The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1917-09-04
GERMANS HAMMER|NG
AT THE GATES OF RIGA
ANOTHER SMASHING BLOW
IN FEW DAYS.
Great Port on Baltic BeSet on
Three Sides with Slavs In
able to Check Invaders.

The Germans are knocking vir-
tually at the gates of Riga, and with
the Russians apparntly unable to
Withstand their advance.
The great port arsenal on the
Baltic and the head of the railway
line running to Petrograd is best on
three sides by enemy on the west
in the Lake Babit region, on the
southwest near Mitau and on the
southeast along the eastern bank of
the Dvina river. a scant fifteen miles
distant from the city.
In the latter region the Germans
after a heavy bombardment, won the
Uskull brdgehead, famed as the
scene of many sanguinary encoun-
ters, and crossed the Dvina river.
There they shaped their course
northward along the waterway to-
ward Riga, with the Russians coun-
te rattacking. but unable to check
them.
Big Battle On.
Some twenty miles southwest of
Riga alon gthe railway line running
from Mitau to the' seaport the Ger
mans have begun new offensive.
Here big battle is in progress, but
in whose favor it is going has not
yet been made evident by the Rus
sian and German official communica-
tions. Neither is anything contain
ed in them concerning the operations
near Lake Babit, where the Germans
were last reported, about twelve
miles west of Riga.
Preparations evidently was made
last week in raids by airplanes on
warships and military works in the
Gulf of Riga and by the manoeuvers
OF German torpedo boat destroyers.
/ submarines and minc-sweepine
trawlers in adjacent waters for the
new offensive against Riga, but
whether the attack is being carried
out simultaneously by sea has not
/ become apparent.
Petrograd Safe.
/ While the capture of Riga would
| be OF great strategic value to the
/ Germans in controlling the entrance
/ to the Gulf Of Finland, at the head
of which stands PetrOgrad, it would
not necessarily place the capital in
/ jeopardy for it lies overland 800
miles. as the crow flies, from Riga
and $50 miles by rail.
In Southern Moldavia the Rus
slams fighting near Fogshani in
/ conjunction with the Rumanians,
/ evidently have ceased their deser-
tions and again are facing the enc
my Here. according to Berlin,
/ they have delivered heavy counter
attacks against Field Marshal Won
Mackensen's forces. Near Braila,
southwest OF Galatz. on the Danube,
the Germans we're repelled in an at
tack on the Russian front.
Italians Extend Gains.
oH lllf lldlldu lloIll S'll \ al u'-
mas forces have extended their
gains on the Brestozizza plateau, on
the slopes of Monte Sangabriele ana
east of Goriza. and have taken ao-
ditional prisoners and war stores.
Five Italian airplanes have flown
from the Italian front over Vienna
and dropped pamphlets telling the
Austrian people of the victory of the
Italians from Tolmino TO the sea.
In Belgium the British big guns
are continuing TO lombard violently
the German positions. evidently pre-
pairing the way fDf another smash
The infant"v activir, here and also
~ the south IN Franc" is mainly N
the nature of raii;ng operations.
Heavy a"tlery iuels also are in
progress a'o1L III" sH". in ham
pagne and n me Nerdun sector.