New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-09
Slav Forces lntrenching,
Berlin Announcement
Admits
Petrograd Safe,
Say Teuton Experts
Hindenburg Said to Believe
Further Advance Is Too
Perilous Now


,,ss, from r ga toward Petrograd has
.rsckeucd almost 10 q halt. Pe;rograd
r,ports to-day that there is no change
.r the Riga region, while Berlin an
-ovnces that the Russians are hastily
.,trerchinC" on q line that runs from
Eoksnhausen. on the Dvina and about
sfv.fve miles southeast Of Riga. up
through Bending, twelve miles west Of
ysnden, and thus 10 the coast of the
Culf Of Aga, practically Strengthening
,be front upward from the fortress of
Dyinsk
Although this indicates stiifening
resistance, which dispatches from Pet
pgrsd also confirm, the presence Of
artillery with the German advance
cavalry patrols. which are now recon
poitrinc the new positions, suggests
thst there are 70 be further adjust
ments in the Russian line TO German
advantage. However, from German
sources come reports that the Germans
does not intend TO push on 10 Pet
rograd.
Not TO Strike at Petrogrsd
The Berlin correspondent Of the Co
penhaccn "PoNtkcn' quotes a high
AUTHORITY" 20 the effect that the Ger
mans will not strike lor the Russian
capital this year. and other Berlin dis
matches ssv that the operations pracu-
ssNv ended with ,Ec capture OF the
naval bases Of Riga and Duaamunde. at
the mouth Of the DvIna.
The German explanation is that the
fruits Of the offensive, which include
3lf guns and strategIca.ly important
strip q territory, are sufficient. without
extending the present lines Of commu-
nicstlcu. but PctroErad hints that the
Germans do not dare 10 advance much
further through boggy country in
doubtful weather with the strong tort
res, Of Dyiusk on their right Here
the Russian army is said 70 ne IL better
condition that anywhere else on the
whole front, and prepared to battle
vigorously 10 retain the DvIna strong
bold. But the growing activity OF en-
cmy a,vmtn IN the region OF jacob
stsct. midway between Riga and
Dvnsk. suggests that the Germans
mean 20 crowd the Russians down the
banks of the Dylna and, If they can,
take DvinsE by a flank attack. Jacob
stadt was heavily bombed by enemy air
sQuadrous yesterday. a physician was
killed, and other members Of hospital
unit were wounded.
For the moment, however, the leu
tons seem principally occupied in cele-
5ra'iDc their victory. The Kaiser has
reached Riga. where General Won Alien
Lad been appointed governor Of the
fortress. ana has distributed decora-
'.o-s 10 those who particularly distln-
cUish,d themselves in the recent drive.
Plan to Use Riga
Tla. Riga Is to be extensively used
by the Germans as d naval base TO
broaden their control Of the Baltic and
possibly 20 harass Petrcgrad seems
clear from the daily increase Of naYa!
activity In the gulf. PctrOgrad reports
that Yesterday twenty-three German
planes made 8 bombing and scouting
fight over the ArensbUrg, Tzerel and
kuwasta region. on the great islands
OF OesCl and DaEO, at the mouth OF the
Gull Of Riga, which the Russians stlI
hold. Russian aylators went up 10
meet them and brought down one OF
the enemy machines in flames. Five
other hostile planes attacked the Rus
sian torpedo boat patrols, but were
beaten of. This Russian scouting foet
discovered German submarines and
what appeared 10 be mine-sweeplng
travlcrs in the .irtensk Sound.
Fire was promptly opened by the
Russian shore batteries, and the enemy
vessels were compelled to submerge or
withdraw after short engagement.
German Fleet Held. of
II the Germans manage TO establish
their naval supremacy in the Gull OF
Riga they would control the entrance
10 the waterways leading up TO Petro-
grad. The German feet OF cruisers
has been active just outside the Gun
Of Riga, but has not yet found an op-
portunity 20 penetrate past the Russian
coast defences az its mouth.
Petrograd says there has been no
fighting on the rest Of the front, but
Berlin describes lively fighting activity
between the Pruth and the Moldava
and IN the Oituz Valley, at the two eN-
tremes Of the Rumanian front. This,
many OF the Petrograd authorities have
insisted, is the real danger point on the