The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-02-28
GERMANS NEARER
TO PETR0CRAD.
Capture Of Russian Capital
Likely to be Easy.
REDS APPEAL TO POPULACE
SIav Soldiers Say I'VE Have Had
Enough Fighting" While Workmen
Are Eager to Fight.

London, Feb. 2S.-Novo Tcherhask,
capital of the territory OF the Don
Cossacks, has been captured by the
revoIu iOnaIy troops, it was annJunc-
ed officially in Petrograd.
Luga. half way between PskCy and
Petroarad. has been occupied ~ he
Germans. according to an uncontirmed
rumor. a Reuter- despatch from Petro-
grad says.
German troops advancing north of
Dorpat. in Livonia, captured two Rus
sian regiments as they were retreat
ing. the German general staff has an
nounced.
General Hoffman,, commander of
the German army invading Russia, has
replied to q communication from En-
| sign Krylenko. inquiring if an arms
tice would be declared by saving that
the Teuton advance will be continued
until a treaty Of peace is signed and
carried out along lines laid down in
the German peace terms.
A Russian statement announces TIE
revolutionary government will defend
itself against Germany, which. it says
has refused to grant an armiStice.
The Bolsheviki continue extremely
busy enrolling men, gathering and
shipping arms and supplies and in
other defense activities. A despatch
from Moscow says that 10000 revolu
tionary troops have been sent from
Moscow toward Bologoie.
Nevertheless. if special dispatches
| from Petrograd gauge accurately the
situation there. the Germans are like
" 10 find little difficulty in occunying
tie city with trained troops. Russian
elders quite frankly refuse to fight,
ard say I'VE have had enough of fight
! ing. If the Germans some. let them
take u.s."
There is a sitter attitude among
/ The workmen. from whom if at all,
resistance to the Germans must come.
| F2,en though for lack of training their
| resistance should prove of little val
re, they are said to be enrolling with
enthusiasm in response to the call Of
the Bolsheviki leaders. The CORES
pendent of the Daily News. writing
| Sunday. says:
Russian troops almost without ex-
| reption have refused fiatly to fight.
| 4 division which was supposed to BE-
| defending Narva has arrived at Cat
| china. Ensign Krylenko protested.
| They replied they did not intend to
| fight
! Immediately the first few German
| troops appeared the Russian peasant
| soldiers. who being peasants. not IN
| drstrialists. were interested merely in
| he land question and cared nothing
| for the revolution, started eastward
| IN an uncomfortable wave, threaten
| ing to sack all the towns on the way.
| Tie Russian army was Germany's
| strongest weapon. In driving ii to-
| 7rard Petrograd they were driving a
! herd OF stampeding cattle which would
| trampIe down everything In its way.
| The revolutionary workmen could
have put up real fight against the
| Germans, but they could do nothing
| against the Russian army, which must
| disappear before the revolution can
| begin to create any real military force
for itself. The workmen of the towns
| are eager to fight"
! Some correspondents, describing
| the bulk of the population as lost in
| bewilderment and apathy, think such
| resistance as may be offered will
| amount to little They say no amount
| Of talk by the Bolsheviki leaders can
| cover the plain facts of the situation.
| All sorts of preparations are In
| progress" says the correspondent of
| the Daily Express. zone cannot help
| thinking, however, that the state of
! siege in Petrograd will be merely
| technical, as Germans, with or with
out uniforms, are already in the CAPT
tai A great many Austrians are here,
| too. The demeanor Of the Germans
| thus far has been exemplary. They
| 60 about avoiding ceremony and the
| officers, following the Russian custom,
| carry no swords. They speak German
| in an undertone."
The Germans in Petrograd already
| have organized to police the city, the
| correspondent of the Morning Post re-
| norris