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Show Troops Are Rushing Connec- ' tions to Island in the t fv Piave River. ," .. . BIG DRIVE EXPECTED Crushing Planned Before , H Heavy Snows Block Further : p$ Reinforcements. i ILTALIAN ARMY ttEADQUAR- . Eifjf- TERS IN NORTHERN ITALY. Dec. i. , 1 On the upper Piave line and on the ' middle Piave, where the enemy con- tinues very active in constructing the i bridges to the middle ground of Grave i de Papadopoli, an island lying In mid- i f stream, which affords him a sort of I halfway station. The pressure at the . ' former point is on the northern moun- j; tain line, while the bridging opera- I tion at the Island is directed at the eastern river line. n The Monte Monfenera-Montello ,A section demands especial attention for j the indications are that this is where the enemy is placing his chief depend- t ence upon making his final drive be- ; f fore the mountain snows become so 1 heavy as to block him from further re- I inforcements. j 1 In the middle Piave sector, where ; .1 the bridging attempt is in progress, the ! 1 ; enemy has already constructed eleven I j bridges to the middle ground of Grave I I i de Papadopoli. This is not considered : 1 la serious menace as the island is still I separate from the west bank of the t river by a channel as wide as most of " I the main stream. Similar enemy at- i I tempts at bridging arc in progress on f. I tho lower Piave, where pontoon struc- .' 1 tures are set up daily and shelled down I by Italian land and naval batteries. . I Herfc also the bridges are not consid- 1 erctii seriously to menace the Italian i I line, even if they could stand up i I against the tlalian fire as they lead to i 1 the inundated triangle and are sep- I" arated from the enemy by the Italian .' f lines on the west bank. I These demonstrations are being ' f closely observed as they are likelv to i Show before lone whof n, f, B poses doing beforo the winter sets in. j I . AUSTRO-GERMANS MASSING 1 FORCES Lb WASHINGTON, Dec. 4. Italian av- iators report heavy concentration of J , Austro-German divisions behind the " If lines of tho invaders, and official dis- I I na6S ludy- from Rome express the I , opinion that the exceptionally mild I g feather may Induce the German high 1 command to attempt a new offensive I ' ?c ki nl"nta.inoiis region having for i t its object the invasion of the plain be- ? lfe tween Vicenza and Verona. f Tho Italian, strategists are confident S 1 of the strength of the Italian defenses. k 1 nn C- V |