Not all the weapons taken from the Austrians can be employed by the Italians. Without doubt, they will not use either the famous steel-spiked maces with which the Honveds "finish off" the wounded, nor the explosive bullets. The climax of barbarism was attained by the Honveds. Yesterday, while making my way through trenches still full of débris and corpses, I was witness of an atrocious scene. Detachments of territorials were busy burying the bodies, rapidly decomposed by the torrid heat of this stony desert. Suddenly a detonation was heard, a bomb had just exploded. The gravediggers fell, horribly torn and mutilated. There was even found in the trenches north of San Michele a brand new gibbet. The Austrians had hoped to erect it in one of the villages of the Isonzo Plain. At Rubbia, Bersaglieri were hanged on trees and mutilated. * * * Today we are in a period of calm. Our Italian allies are strengthening the positions which they occupy on the heights to the west of Pecinka. Italian artillery is ceaselessly bombarding the enemy's ways of communication. The enemy is experiencing grave difficulties in renewing his supplies, and particularly in bringing the water necessary for his troops. The water mains which he had established have been destroyed by Italian artillery. Quite recently, when the Nad Logem was taken, as soon as the 2,000 Honveds who were defending it had fired their last cartridges, the Italian soldiers suddenly saw their adversaries coming out of the trenches on the run, unarmed and waving white handkerchiefs. They easily made 1,500 prisoners, who asked one thing only: water! At the present moment the Austrian batteries are in position behind the line of hills to the east of Oppacchiasella are furiously bombarding the shores of Lake Doberdo and the few wells which are scattered over the Carso. But our Italians fortunately have a marvelously organized supply. Auto-cisterns, barrels and reservoirs mounted on carts drawn by mules, everything is provided so that the men may not suffer from thirst. "My troops," a General said to me this morning, "have at their disposal 15,000 gallons of water per day." Here is a great problem solved. The Austrian prisoners declare that the second system of fortifications, which receives its supplies from the NabresinaComen road, is very well organized. Escaped Russians, who had been captured by the Austrians in Galicia, and who are compelled to work at trench digging on the Carso on pain of being shot, tell that 60,000 of them are at work strengthening the Austrian defenses. Therefore our Italian allies have serious difficulties ahead of them. His Royal Highness the Duke of Aosta is in command of the army of the Isonzo. This Prince, endowed with excellent qualities, of exceptional energy, heedless of danger, full of solicitude for his men, is adored by them. He is with them always, following the highest example. King Victor Emmanuel III. and Emmanuel-Philibert of Savoy (the Duke of Aosta) are the worthy heads of an army which has just gained its first great success, and which is preparing to cull other laurels. EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 11, the Italian War Office reported as follows: "On the Carso, after the intricate defenses of the enemy had been destroyed by an intense and accurate artillery and trench mortar fire, our infantry captured almost the whole of the line composed of several successive intrenchments between the Vipacco River and 208-Meter Hill, and advanced beyond it. Novavas and the adjoining strong position around the northern part of 208Meter Hill also fell into our hands after brisk fighting. Prisoners to the number of 5,034, including 164 officers, have been reported, and we also captured a large quantity of arms and ammunition." T British Armored "Tank" Cars HE most terrifying engine of destruction which the war has developed so far is the British armored motor car, or "tank," as the soldiers have named it. These formidable machines were first mentioned in the official dispatches of Sept. 16, 1916, and were brought into use with important results in the battle of the Somme. Since then they have figured daily in the war news and have become an important factor in the offensive. The cars are capable of moving in shelltorn areas and can negotiate a roadless wilderness of trenches. No official description of the monster has been permitted to pass the censor, nor have any official photographs been released. CURRENT HISTORY MAGAZINE presents on this page the only picture of the car that has reached this country-a snapshot of one that has seen service. This land dreadnought is an adaptation of the American caterpillar tractor manufactured at Peoria, Ill., by the Holt Manufacturing Company. Several thousand unarmored cars have been sold to the British Government, which adds the armor and armament. The cars are about 23 feet long and 9 feet wide over all. They weigh, unarmored, from 18,000 to 25,000 pounds, develop 120 horse power, and move from 22 to 4 miles an hour. Each machine has two fore wheels, used only for guiding purposes. No weight rests on these wheels. The main weight is carried on two chain belts, or caterpillars, having corrugated surfaces, on the inside of which are two lines of steel rails, jointed in short sections and operated by sprocket wheels. As the endless belt turns, the forward sprocket wheel lays down the track and the rear one picks it up again. On the rails thus laid down roll the wheels of the machine. How the Wheels Work The pressure on the ground under the caterpillar-the string of steel plates seven feet long and two feet wide on which the entire weight of the machine is supported-is said to be less than that caused by the foot of a horse or even of a man. And owing to the construction and location of the engines the centre of gravity of the whole machine is near the back of the caterpillar and not more than eighteen inches off the ground. For this reason the machine can roll along without danger of tipping over on an almost incredible slope, and it can run considerably more than half its length forward over a chasm without any support at all. When it moves across a trench the front wheel, on which normally no weight rests, crosses first. The front end of the caterpillar then moves forward over the open part of the trench, and the machine is supported by the rear of the caterpillar, where most of the weight is concentrated, while the guide |