The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-25
Slavs Helpless Before Armies
of Kaiser, Lose Men, Num-
tons and Stores
AMERICAN TROOPS
DOING THEIR SHARE
In TRENCH FIGHTS
Secretary Baker Announces
Soldiers Are Entering Large
Field of Operations on Front
in France

washington, Feb. 24-Secretary of
war Baker in his weekly review of tho
war shows the Russians TO be losing
great quantities or ammunition, equip
ment. ordnance and supplies In the
onrush of the German hordes The
Firms are helping the enemy and
there is still no evidence of any con-
centrated effort to stop the advance.
American troops are entering into
the larger field OF operations They
have passed through the training pc
Rod in the trenches and are now ac-
lively engaged in large infantry at
tacks and artillery duels almost con-
tinuslly,
General Pershing himself is maxi
ing personal inspection of the Amer
lean sector battle front.
Speaking of the Russian operations.
Secretary Baker says:
The enemy Is moving eastward
along a broad front. Dwinsk, Minsk
and Lutzk were occupied without Re-
sistance. The crossing OF the Dvina
was unopposed.
In the region OF the Gulf OF Riga,
the German forces are rapidly adj
vancing through Esthonia and have
already reached point 100 miles east
Of Riga German warships have ap-
peared OFF Reveal. Harpsal has been
captured
The Germans apparently plan to
seize Esthonia- Lvonia and parts of
Finland and even occupy Petrograd.
Firms Aid Enemy.
Firms are assisting the enemy in
gaining a foothold on the Finnish
coast Four hostile transports have
landed Finnish soldiers who had Sc
reved in the German army at vasa.
rigorous offensive against the Fin
MI h xrh IN
south of Tammerfors and Vtborg
seems TO be contemplated. In the SEC
tor Of the eastern front under Aus
trian control their forces are pushing
deep into Voihynia. After the occu-
patton of I4usk the Austrians appear
to have sformed a junction with GER
tain Ukraine contin gents and have adj
vanced on Rovno, which was captured
and cleared OF Russians.
The number of prisoners taken by
the Central Powers liz increasing rap
idly and the war material already
enumerated which has fallen into the
hands OF the enemy includes 1.9S3
guns 100 machine guns, between A.
900 and 5000 motor cars and 1000
freight cars Allied with food supplies,
atrplanes and other booty.
Hitherto, little opposition has been
offered to the advancing Germans. and
Il Ia not as vet clear what prepara-
tons the Russians are making to
meet the enemy. 1t Is reported that
Russian units are concentrating at
Vitebsk, $50 miles southeast of
Dvinsk.
while no major undertakings were
recorded in the west, yet the entire
front was tn scene of hard driven as
sahilts of a minor character
Americans At Work.
"0ur own forces are taking an iff-
creasingly important part I'm the OPP
erations. Last week we recorded the
participation OF our artillery in the
very successful thrust made by the
French in the region Of the Butte On
Mesnil
This week the presence of our in
fantry in a very important area. OF
the Chemin Des Danes is reported.
Here our patrols have been outside
our baroed wire and have undertaken
a number Of scouting expeditions in
No Mans Land which were success
fully carried through.
AT the time our detachmen ts were
coming up into the trenches they
were under heavy hostile shell Are.
nevertheless our men made their way
to their stations without confusion or
casualties It is useful to note that
our forces now in action on this, one
of the most active sections of the en-
tire French front. have acquitted
themselves very creditably.
During the week General Psrshing
made a personal inspection Of the
American sector northwest of Tout.
He visited all of our first line
trenches. observation posts. battery
emplacements. and other points OF in
terest. During the two days spent
on this tour the commander-in-chi
came in close contact with the men