The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-16
RUSS|A'S BALTIC
FLEET A PUZZLE
Apparently Making No Effort 10 Stop
German Operations In Gulf of
Riga-4Another Town Taken,
Says Rumor.

Amsterdam, Oct. 15.--Unconfrmed
reports from Swedish sources tonight
said that the important town of Hap
sal, on. the Esthonian mainland, ter
minus of the direct rail to Reval and
Petrograd. has fallen to the German
! navy forces that yesterday captured
the two islands dominating the gulf
/ of Riga. Hapsal lies 275 miles south
German control of the Riga bay would
be complete and the menace to the
gulf of Finland extreme.
No naval move in the great war
has so stirred the speculatory inclina-
lions of experts as has the sudden
dash of the Teuton Baltic feet. On
all hands it IL admitted that it holds
tremendous and manifold possibilities.
The center of eager curiosity every
/ where tonight was the Russian Baltic
fleet.
rs /. lying in walt. we'll prepared
to fall upon the invading armada
when the proper moment arrives, or
has the poison of seuHious propa-
genda SO Slapped Its vitality that it
must lie helplessly In port awaiting
its fate of being bottled up or de-
stroyed?"
No one presumes to know the an
swer. Fact is. that not a. single Russ
sian warship was on the scene to pre-
vent the Germans from landing at
least $4,000 men on the two domt-
mating islands while the guns from
the German dreadnoughts were siienc-
ing the Russian coast batteries. ac-
cording TO official retrograd admis-
sion.
| More than two years ago. when the
! Germans tried to do the same thing
in the same waters, the Russian Bal
tic fleet, though inferior In strength
and numbers. inflicted a decisive de-
feat upon the invaders, chasing them
home minus two cruisers and eight
/ torpedo boats That victory delayed
the fall OF Riga two years.
: Ruasia's Baltic feet consisted at the
outbreak of hostilities 81 four large
cruisers of a tonnage ranging between
I 1900 and 1900. four dreadnoughts
I of %, 400 tons each. a number OF pro-
tected cruisers, three ri which are of
modern type, more than 100 tor
! pedo-b boat destroyers. and dozen sub
msrines.
I Why this powerful feet, which 30
gloriously demonstrated its prowess in
+ 1915. should have allowed the inva-
/ sion of Russias vital waters without
any but coast battery resistance, Is the
:
/ most
/ As for the German motives behind
/ the Baltic venture, innumerable
guesses are made Some believe the
/ chief reason is to put the Russian Bal
| tic feet definitely out Of action so as
to enable the great bulk OF the Ger
man sea forces to make a dash for the
open and seek the life-or-d death bat
tie with the British. Others see In It
1.-The step In a great land and sea drive
| 10 outGank the Russian lines and force
a separate peace. In some quarters
! the theory was advanced that Ger
many, knowing she must give up her
conquests In this west, now tries to
make complete her expansion east
ward. II was pointed out that Riga
without the gulf is OF little or no use,
and that only by gaining full control
| OF the bay viii the Germans be able
| fully to exploit the advantages of the
/ ports possession.
| An added motive for venturing on
! the undertaking. ut this late season
/ is believed to be the desire TO offset
! the gloom spread in the empire by
I the recent revelation Of the mutinous
I outbreaks.