Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-10-19
Menace Of German Advance
From Riga Is Given
As Reason
POLITICAL CONSIDERATION
ENTERS INTO DECISION
Great Fleet Of German War
Ships with Long Range
Guns Appears

Petrograd, Oct. lv.-Petrograd may
be abandoned as the capital Of Russia.
son account of the strategical sit
uation,' caused by the menace OF a
German advance from the Gulf of Riga,
it was formally stated today that early
transfer of the capital from Petrograd
iprobably to Moscow, was being prepar-
cd for by the government.
Evacuation of Reval, Russia's great
naval depot just at the entrance of
the Gulf of Finland was announced to
day.
That the evacuation of Petrograd is
being formally prepared for was indi-
Gated today in announcement that spe-
cial evacuating committed had been
named to make all plans. The person
mel of this committee included M. Tre-
tyakoff, president of the Economic
council, and a member of the cabinet,
M. Palachinsky, president Of the COM
mittee on national defense, and Minis
ter of Public Welfare Kislkin.
Emphasis was officially laid today ON
the fact that the plans for evacuation
from Petrograd to Moscow do not con-
template precipitate withdrawal: It was
asserted, for instance, that the pre-
liminary. parliamentary meetings would
in ali probability De held in Petrograd,
later meeting in Moscow, when the gov
ernment has had an opportunity to ex-
plain to the delegates the reason for
the transfer.
(Note: e:--The first meeting Of the con-
stituent assembly has been set for De-
cember 8 and if this is the "prolimin
ary meeting" meant, it would appear
that the transfer is to be deferred for
some time).
Moscow, it was stated, would be the
scat of the constituent assembly.
| Germany has vast naval force
around the Riga gulf. Official reports
today gave the total strength of the
enemy fighting craft there as ten dread
naughts, ten cruisers, fifty destroyers
and eight or ten submarines.
Two enemy trawlers, it was announc-
ed today, had been sunk in Moon sound.
uOn Wednesday noon the enemy
landed ON Dago island near Zero viii
lage," the statement concluded.
Transfer Of the capital from Petro-
grad to Moscow has frequently been
considered by the new democratic gov
ernment. At the time of the last Ger
man drive on land around Riga it was
formally stated such step was plan
ned. A little more than a month ago
a formidable German fleet in the Bal
tic and reports Of naval offensive
against Petrograd caused revival OF
the report.
Democratic leaders have since the
verv start Of the new republic regard
ed Moscow as more suitable for the
capital than Petrograd.
A number Of weeks ago, when tho
Bolshevik opposition to Premier her-
enslky came to head, dispatches from
William G. Shepherd, United Press staff
correspondent, then in Petrograd, re-
ported that Kerensky was seriously
considering the switching of all gov
ernmental activity to Moscow, the an
cient Russian capital. Moscow has al
ways been more whole-heartedly sympa-
thetic with the government than any
other Russian city.
Just why there should be any immed-
late fear of danger to Petrograd from
the Germans is not clear on the basis
of dispatches so far received and detail
ling the German naval campaign around
the mouth of the gulf of Riga. 1t Is
possible, however, that the Russians
foresee that the great German dread
naughts known to be included in that
fleet could easily outrange any coast
defenses Of the three great naval fort
resses at Reval, Viborg and Cronstadt
if they desired to chance Russian mine
fields and make try for investment OF
Petrograd by sea.