Christmas has come and gone uneventfully on the Western Front,
where the gunners alone have been active. But the great battle in which our Italian Allies are engaged, in the hills over- looking the Brenta Valley, has continued without intermission. Last week the enemy made a desperate effort to break through east of the Brenta, and captured Monte Aaolone, between the river and Monte Grappa, which is the kernel of the Italian posi- tions. But on Thursday week a resolute counter-attack placed the Italians once more on the slopes of Monte Asolone, and the enemy's forward movement was stopped. Last Sunday the enemy began a new attack to the west of the Brenta. After a heavy bombardment, his massed divisions stormed two hills to the south-east of Asiago, the Col del Rosso and the Monte di Val Bella. But the Italians counter-attacked on Monday and Tuesday and drove the enemy from the hills. Thgy were unable to hold the summits under heavy shell-fire, but they had at any rate checked the enemy's advance. Snow is now falling, and the Austrians are still held off from the plains, where they counted on spending their Christmas.
