Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-20
Not Slightest Sign of 0rganiz-
ed Resistance to Austro- !
German Advance.
ENEMY WOULD CONTROL
ALL IMPORTANT PORTS.
Patriarch of Russian Church Pro-
tests Dismemberment of
Country. |
'fhe fail of Petrograd is innnk-

'rhe fail of Petrograd is innnE-
nent.
German troops, probably adj
vancing along the Baltic coast
from Narva and northeast from
Pskov and Dvinsk, are nearing the
Russian metropolis, according to
a dispatch received in London.
Would Control Ports.
German possession OF Petrograa
would give the enemy control of the
Gulf of Finland and all the importxnk
ports on it's coasts except those in Fip-
land yet in the hands of the Finnish
rebels. who are being attacked by the
Germans and Finnish government
forces. This would cut Moscow on
from the Baltic sea- On the south thu
Germans have been reported within $50
miles of Moscow and they virtually
control the Black sea.
No Sign of Resistance.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON. March 20.-Occupation ox
Petrograd by the Germans is only
matter of hours. according to dis
the morning newspapers. The Russia4
capital is said to be assuming waiting
attitude and is not displaying the
slightest sign Of organised resistanca.
dispatch from Petrograd to have
reached the vicinity of Dino station
about $50 miles south of Petrogrn1.
The Austro-German advance in south-s
occupied Soumy, five hours march fr6m
Kharkov. the dispatch says.
Menace to Moscow.
The various reports from Russia a1oo
indicate the greatest anxiety over Who4
appears to be an enveloping u1oveuX
the Austro-German forces are cArr5f@xt
moving the government. according ~
these advices. to Sarjon fprobeh3x
Saratoff, $50 miles southeast of M6s<
cowl. or to Nizhni Novgorod (2ss MIL
northeast OF Moscow. ~
A Reuter- dispatch from Petrogra&
dated March 19. reports the patriarch -
the Russian Church. to have sent q mso-
sage to the orthodox population.y 6er<.
claring that the church cannot regard
as binding a peace which dismembofD
the country and places 1t under t11e
domination Of conauering foretfn
munist is quoted as declaring that
the Russian proletariat cannot malEo
further concessions. but must be rea4Y
to rise at any moment. irrespective 0x
its state of preparedness.
Other reports from Petrograd 0tNt1
that the council of peoples comU1D<
sioners has ordered the arrest OF n II
Bibenko, the commissioner OF mArfmG
for opposition to the ratification OF %
peace treaty. Petrograd dispatchoD
filed on March IL reported tnat ~
Bibenko had been missing for severA1
days.l
Martial Law in Ukraine.
The UKrainian national council has
declared martial law in the provinces
of Pc.tava, Tchernigov and Kharkovs
according tc Reuter- dispatch from
Petrograd.
Freight traffic has been resumed o.
portions of the railway lines near The
Baltic held by the Germans.
The Russian Orthodox Church has pre<N
sented a demand that the Russo-Gers
man peace treaty prescribe its authors
ity over the orthodox population in the
territories lost through the peaco
treaty.
(The Austro-German advance north
of the Black sea recently has been in
the provinces of Poltava, TchernigpV
and Kharkov. Parts of these provinces
are not included in the Ukraine, ale
though the boundaries of the new couns
try have not been fixed definitely