Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-07
SLAVS NAVY LOYAL;
READY FOR DEFENSE

Russia Baltic fleet will make desperate |
defense of Petrograd and the bases OF
kronstadt and Reval
Official assurances to this effect we're
given today In dispatches to the provisional
Government from the commanders of those
ports.
A most significant feature Of this i'm
portant development is that it shows that
the grave new peril facing Russia since
the fall of Riga Is uniting the hostile po-
litical factions. large part OF the Baltic
fleet has been under control of the Maximal-
lists, who up to the present have main
tained n hostile attitude toward the Keren-
sky Government.
NAVY is LOYAL
In addition to the assurances from Kron-
stadt and Reval the commanders OF the
ports of Sveaborg and Helsingfors, in Fin
land, sent out dispatches announcing that
| the Baltic fleet has expressed its readiness
| to show desperate resistance to the Ger
mans In case they undertake naval Of
! fensive against the Russian bases lying
| between Riga and the capital"
Red placards scattered everywhere on
| walls and buildings today called on all
| Russians TO do their duty. Troops are pass
| ing through the streets, en- route 10 the
| front to repel the invader But the popu-
| lace remains quiet and apparently unwor-
\ ricd No panic is visible.
Regiments which yesterday passed in re
| view before Premier kcrensky as they en-
| trained for the front where the Germans
| are now battering forward. drew a tremen-
| dous ovation from the Petrograd populace.
| kcrensky himself was cheered TO the echo
| by the troops and crowds.
| All OF the energies Of the Council OF
Workmen's and Soldiers Delegates are to
| be thrown to the support of the Russian
| army. Every development of the last forty
| eight hours emphasizes the new attitude
| which the council has taken and that it
| will do its utmost to inspire the army TO
| its greatest efforts to smash the German
| offensives all along the battle front
| Commissions were sent to all sections
| of the battle line to confer with the Rus
| sian commanders and to urge them to do
| their utmost against the Germans
| The president Of the commission which
| visited the fourth and nth armies in Ru
| mania and on the Bukowina frontier re-
| ported to the Central Committee today, en-
| phaszing the gallantry OF the Russian
| troops in repellinS Two offensive enterprises
undertaken by Won Mackcnscr In July and
| August
NJ Notinsky, commissioner to the COM
| mander on the northern end of the front
| reported that the Russian armies there are
| being reorganzcd. He added that the Rus
SLAMS were falling back to positions that
had been fortified in advance.
AS they fall back from the Riga sector
:hc Russians laying waste the country
behind them to impede the advance of the
| Germans. Roads are being destroyed,
bridges blown up and stores of supplies
burned
The retirement is being carried out in
orderly fashion, despite the fact that three
| German armies in pursuit. The first
| German army, as it moves forward, is con-
| solidating the ground along the coast in
the Ust-Dvinsk sector. The advance guard
| of this army is evidently aiming at Per-
| nau on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. The
| ig
the direction of the Pskov road in an ef-
fort to effect an enveloping movement
through the hole cut in the Russian lines.
| The third army is making an energetic ef-
| fort to press forward in n northeasterly di-
| rection toward Ostrov.
The Germans are beginning to show
| signs of nervousness which may arise from
the continual Russian resistance or the Sc.
we're nature of the swampy, lake-filled
ground they must traverse.
COPENHAGEN. Sept. T.
German forces which captured the great
Russian port of Riga on the Baltic Sea.
are working with desperate energy trans
forming 1t into naval base for extensive
| sea operations A German squa~ron mas
already entered the Gulf Of Riga.
Advices received here today report that
German squadron entered the Gulf of
/ Finland. at the northern end OF the Baltic
! on which PetrOgrad is situated.
/ | Another squadron is cruising off Reval
| an important Russian port about half way
| between Riga and the Russian capital.
These naval operations indicate that Ger.
. | many is preparing 10 turn her battle fleet
TO the job of blasting away the Russian
| fleet and bombarding Petrograd.
r Within the last week the presence in the
Baltic of submarines. destroyers, mine
sweepers, cruisers and even heavier war
ships has been reported. eliminating in the
dispatches indicating a German fleet at the
= entrance to the Gulf of Finland This would
nut the enemy vessels about 300 miles
. distant from Petrograd.
If Germany chooses she can concentrate
; a big squadron for sea drive on Russia
The Kiel Canal would permit transfer OF
| any necessary ships now in North Sea Ger
| man ports into the Baltic.
. Two great Russian naval depots ant
| fortresses guard the capital. They are
| Reval. close to the mouth of the gulf, anC
| Kronstadt, only a score of miles from Petro
, grad, The gulf itself has been thickl,
sowed with mines Part of the Russian
v | feet Is known to be at Reval. 1t is so fai
| outranked by the German feet however
that II is doubtful If 1t could impede any
| formidable squadron.
There was considerable doubt expressed
) here that Germany would dare shift any
= | Of her high seas feet from the North Sea
/. | and Heigoland through the Kiel Canal t(
0 | the Baltic because of the constant German
| fear Of an attack by the great British oatti'
| fleet Nevertheless she has plenty or yes
seIs outranging and outranking the Rus
0 | sian warships which could be spared 10
): such a naval campaign.