South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-14
BATTLESHIPS
SILENCE RUSS
SHORE GUNS
New Move by TeutOnS May
Mean Drive to PetrO-
grad Along Fin
lands Coast.
Associated Press Service

Associated Press Service.
Germauy's most ztriklu- milJtrs
move since the attack which result
ed i'm the capture of Riga was start
ed Friday on this same Russian
front when German troops were
landed ou Oesel and IaEo islands
at the mouth of tine eu.f of Riga
Heavy units of the main German
battle fleet were brought up 90 as
sist some of the dreadnauehts am
peaTug Off the coast and covering
the landing with their gums. silenc-
ing the Russian shore batteries M,
Russian forces hamp-rei the pro-
/ cess i'm every way possible. hut con-
siderable numbers of the Germans
appear TO have obtained footing
on the northwestern coast OF Oesel
island and on The south rn shores
OF Daeo island. ON Oesel island
where the Russians have extensive
aviation bases ami other military es-
Establishments. the garrison engaged
the invaders.
Petrograd auldes 20 Jhe German
movement as stubborn effort uo
clear the entrance of the gulf of
Riga near the Courland mainland.
Whether 10 is much more than this.
| posi- bly, the forerunner of an am
bilious push for Petrograd along the
railway line up the gJsf OF Finland
| coast can hardly bee determined by
/ the moves made SO far
Double Campaign This Near.
! The imminence OF the early event
/ of the winter season lends color O.
! 9 D..
/ man hieh command is taking these
steps as preliminary march or
Petrograd it Will hardly essay the
/ campaign this year To is poirted
/ out. however. that the demoralized
| state of the Russian armies might
make the operation a comparatively
! short and easy one nov in COM
! parisOn with the task of "a German
army headed for Petrograd would
have TO face next spring NJ the Rus
/ sian government plans for a regen-
! Grafton of the army are carried
1 through.
The more conservative view seems
/ 90 DE that the German effort is aim
/ ed at gaining complete control Of
/ the gulf of Riga so as 20 realize the
/ fun advantage gained last month by
/ the capture OF the city OF Riga ln
any event however. the move
| marks a notable continuation of the
/ German northWard creep along the
/ Baltic coast This has given them
/ Courland. a slice Of Iiv0nia and now
/ has planted them iu am advantage
Gus position off the coast Of Estho-
MIA WHERE they viii constitute a
/ constant threat 20 the right flank
Of the whole Russian front now
somewhat loosely anchored on the
shores of the gulf Of Riga. some dis
bt8nce 10 the southwest
The heavy rain lu Flanders has
/ turned the plains into such sea
Of mud that neither Of the hostile
! armies seems able 10 move. Whether
the weather and the condition or
the ground we've the sole reasons
which impeued the Germans 90 re-
frain from meeting the British ao-
vance with speedy counter attacks.
however. is considered doubtful in
view OF the army eorrob0ratre re-
/ ports of the lowered state ~ tic
B, German army morale. Field Mar
shall Hais, in any event was Ter; on
the night OF his advance % undis-
puted possession Of the vaIua- le
/ ground won. which the German
statement admits was three-q-arters
ri a mile iu depth 20 poiniz
Big Guns Roar az NerdIm
ON the French front the Germans
I contented themselves with lombard
reuts 10 the Nerdu1 region where
/ there has been heavy Infantry fEht-