The sun., 1918-03-08
Released Prisoners Said to
BE Organized for Cooper
alton With Troops.
JAMBURG IS TAKEN
Advancing Column Only 68
Miles From Capital Still
tnOpposed.
TREATY 4 "RING OF IRON"
Executive Council. While Con-
demniny 1t. Urges Ratifi-
cation at Moscow.
TREATY 4 "RING OF IRON"

! SDtc'ai rdbIe DeSpatca 10 TnE SuN from fAs
. london Timer.
topg'ioh'. 1918. oil rights reserred.
PETRoGRAn, March 1.-Attempts have
been made to forward toward the Ger
man lines thousands OF released war
prisoners who swarm over retrograd,
but apparently they came too late Some
German officer prisoners here recently
were arrested for alleged conspiracy
They were preparing 10 cooperate with
their approaching comrades.
Tho advance guards Of the German
army, which has been moving upon
Petrograd, are now only three OF four
days march from the capital. and al
ready the effects of their proximity are
clearly apparent The pro-German feel
ing. always strong in Pe,rograd, Is iow
much more III evidence. and il is 'doubt-
, ful IL there will he any material re-
sistance when the Germans arrive.
Stories are ailoat TO the effect that
every German prisoner has been in
structed as 10 his duty when the Ger-
man army arrives on the threshold Of
'ctrograd The idea is general that they
have an effective organization. The In
! tell,gent classes apparently hope the
GerYans Will organize to preserve order
! here in the dangerous interval before
the invading army arrives. The Rus
slams seem to anticipate more danger
, from their coun:ryme!I than from the
Germans.
The enemy prisoners have had full
liberty. including contact with the Aus
trian and German delegates. SO that
Germany has had every opportunity to
make arranGements within Petrograd
al lsts
Air Raid. Add to Perils.
Petrosrad now Is suffering from Ger
man air raids. tn addition 20 its Other
calamlt.es Hitherto the city had no.
been harassed like London In this re.
Spcct, but had been unneryed by alarms
and dangers from its own revolutionary
Socialists and fanatics, aided by tn.
dlSSo!ute soldier. In the last -four
months ;he People have been liable In
b' hit any time day or night. in the
streets o. at home by stray bullets,
Mary houses have hullc. holes in them.
The probability IS tha' most OF the vic
tins OF the two revolutions and the
intervening episodes Mere Killed acc!-
dentally,
on one occasion u thousand bodies
were dragged from canals and rivers
FROM pctober 'ast Until week ago,
When i'HtTograd began to unload" its
turbulent elements FOR purposes OF out
s!ua defence. not day ~ nigh. PASSED
without firing in the streets. Wine shops
and cellars haV" been hroiicn into every
dav. When tho crowds became drum.
and dangerous ;"c Red Guards would
appear on the scene and shoe. them
down.
NO" In" siinot'on is changing rapidly.
All the available man power of every
N'nd iS being concentrated outside Petro-
grad and along the three railroad routes
by which the German advance ia being
made, from Pctrograd southcaStward
mar way I" MOSCOW, from Pctrograd to
Pskov and along the lines leading to-
ward Warsaw and toward Revsl
city in state of Famine.
tAcnsh refugees from the cotton mills
at NarNa arrived here several days aeo
Large parties Of British subjects. iuclud-
ing women and children. ar. said to he
inarooned at several interior points The
scarcity Of food here now amounts to A
real FAMINE. There are positively no
provisions. Two-thirds Of the shops are
closed AID the others are empty of goods
or have very little, which is kept out OF
sight in fear OF hungry thieves II il
rSEy I" let strangers see n person ca,
rying food OF any kind
Women of all classes tramp about
most OF the day with empty bags visit
lhS market places and peeping into shop
doors N the hope OF finding something
OF which the price Is not absolutely pro.
hbitiva
All tn" banks are in the control OF tne
'"mmunIst.r powers, who permit depos-
tors to draw only small amounts cach
week. often there is lao money for food
even II It could he obtained. Many OF