The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-10-19
RUSSIAN ISLE
Swallowed UP
BERLIN ANNOUNCES COMPLETE
POSSESSION BY THE GER
MANS.
NAVAL FORCES ENGAGED
German Dreadnaugbt Strikes Mine,
But Gets Away And Its Fate Is
Unknown.

Berlin, via London, Oct 17.-Ger-
man troops have captured the Rus
sian island of Oesel, in the Gulf OF
Riga, in its entirety, it was official
/ ly announced today by the German
general staff.
I The German statement says that
Teuton naval forces had encounters
with Russian torpedo boat destroy
ers and gunboats north of Oesel Is
land and in the Bay of Riga, and
these resulted favorably for the Ger
mans. The Russian ships were COM
PEELED to retire. The German YES
sells, 1t is added, sustained no losses.
Petrograd, Oct. 1.-THE Russian
War Office has completely lost touch
with the Russian forces on the Is
land of Oesel, it was officially an
nounced today.
Naval skirmishing is continuing in
the waters around Oesel Island, off
the Gulf of Riga, Russian patrol ships
having had encounters with German
torpedo craft.
One German dreadnaught which
ran into the Russian mine field de-
Tending Oesel Island on October IL,
struck a mine, the statement adds.
After the explosion the warship made
for the coast and it's ultimate fate is
not known.
Big Push In Sight.
All the important infantry fighting
last night in the Western war thea
ter was confined to the French front,
where attacks by Germans in the
Aisne and Champagne sectors, as well
as in the Verdun region, were repuls-
ed by General Petain's troops.
There is promise of speedy re-
newal of the activity in Flanders,
however. Field Marshal Haig, for
instance, sends from British head
quarters today one of those laconic
reports that so frequently have pre-
coded the periodic attacks on that
front. Nothing of special interest to
report" has meant in several OF these
cases that the British guns had OPP
ened their terrific drumfire prepar-
atory to an attack.
The German high command ap-
parently is anticipating renewal of
the British drive, as the latest Ber-
lin statement in reporting the in
tense artillery activity in Flanders
said no infantry attacks had taken
place up to the present"
There has been spell of compar-
atively good weather in the arena
east OF Ypres, where the British
steam roller is pusching it's way
through the German lines. Thus the
British aviators apparently have been
able to collect sufficient information
to enable their artillery to pursue its
work with it's usual precision and
telling effect, while mudfields pre-
with the cessation of the rain.
An admission of possible signif-
canoe was contained in the German
statement on the Macedonian front
situation, received late last night.
Several villages in the Struma reg
ion. on the right flank of the allied
lines, northeast of Saloniki. have
been "ceded" by the Bulgarians to
the British, Berlin announces.
There has been notable patrol ac-
tivity by the entente armies in Mace
donia recently, and 1t seems possible
that some aggressive use is finally to
be made of the huge force the al
lies have had assembled there for
many months.
Such a move might have been
made in anticipation OF Bulgarian
attack on the Saloniki armies of the
allies, to which Germany is reported
to have been urging King Ferdinand,
Emperor Williams visit to Sofia has
been connected by one of the Ger
man newspapers with this reported
project. Greece might now be ex-
pected to aid the entente in repelling
such an attack or in pushing an Of
fensive.
= declaration OF war by Greece
against Bulgaria, in fact, seems to be
expected shortly by the central pow
ers.