Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-03
PORTION OF ARMY
LEAVES POSITIONS
c;ty Msnaesd sn Twe sides and Aban.
daomsrt 10 Ordered When Troops
Run Away-Will Civ Germans
Chance 10 Make Drive Against Pstro-
arad II They Can spars Men From
othsr Frents- May Refuse to Fight.

announces. The statement says an or
der had been given for the abandon
ment Of the Riga district on account
Of the threatening conditions there.
some Russian detachments volun-
tarily left their positions. the war Of
fice reports, and are retiring toward
the north.
Threatened Fer Many Days.
Abandonwent OF Riga follows re-
ports Of the past few days that this
important sen coast city, situated on
the gulf Of RiEa. had been seriously
threatened both on land and on the
seas. The >porthern end Of the Ger
man -Austro- Hungarian line had been
deported nearing Riga and last week
twas announced from Pctrograd that
q number ol var vessels had been seen
Ia tho gun.
ss The fate Of RIA was virtually sealed
Saturday when German troops forced
crossing Of the Dvina, southeast Of
the city. and began IA push northward
After making good their foothold on
\ the right bank OF the stream.
Neenaeed From Two Sides.
4 Menaced also by the attack Of . col
urnn % Teutonic forces moving from
b 41ritau,s southHe6t 81 Riga, and bysthe
German naval forcss recently reported
hoy4ring IN tho vicinity Of the 6ulf Of
Risa the Russian military authorities
evidently considered the city no longer
tsnable and decided to evacuate it.
The possible ultimate military con-
sequences of the development are diff
ficult to esttmate. The right nank Of
the entire Russian western front was
anchored on the gulf of Riga, at a
point to the west Of the city, and with
this anchorage apparently lost the pos
sible strategical developments Of the
situation seem indefinite
ls Pstrosvad obisetivsf
Much depends upon the purpose Of
the Germans and the size Of the forces
1T their disposal in these operations.
1t Is too early yet for 1t to be made
appafent whether they will be con-
tented with occupation Of the Baltic
seaport or II the advantage Is to be
pushed and an attempt made to swing
back the entire Russian line on this
front creating an opening by land and
water with Petrograd AZ the objective.
Riga, capital OF the government Of
Litonia, had Q population Of moro than
Zoe AaH .ess:..e:si hesc-c =. =::: :.a
aside from fetrograd was the most
Important Russian commercial and In
tdustrial town having access to the
Baltic. II q situated ct the southern
extremity Of tho Eulf Of Riga, = stretch
OF water 100 miles long and sixty miles
vide, R!.EEz lying a the point where
the Dvina empties into the gulf. The
port Is ice- bound during virtually one
third Of the year.
Large 0srnan Population. #
Riga had a very large German pop
nlation before the opening Of hostilities
and It ID interesting to note that It
was fopfsded In 1853 by German mer-
chant q ! atorehouse, the city passing
thru the control Of the various northern
nAtiopalities during the centuries until
s172l it finally was Incorporated with
( the RsusiaIi empire.
IT. commereial standing is indicated
ny: the feat that Il was the third sea-
spert of Russia. only Petrograd and
Odessa exceeding It In Importance.
The 9eYmans long have had their
eyes upoH Riga and at the close Of the
crest ~ S1psisn Of 1915, when Poland
49, pvSgEpn and large sections OF
RiaeieA ~ occupied by the Teutonic
denburg to break the line between Riga
ana the Dviask. 10 miles to the south
eaAt. The Hussians at that time, how
G..
the line. being aided BY the advent Of