as Richard Croker was. The hope
of loot was mora powerful than any other
Influence In uniting the Gang.
A WATCH ON ITS WANDERINGS
THE duty of popularizing tho wrist-watch
for men has been laid upon a Phlladel
vphlan by tho National Retail Jewelers' As
sociation. The delegates to the recent con
vention hesitated to decide that men should
adopt the fashion. They preferred moving
with the procession, after It has started, to
attempting to lead It In a way where they
were uncertain of being followed.
Tho curious wilt await with Interest the
development of Bartley J. Doyle's plan for
persuading men that thoy should wear their
timepieces In some other place than a
pocket. Perhaps he is encouraged by the
knowledge that the popularity of three. If
not four, different pockets for the watch
has accustomed the men to variety, and
hopes to lead them on to abandoning the
pocket altogether. The lower left-hand
waistcoat pocket used to be the only placo
where nny self-respecting man would put
his watch, and he attached it to himself by
ft. chain In his buttonhole. Then some one
set the fashion of carrying It in the uppor
left-hand pocket with a chain running clear
across his manly breast, ending In the right
hand upper pocket, where a locket or a
pencil or a cigar cutter held It In placo.
Then the fob camo In after years of dis
use, and the watch was carried In a small
pocket on the right-hand side of the wnist
band of the trousers. Every one is 'familiar
with the watch-pocket In the uppor left
hand side of the summer coat. But when
ever one needs to learn the time, one has
to lift the watch out of the pocket with one
hand or the other. All arguments of con
venlence are In favor of the watch on the
wrist. If convenience Is to rule, we should
not" stop with a watch on one wrist, but
wear one on both wrists. An actress has
recently set tho fashion of wearing a watch
on her ankle, but not even the men who
take after actresses can be expected to fol
low this style.
ANOTHER BOND WITH GERMANY
DIPLOMATIC relations are not the only
field In which the American people. now
find themselves In accord with the German
people. It has been claimed that tho Ger
mans, realising their error, are now engaged
In a desperate attempt to win American
good will. Their first effort In this direction
Is a masterpiece, redeeming all the older
faults of their Intercourse with this country.
It is given put that Germany awaits with
lively pleasure tho promised visit of William
Jennings Bryan to tho countries of Europe.
What more could Germany do to show that
she enters heart and soul Into the wlshos of
the American people?
The Kaiser continues to shower decora
tions on the Just and the unjust.
There has already been a lot of trench dig.
d(ng la the preprlmary campaign.
The steering gear of the local machine
seMAS'te be In good working order,
The President went to see "The Ringmas
ter" at a Washington theatre. He knows
hew to he It himself.
0h wm la htiy an obsolete warship,
h Ute, ton, wepM "much, rather sell a
Jta k of obsolete! Matwn.
I i t
0vswier ruhautt wfres from San
that h washes Ms hands of the
"MM PhHiditshjs,. q( amne4
fetl" ' '
J"'1"'1! w" modest.
0rf,thw ' to n aamtlee.
mm MAN r th, m, hswal ,
sa ie. Ky
'-V1
Afjsaftiiiis will mvad fkwyt, MyM fc
jert. Dace ottefct te U "mm. if
Awtrl wosrtd six vk m tiSwov
,.. -u-. ma m, (UM in K$bt
fwm wwm.
ITALY'S HUNDRED
DAYS IN THE WAR
The First Phase of the Austro
Itnllan Conflict on tho "Fish
hook" FrontierA Clear De
scription of tho Present
Situation
By FRANK II. SIMONDS
ON SEPTEMBER 1 the first hundred days
of Italy's wnr wero ended and the period
supplies n useful measure of tho first phase
of tho campaign of tho Italian troops. What,
then, hayo tho soldiers of tho Peninsula
accomplished In a span equal to that which
separated Napoleon's landing In France from
tho collapso at Waterloo?
As far back as tho year of 1909, when
the Bosnian eplsodo first revived ancient
Austro-Itallan bitterness, Austrian en
gineers began tho work of throwing round
tho great permanent fortresses of the Trcn
tlno Tyrol nnd tho lower and upper Isonxo
lines of pcrmanont trenches, lined with
cement. Ycnr after year this work has been
carried forward. When Italy mado war on
Turkey for Tripoli there was one political
faction in Austria which advocated an at
tack upon Italy. At that tlmo moro military
works wero constructed.
Early in tho present war, when Italy at
last began to mako Insistent demands for a
redrawing of her Venetian frontier, which
snouia auonsn mo tnumpns or mo Aus
trian map-makers of 1866, Austrian mili
tary leaders took Instant alarm. To diplo
macy was left tho task of delaying tho
Italian attack as long as possible, to tho en
gineers wns assigned the tank of completing
the fortification. By May 23, when Italy at
last declared war, diplomacy had dono Its
work, tho defenses were completed nnd Italy
faced a gigantic task.
The Great Fish-hook
Roughly speaking, tho Austrian frontier
resembles a fish-hook; tho barb Is tho Tren
tlno projection Into tho Po valley; the curve
the mountain wall south of tho Pusterthal
valley from Cortina to Pontebbn, and tho
shaft the Isonzo front from Pontebba
through Tolmlno to tho Adriatic, south of
Onrlzla. Followlnir thin frontier nnd hphlnrt
tho mountain wall and tho river Is tho first
lino of Austrlnn railway connection from
Trieste to Trent, a distance of between 160
and 200 miles.
Trent itself lies Just lnsldo tho barb; cast
of it aro the Dolomites, rising to a height
abovo 9000 feet; west tho Ortlers, which
aro crossed by the Stelvlo Pass at an ele
vation of moro than 9000 feet. Between these
two great masses of mountains Is tho nar
row valley of tho Adlgc, down which from
Brlxen comes tho railroad to Trent nnd
thence to Verona, 20 mllos south of tho Aus
trian frontier. Leading from tho plain to
the east and to 'tho west of this barblike,
projection aro a number of passes, nil for
tified, nnd these fortifications constltuto tho
outer works of tho great fortress of Trent,
ono of tho most considerable In Europo.
Now tho first concern of tho Italians must
necessarily bo to tako this whole Trentine
barb. In Austrian hands it was a constant
menace. It was a gateway through which,
could bo brought by the Pusterthal and tho
Brenner Pass great masses of German and
Austrian troops, which would be protected
from attack until they reached the Italian
boundary. Thence thoy could be launched
Into tho valley of tho Po against Verona.
By this road had come all the great in
vasions of the past. When Austria ruled In
Venetla sho protected the gatoway by the
famous quadrilateral, Lcgnago, Verona,
Peschlera nnd Mantua.
A successful invasion from this direction
would compel Italy to retire behind the Po
and tho Mlnclo, Venetla would be lost and
the armies operating far to the cast along
the Isonzo might be enveloped and cap
tured, certainly would bo In danger nt all
times until tho Trentine threat was re
moved. This was problem number one for
tho Italians.
Vagaries of Map Making
The problem supplied by the curve of
the fish-hook related mainly to that which
has been described. Here the Italian fron
tier follows the crests of the mountains,
save about Cortina. A push of ton or a
dozen miles, the easiest possible thing, to
Judgo by the map, would carry the Italians
Into tho Pusterthal, a great natural road
way leading from the upper valley of tho
Dravo to that of the Adlge. In this valley
Is tho railroad from Trieste by Gorlzla to
Trent. To cut this would be to cut one
of the two railroads by which Austria can
communicate with her Trentine fortresses.
The second lies north of the Tauern Alps.
Having cut this the Italians could push
west along tho Pusterthal toward Fran
zenfeste. This Is tho second great Aus
trian fortress, and it covers the railroad
which comes south across tho Brenner and
Is the only other railway binding Austria
to tho southern Tyrol. If Pranzenfeste
were captured, then the Trentine projec
tion would be wholly cut off from Austria,
would become an Invested fortress and no
longer a menace to Italy, slnco Austrian en
tranco to It was Interrupted at Pranzen
feste. Similarly, If the railroad were cut south
of Pranzenfeste at any point, the effect
would be the Bame. But the mere cutting
of the railroad In the Pusterthal would not
isolate Trente because it would not affect
tho Brenner railroad.
But this operation Is easy only on the
map. Actually thero ore only two possible
roads open to the Italians, that which goes
from Cortina to Toblach over the Ampezzo
Pass, and a second Just to the east, which
crosses the Monte Croce Pass nnd reaches
the Pusterthal at Innlchen. Both these
roads are strongly defended, both are dlf
flcult and both were carefully fortified long
before tho Italian operations began.
By one of tho vagaries of the Austrian
map makers of ,1866, Cortina, which is well
south of tho crest of tho mountains and
also outside the military line of Austrian
defease, ,was Included in Austrian terrl
tory. Accordingly In the early days of the
war, when the Italians occupied Cortina, a
successful Invasion of. tho Pusterthal was
forecast, .but the advenes came to a dead
?.? Uw v rom the vllkw,
which has bean tor so many years the sum
mer centre of diplomats spending their win
ters in Rome,
It remains sow to describe the Isoei
line, the shaft of' our fish-hook. At Fo.
isa M m.n Vanlce-Viean 1
asB from the Italian Plain to th
, ot is? mwve, by on, th
mtio gorges In Kuruya. A few
yoan tua frontier i m.,. .. ....-
tfrt-T?t Aailway, at VJllaeh. U is hr
Ikto od, mtnlmmimi oV -rajwy.
that Napoleon advanced toward Vienna In
1797 and reached the summit of tho Scunner
ing Pass, before Austria yielded and the
Treaty of Campo Formlo brought peace. This
road is commanded by Fort Malborgetto and
other works.
A few miles south of Pontebba the Isonzo
River begins to parallel the Austro-Itallan
frontier, a few miles to the east. Down this
from Tolmlno to .Gorlzla runs the Trlesto
Trcnt Railroad, which Is also one of the two
lines connecting Trieste with Vienna. At
Gorlzla this railroad meets tho Venice
Trieste Railroad and swings cast. Still fur
ther to the Bouth and JUBt before the Isonzo
enters the Adriatic, It Is crossed by a second
railroad coming cost from Italy and reach
ing Trieste along the seacoast by Nabrcslno,
Now from Tolmlno to the sea tho Austrlans
have fortified tho eastern Shore of the Isonzo.
From Tolmlno to Gorlzla this river flows
through a narrow gorge. At Gorlzla, how
ever, tho western bank, rising first to somo
Httlo elevation on the Podgora hill, sinks
to the lovel of tho plain. But on tho east,
tho Carso Plateau, stretching north from
Trieste meets the Isonzo, which flows to the
sea along Its base.
The Austrian position is In the main be-
hind the Isonzo, protected at first by the
gorge. But near Gorlzla It crosses the river
and holds tho Podgora hill, which is tho key
of Gorlzla. South of this point It follows tho
crest of the Carso Plateau, touching the sea
north of Nabrcslna. which is In sleht of
Trieste.
Italy's Task
Thus the Isonzo position rests upon threo
fortified points, Malborgetto at the north,
Tolmlno In the centre and Gorlzla and the
Carso Plateau at tho south. Close to Uils
lino runs the Trent-Trieste railway, bo near
as to be under fire of the Italian artillery
and unserviceable. Here, as about Cortina,
the military frontier does not coincide with
the political, and the Austrian frontlor In
cluded several towns, notably Monfalcone
nnd Gradisca, which were outside the first
line of defences.
Against the Trentine projection, the barb,
from the Stelvlo Pass, on the Swiss fron
tier, to Cortina, at the Ampezzo. Italy was
bound to press an attack which had for
Its object, first, the seizing of all possible
positions commanding the entrance into the
Italian plain. By occupying tho first foot
hills, the lower ends of these passes, she
might hope to close the door to possible
Austro-German invasion later. This was a
purely defonslve-offenslve, for even if the
whole Trentine salient were taken she would
be no nearer any Austrian objective.
Secondly, Italy was bound to follow the
first ndvances by a serious and sustained
operation, directed at reducing the forts
about Trent and thus abolishing the dan
gerous enemy citadel within her nntural
frontiers. By bringing up her heavy artil
lery she could hope slowly but surely to re
peat the triumphs won so easily by the
Germans at Liege and Antwerp, unless the
Austrlans were able, Imitating the French
at Verdun, to hold her off -by trenches.
Thirdly, Italy was bound to endeavor to
push north over the Ampezzo and Monte
Croce passes Into the Pusterthal and
thence west against Pranzenfeste in the
endeavor to Isolate the Trentine salient and
thus completely encircle it and Insure Its
ultimate surrender to famine and exhaus
tion of ammunition. This again was a de
fensive move, designed to abolish an enemy
threat, but without meaning offensively
even when accomplished.
Fourthly, there was theIeonzb problem.
Unllko Napoleon. Cadomn i,. - . "m"
dlate ambition to take the road to V ,!
Trieste was his objective, and therefore hU
main thrust was to be made not at Mai"
borgetto, not even at Tolmlno. but at Gor
illa, although subsidiary operations against
those points would contribute to the main
operation by aiding l taotaUng ,J b
win Trie, he must push across the
Isonzo. take Gorilla, sweep the cresHf Se
Carso Hatewu, following the aorisla-Trieat!
railway until ) wived t" iS ot l
latter clt and ct the main TrlSe-VlpnSa
line, when Trieste , f auU.ull
What Has Been AeeepHHwI
Of this fourfold task, what has Italy ac
eoHMted? Fir, of .11, , tht oan?g
wJ. iSr 'N,w' uWdas "!
Weli Ttht T TrenUne ,arb
wef! ra advances. Ala. at th.
f " the urst Austria tow
th,e Ampeszo, was ocoutfsd. Midway h.
twsen these points a f. "
tW whU aaotor th wrk iaatatti
ld!5:
LEARNING HIS LESSON
first positions, the outside door, as it were,
to tho Italian plain, was accomplished with
alacrity.
But tho approach to tho permanent for
tifications was less successful. Patently
the Austrlans had digested the lessons of
Verdun, for not yet havo the Italian siege
guns been able to drop shells In Trent. No
where in this region have the Italians mado
an appreciable progress against the first lino
of Austrian trenches, far outside the line of
tho permanent forts. Nor have they been
any moro successful In their drive toward
tho Pusterthal. In tho opening hours of the
war they took Cortina, and advanced up tho
Ampezzo and Monto Croce Pass, but eight
miles from Toblach nnd the Trlcste-Vlllach-Trento
railroad they havo been halted, have
been stationary or nearly so for threo
months.
As to tho fourth task, that of forcing the
Isonzo lino, tho situation Is only different In
a degree. Fort Malborgetto still holds out,
although It has frequently been demolished
In Milan reports. The Pontebba road to
Villach, which Napoleon forced, remains
closed. To tho south early progress about
Tolmlno has not been sufficiently great to
threaten the Gorlzla position. The storming
of Monto Nero, near Tolmlno, has been de
scribed by Italian and denied by Austrian
bulletins. Tho Trlcste-Vlllach railroad seems
to havo been cut hero, but unmistakably tho
Austrlans aro maintaining their position, and
the Italians have been unablo to make any
real advance beyond that of tie, opening
dash. " .
Tho length of the Gorlzla battle front may
bo estimated at about 25 miles. It extends,
roughly speaking, from Plava, where the
Isonzo approaches the Italian plain, to tho
Carso Plateau, Just north of the Adriatic
and a little cast of Monfalcone. Gorlzla Is
about In the centre. Except at the hill of
Podgora, the Austrian line Is on the east
side of the Isonzo, but this hill, commanding
tho bridge heads and the town Itself, which
lies in tho plain, Is the key to tho whole
position-and Is west of tho river.
Back to Trench Work
South of Gorlzla tho Isonzo makes a wldo
bend to the west and then to the east, enter
ing tho Adriatic near Monfalcone. But hero
the Austrian line crosses the Carso Plateau,
making the string to tho bow, which Is the
curve of the river. The main Austrian posi
tion is near the town of Doberdo, which has
figured frequently in the bulletins of Vienna
and Rome.
In the opening days of the war the Ital
lans rushed forward from their territory, a
few 'miles west of the Isonzo, to the river
towns of Gradisca nnd Monfalcone, captured
both and crossed tho river. They also forced
a crossing of tho river to the north about
Plava. But here and to the south they
quickly encountered the Austrlans in pre
pared positions, and the familiar trench war
resulted.
Early In August both Vienna nnd Rome
agreed that the Italians made a series of at
tacks, preceded by artillery. These attacks
wero desperate efforts to force the lines still
held by relatively small Austrian forces, be
fore German or Austrian reinforcements
could bo sent from the east. Rome reports
substanlal gnins; Vienna, total defeat. In
nry event Gorlzla did not fall. The attacks
presently ceased, in consequence of appalling
losses, the Austrlans claim. The Italian ex
planatlon tends to confirm that of their
enemy. They allege that they have halted
to rest, consolidate positions gained and
bring up artillery. ,
But there is little reason to doubt the Aus
trian assertion that tha effort to force tho
Gorlzia position has been heavily checked,
a?. lJf .ht." Bon0 back t0 trench work
fw v "i J iMa Pa's-n la th fact
that much of the Austrian n i '
!.!! bomba1rdment but so' effective has
he threat of the Austrian submarine been
that .no naval help has been sent to this
comer of the Adriatic. w
FROM AN A,DMIRER OF THE "SYSTEM"
To the Bdltor o th, Evening Ledgel
i! . 'rTIf SM wre fcsHsve your clever aiu
the fleht was on last ifcturday airslail?
Governor Brumbaugh ana the Varesta Jm
ance against Tenrose and his 0W? & 1M"
yes, Vare was going to r J Tfor MaTor ar Wr
enlarged wonderfully pnT the suhW. S4 ?u
clulng th. whel, . I? that Cmbauit w
the Vares ware going to fight to Eu -SJf
r.nrese a4 the State OtmYnltUiZn J JtKh
were going j wipe Penrose alui Su 2? t.h,r
tlon off the iwp and muTri u ?iM
Us far rumbu,h tllVvlUuLluS St
Inatlon. You now VVh" iMhwl-Si? "
fiona rl ahta ourc' cli uTvKr .
Mansion In HrnnUJ& ?
than your .raving to akj aTr.-'JSJiJ?'
tttr of ouTwwXitsis:
r &, ,
llvered over a living sacrifice to his betray
ers," or "has been a child In tho hands of
politicians,- this man who was elected because
of his Independence," etc., ad nauseum.
Tou know, even though you would not lay
so, you know that tho Organization will surely
win the Mayorallty and all that goes with It
this fall unless they beat themselves by fool
ish factional strife, as George H. Earle was
beaten In 1911. In that case enough voters of
South Philadelphia, to avenge their Idol, turned
tho trick; to beat Earle. not to elect Bianken
burg. By this Blankenburg won a negative
victor', not a positive one, and It was a
small margin at that. It clearly was not a
ease of th majority wanting Blankenburg at
all.
Of course, I will admit, I, myself, would like
to seo the primaries work as they were Intended
and soo nil of thoso that filed their nomination
papers mako a free for all race ot it, giving
me, as one of the rank and file, a chance to
have my say who I think ought to be the
stnndard bearer for my party. For Instance,
it seems to me it might be fine to pick from the
primary ballot from J. Hampton Moore, George
H. Earle. Samuel P. Rotan, Thomas B. Smith,
Robert J. McKenty, Frederick Beyer nnd Will
iam S. Vare, but, gentlemen, It won't work!
Tho primaries sound all right in theorv. hut
they won't work In practice. It is like ths
beautiful theory of Soclalltm. It. buti up
against a stone wall of human natuic. The
fact Is I never did believe In the' primaries
If wo still had the convention system rUr elec
tion expenses would be about half what they
are. It Is ridiculous for one man to run the
primaries, making all this expense for noth-
Ing. But the leaders) have got to go at It in
a practical way to prevent strife and ruin
the chances of the party at election. Tho
muss of voters cannot do It .themselves with
out fighting among themselves, but they are
willing to do as their chosen leaders, their
representatives, carefully work up, and In the
caso of this Mayorallty fight it is all done in
the open, no closed door proposition. For in
stance, for myself I prefer the Mayor to bs
one of the. ones before mentioned, and my first,
second and third choice, etc., would be In the
order mentioned. But now that the leaders
have wisely gotten together nnd selected
Thomns B. Smith, a good man, who certainly
ran the Philadelphia Postofflce better than It
has been conducted lately I am glad It is so,
and after election can say "We licked 'em.'
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA VOTER.
Philadelphia, September 2.
'i
ART
Nobody has yet been nbie to define ar cor
rectly, becauso every conception of art differs
with the Individual. Nobody really Knows what
truth s, yet art Is said to be truth plus per
sonality. Personality Itself is our most incom
prehensible enigma.
Art must possess a supreme and constantly
Increasing Interest. The best and most unfail
ing test of art Is when It endures. Time, there
fore. Is necessary to proclaim It. All master
pieces turned out overnight are not to be
trusted.
The true artist is, therefore, most likely to
be unknown. Time crowns him master with
one hand and destroyshim with the other. Life.
THE NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW
It Is an excellent thing to have a Pretldent
who thinks with his brain and not with his
lungs. New York World.
The United States has stood not only for It
self, feut for all other neutrals and for hu
manity, and It now la the successful champion
and entitled to wear laurels aa glorious as any
...v !...,, uc uuimncu m ine war. uoston Trans
cript. It Is propoted in the amendments offered in
the New York "concon," that the 152 State
departments and commissions be concentrated
Into 17 executive departments.' All the big men
in the convention are In favor of this amend
ment; all the little dinky, self-serving politic
ians are against !t?-Oh!o State Journal.
What may be termed the "ditching" of the
Barnet-Penrose type of political leadership
awaited but a sign and a leader. Ellhu Root
has given the sign. The people are ready to
hear and to follow the leaders who make that
sign their own. They are ready In New York!
they are ready in Illinois: they are ready,
throughout the natlon.-Chlcago Herald.
STRENUOUS SCHOOL DAYS
September, and then school, anH then
The house will be all. still again.
And do)lt will all be put away,
ASd. whe56 f"1 children ed to play
Zfr !! be but Bl,enc. nd no one
Will break frnm (h p. ...
Along the street to meet her dad
At noontime and to make him glad;
w.E?1 li .enJ1' 8traber comes;
With school by day, and evening auras.
Schooldays! The thought 'meat wakes us slckl
Can ws do the arithmetic!
?!kMi.wJ.11 bT'lr to this term?
Last winter's problems made us MUirm,
That wed Just managed to get through:
S 2witlfi!wWwl we wwlM explain,
?Li! tLm " lvve4 ?Wl .
AM new, soother ytmr f schMll
2? i, "?? " to read,
Ne Uatettstato see afar
Te where SMfcttrbaa aleauura an-
S.7? ,:.orte long ago;
i
a
M
V
Pott