Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-03
GERMANS KNOCK {.
AT GATESOF RIGA A.
ON THREE SIDES.
Russians Apparently Unable
to Withstand Their
Advance.
BIG BATTLE IN PROGRESS
IN REGION OF MiTlU
Capture of Port of Great Stra::
tegic Value, but Petrograd
Not Placed in Jeopardy.
sLAvs AGAIN FACING ENEMY.
Cadorna's Forces, on Italian Front,
Extend Their Gains in Sew
eral Sections. s+,.yi,-tts
sLAvs AGAIN FACING ENEMY
Cadorna's Forces, on Italian Front,
Extend Their Gains in Sew
eral Sections. s+t+,,.,.tst
fBy Associated Press. I

{
The Germans are knocking virtually
at the gates of Riga, and with the Rus
SLAMS apparently unable to Withstand
their advance.
The great port and arsenal on the
Baltic and the head of the railway
line running to Petrograd is beset ON
three sides by the enemy-on the west
in the Lake Babit region, on the south-
west near Nitau, and on the southeast
along the eastern bank OF the Dvina
River. a scant fifteen miles distant
from the city.
In the latter region, the Germans
after heavy bombardment. won tho
USkuu bridgehead, famed as the. scene
OF many sanguinary encounters. ana
crossed the Dvina River. Thence they
shaped their course northward along
the waterway toward Riga, with the
Russians counterattacking, but. unable
to hold them.
Some twenty miles southwest OF
Riga. along the railway line running
from afitau to the seaport, the Ger-
mans have begun new offensive.
Here big battle Is IN progress. but
In whose favor it is going has not yet
been made evident by the Russian and
German official communications. Neither
Is ANYTHING contained in them con-
corning the operations near Lake sBabte
where the Germans were last reported
standing, about twelve miles west OF
Riga. u +
PREPARATIONS MADE IN 81
JOINT RAIDS LAsTaWEEK
Preparation evidently was made last
week inNraids by airplanes Io4 war
ships and military works in the Gulf
of Riga. and by the maneuvers .ofsGer-
man torpedo-boa destroyers. subma-
rines and mine-sweeping trawlers ia
adjacent waters for the new Offensive
against Riga. =
While the capture OF Riga would be
OF great strategic value to the Ger
mans in controlling the entrance to
the Gulf of Finland, at the head of
which stands Petrograd, it would not
necessarily place the capital. In
jeopardy. for il lies overland 800 miles,
as the crow flies, from Riga. aud $50
miles by rail. .*
In Southern Moldavia, the Russians,
fighting near Fokshani in conjunction
with tho Roumanians. evidently have
ceased their desertions and again tare
facing the enemy. Here. according TO
Berlin. they have delivered heavy
counterattacks against Field Marshal
Won Mackensen's forces Near aBraila,
southwest of Galatz. on the Danube.
the Germans were repelled inoan5lat-
tack on the Russian positions. 4JI3tlsf
TELL AUSTRIAN PEOPLE
OF ITALIAN VICTORY
On the Italian front. General Ca
dorna's forces have extended their
gains on the Brestovizza plateau, on
the slopes OF Monte San Gabrielle and
east of Gorilla. and have taken addi-
tional prisoners and war stores from
the Austrians. Five italian airplanes
have flown from the italian front over
Vienna and dropped pamphlets telling
the Austrian people of the victory of
the Italians from Tolmino to- the sea.
In Belgium, the British big guns
are continuing to lombard Violently
the German positions. evidently pre-
pairing the way for another smash at
Crown Prince Rupprecht's front Near
Havrincourt. the Germans. in sharp
attack pushed back tho British. bur
later left the German center in q
counterattack.
Heavy artillery duels also are In
progress along the Aisne. in Cham
pagne and in the Veraun sector, but
the infantry has remained very iracs
tive.