The sun., 1917-09-08
RUSSIANS KEEP
FACES TO FOE
Retreat From Riga Orderly
Nothing More Heard of
German Fleet.

German Fleet.
Special Cabie Dssrotch TO THE svy
LONDON, sept. 7.-The speech Of e.
the Prime Minister. Lloyd George. Mt
Birkenhead to-day and some other
expressions in quarters only . little
less authoritative are construed to In.
dicatr that the Entente ALLIES possess
Information that political conditions
In Russia are becoming better and
that there I. strong probability the
pro 'isional Government will take q
frmer grip and adopt rigorous meas.
ures which alone can save the situa.
tion. Various reports from Petrograd
somewhat vaguely suggest the same
thing.
while Il Is not admitted officially
that such adyices have been received,
the tone OF statements made In Of
fcial circles her" strongly suggests
that Premier Lloyd George knew more
than he revealed Of his reasons for
LONDON. Sept. There is little
change in the military situation on the
Riga front The Russians still are re-
tiring although more slowly and the
Germans are following a short distance
in the rear. Rear guard actions. for
which the Russians are famous. are
haipV fpnyif with all thGtr old time ak i'll
by the republican troops, and the re-
treat is being conducted according to
the best military methods. This is
shown clearly by the comparatively
small number of prisoners and guns
taken by the Germans and by the dis
position of the kaiser's troops not to
press to close
In fact. although Berlin reports that
the retreat still is in progress. only
small cavalry skirnishes of no i'm
portance marked the days operations.
1t is believed that the Russians are
on or near the line on which they will
make a stand. line probably running
from Friedrichstadt notrh to the gulf
Eumors from Finland yesterday that
a German feet had been sighted of the
Gulf OF Finland threatening Revai and
Kronstadt apparently were forgotten to-
day. Nothing more is said regarding
such a fleet, although the Pe,rograd
War Office announces again that no
enemy vessels other than subm arines
have been observed in the Gulf Of
Riga. IL adds that the Russian naval
forces are ready to engage the Ger
mans II they appear
Act to Protect Capital.
Although all competent authorities
agree that Petrograd is in no immedi-
ate danger because OF the fall Of Riga
all proper precautions are being taken.
The temporary government; has ap-
pointed a special civil commission with
authority to preserve order. suppress Sc
dictionary meetings, suspend the publica- =
tion OF newspapers and where desirable
clear the city Of undesirable elements.
The Cabinet has decided that there as
yet Is no need for the Government to be
transferred elsewhere. Although there
are no signs of a panic there are ele-
ments in the population. particularly
members OF the wealthy class. who are
leaving or attempting to leave In large
numbers. Many business firms are
considering transferring their headquar.
ters to Moscow. Nijni-Novgorod or some
other provincial city.
There Is strong impression In some
quarters here that any disaster that com
PEELED the transfer OF the capt. al to Mos
cow. even the capture by the Germans of
Petrograd, would in the end be an ex-
cellent thing, as ii would free Russia nj
one stroke OF large part. probably more
than half, Of the net of German intrigue
and propaganda which has almost stran-
gled true Russian sentiment In Petro.
grad. As conditions are to-day, Moscow
Is far more Russian than Petrograd, and
transfer OF the Government to the
ancient capital in the interior undoubt.
edly would increase the national feeling
and eliminate some at least Of the social.
istic and anarchistic vasarles which are
making Russia ridiculous throughout the
world.
Returning to Common Sense.
Even in Petrograd there arc some in.
dications Of return TO common sense
Newspapers Of all shades of opinion
shelving other questions. comment exten.
sively on the Riga disaster. The Social.
ist papers publish articles In almost iden.
teal terms calling on the workers to per.
form their duty in defending the revolu
ton.
The organ OF the Social Democrat,
and Minimalists, the Bdbotchduor Ga
Eetd, appeals TO the workmen not to wal
for the moment when the Riga disas e,
will have become irrepars BILE, but tc
close ranks Immediately with iron dis
cipline. and proceed to prompt and de
cisive action. The proletariat, it says
must rally around its organizations, ant
by vigorous effort save the country ant
the revolution.
The Zemilia Volta. organ of the revo
lutIonary Socialists. says:
History will show on whom lies tn,
blame for our military debacle. Mea n
while the situation demands that all in
ternal political quarrels be forgotten ant
that an energetic and unanimous effor
be made to fGcs the enemy"