Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-09-04
Impossible For Entente Powers To See Much
 Importance In Victory.
AUSTRIAN LOSSES
 SAID TO BE 128,OOO
General CadOrna's Advance From TOIminO 10 the Sea Declared tO Have Cost One Third of Aus.
 ,ria'S Entire First Army,
Associated Press Summary.)

Riga, Russia's great port on the gulf of Riga, is in the hands of the Germans, and it's garrison and civ- ilian population are in retreat east ward.
 Following up rapidly the advantage they gained in driving the Russians over the Dvina river on both sides of Uskull last Saturday. the Germans threw bridges across this stream and soon were on the heels of the former defenders, some of whom offered re- sistance, but others of whom showed the white feather, giving the invaders no trouble in marching up the eastern bank toward Riga, 15 miles distant.
 Seeing the disaffection and the in ability to stem the tide of the ad- vance, the Russian commander order ed an evacuation.
 With the falling back of the Rus sians from the city proper and the advance of the Germans northward on both sides of the stream, the Russians still defending the western bank seem ingly are in danger of being caught between the two bodies of the enemy and made prisoner
 Behind thehm, the Russians in their retreat from Riga are laying the country waste, burning villages and barns. Whether the city remains in- tact is not known, but doubtless the guns and ammunition stores either were removed or destroyed, to pre- vent them falling in to the hands of the Germans. c.
 Aside from the strategic value of controlling the gulf of Riga and of g. base nearer the mouth of the gulf of Finland, at the head of which PetrO- grad is situated, it is impossible for the present to see the importance of the German gain, especially with the near approach of winter, when mili- tary operations in this northern re- zion are almost impossible Where the Russians will draw their new line in the north to connect with that/be low the point of penetration by the Germans, also remains to 'be seen.
 On none of the other fronts have there been operations Of great mo- ment. except in the Austro- Italian theatre, where the Italians have made more progress on the Bainsizza plateau and in the Bresto-Vitta val- ley and at various points along the whole line have repulsed counter at- tacks by the Austrians. Turnout this entire theatre, violent artillery duels are in progress, from Tolmino to the sea.
 Advfces to the Italian embassy in Washington say that along the front of the present offensive the Austrians have lost more than 128,0OO men. Re- ports from Udine, Italy, give the Aus ,rlan losses at one-third of the first line army.
 The batteries of Field Marshal Haig are still pouring an incessant fire against the German trenches in Flanders, but as yet the expected new dash to capture the trenches has not started. Doubtless the knocking down of the defenders has not reached the limit which the British commander requires before he throws the infan- try into the fray.
 On the remainder of the British line, there have been trench raidine operations, in one of which, south or Monchy plateaux. German dugouts / md machine guns were destroyed and some prisoners taken.
 Artillery duels are somewhat vior ent in the Verdun region, where the Hrench are facing the Germans. No Infantry actions of importance have occurred.