Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-13
TEUTON ADVANCE
IS NEAR BANKS
OF RIVER DVlNA
Baltic Flank Under Won linden
burg Now Less Than Three
Hundred Miles from City
of Petrograd.
RUSSIAN SCHEME is A FAILURE
Cars Second Line of Defense Back
Of Warsaw Seems to Have Been
Made Untenable.
RATTLE EXPECTED NEXT WEEK

LONDON, Aug. 12.--The Baltic
flank Of the German armies, under
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg. has
virtually attained the banks of the
river Dvina, between Riga and
Dvinsk, with Petrograd less than 800
miles away in direct line.
Thence southwark the line sweeps
west. with the Russian fortress of
kovno still holding out. but next
week may see great battle on the
road toward the Russian capital.
The second line Of derense upon
which the Russians proposed to fall
back after abandoning Warsaw has
all the appearances OF having been
rendered untenable. and the British
and Russian press is beginning TO see
In the Austro-German plan an ambi-
uous plunge deeper into Russia. with
Petrograd as the goal.
In the meantime the Russian rear
guards are fighting desperately, espe-
cially In the critical Dvina region and at
kovno, TO capture which the Germans
are making terrific sacrifice OF men.
II seems plain nov the Germans pur-
pose no great demonstration In the west.
but intend rather to press to the utmost
their so far brilliantly successful Russian
campaign on the theory that conditions
In France and Belgium are such that
neither the French nor the British i'm
al. ..sfn
fenslve.
During the lull in activity on tho front
In France and Belgium the British public
Is looking 20 the Dardanelles 10 bring the
relief Russia 80 badly needs. though the
task OF opening the straits remains
difficult problem. which somo think may
only be solved by change in the Balkan
situation. Both Germany and the entente
powers are exerting the hardest pressure
on Bulgaria. as that country Is consid-
cred to be the key to the situation.
Petrograd HEAL Objective.
PHTRoGRAD. Aug. ii.-tvia London.
Aug. i2)-Ths Novoe vremya. discussing
today the theory that Petrograd is the
real objective OF the German offensive.
says;
There IL an enormous differences be-
t"NNh eaiN Wet VI AoAe uAQ thc pftheul
conflict. The Germans are hurting
against the Russian forces. equivalent 70
seven such invasions as that Of Napoleoa
and supported by the latest technical ap-
pllances. whereas, In 1872. the Russian
army IN the latter respect was fully ON a
par with tina French.
The Germans are Infinitely better
posted as to the position OF Russia than
Napoleon. and they are incapable OF re-
garding Moscow as the key to tha empire.
They know that Petrograd is the political
center and It is only half as far from
Riga as Moscow.
1t is only nignt's railway journey
between Riga and Petrograd, and the dis
tance over good roads and two lines OF
railways do not offer insuperable difficult
ties. This Is no second war OF 1912. but
something far more serious"
The Rech advises the population OF
Petrograd that air raids on the capital
are likely In the near future. and that a
hostile cavalry force may possibly get
near the capital. II saws. however. that
there is on fear Of anything further at
present
italian official Report.
ROME. Aug. iA-(via Paris.)-Th fol-
lowing statement issued at Italian army
headquarters. under date of August IL.
says:
'In cadore. while our artillery con-
tinues to operate against powerful de-
CONTINUED on Page Two. Column Two.)