The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-23
May Take City Before New
Russian Capital Can Be
? Established.
GOVERNMENT EXPECTS
GERMANS TO ADVANCE
Already Evacuating Small
Towns as kaiser's Men
Come Nearer.

Moscow, Tuesday, March 19.-By the
Associated Press. - Notwithstanding
that peace with Germany has been
ratified by the congress of Workmen's
and soldiers delegates, the German ad.
vance in Russia still continues the
evacuation of Petrograd having served
only to change the German objective
to Moscow.
According to reports printed in the
newspapers this morning the Germans
are moving toward MOSCOW from three
s-southwest, west and north
west. From the southwest they re-
Gently have advanced % miles from
Konotop, province of Tchernigov, in
the general direction of Bryansk,
which is 235 miles from Moscow by
rail.
Approach From West.
From the west the Germans are ap-
preaching Smolensk, which is about
go miles from Moscow. In the north
west they have captured the station Of
I.osenoyhkaya. in the government of
Nitcbsk
The order to evaeuate the hospitals
miles from Moscow, indicates that a
further German advance is considered
imminent by the government.
The governments of Poltava, Khar-
kov and Tchernigov have all been de-
Clared in a state of siege by the
Ukraine government in an effort to
save Kharkov and prevent a further
: advance by the Austrians supporting
the Ukraine bourgeoisie rada.
Want Ukraine Peace.
NJ. Tchiteherin of the BolsheVik for
eign office in a statement issued to-
day, says that the Soviet government
is negotiating informally with Ukraine
for peace and that he hopes formal
negotiations will open shortly.
The soviet government is rapidly
aisarming and disbanding the old army
and eliminating its influence from
public affairs. The Moscow soviet has
removed from It's executive committee
ali soldier. representatives and similar
action is taking place throughout Rus
sia, as the old army is presumably out
of existence and not entitled to repre-
sentation.
OemoOiHZe troops
The new voluntary army will select
representatives In the various soviets
The soldiers are unwilling at many
places to surrender their arms and re-
turn to work. At Petrograd three
regiments declined to be demobilized
The Bolshevik Red Guards entered th
barracks, surprised the sleeping sol
diers, seized their arms and forcet
them to leave the city.
The Petrograd soviet has issued
statement saying that these regiment
were under influences contrary to tn
revolutionary movement, We're lazy an
undiscipiined and refused to assist i
guard duty. In explanation Of tn
governments evacuation of Petrogr3
the soviet has. issued statement say
ing the commissioners went to Mos
COW for the purpose of saving Petro
grad from destruction. as they believe
the governments removal will demon
strate the strength Of the Russia
peoples government and show u
Germans that the capture Of the cal
itai would be useless as the govern
mcnt is prepared to fall back cor
stantly before the German advanc
resisting and slowing down the cneu
onslaught.
Deny Runors.
Rumors that AUSTRIAN and Gcrma
prisoners of war have occupied Il
trans Siberian railway are characte
lied as an absolute falsehood. in
dispatch received. hy Leon TrotzHy. Il
Tolshevik foreign minister. in resnon
to inquiries made of the represent
,tives of the Bolshevik commissaries
Irkutsk.
Under NJ. Trotzky's instructions d
rect telegranhic communication h
been established with NJ Strembel
commissioner of military affairs. a
NJ. Jansen. president of the cent?
executive council of the allRussi
soviet, both of whom are at 1rkntsk