The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-21
1858 Guns, 5000 Motor Cars,
1000 Carloads of Food.
Invasion Continues; Now iS0
Miles From Petrograd.
.SLAVS STAMPEDE To FIGHT
BOlSheviki Vote Overwhelming
ly To Defend Petrograd.
Ukrainians Are Gathering I'm
der Germans Leadership.

Berlin. via London, Feb. 21.-
Pressing eastward from Dvirsk,
Pinsk and Rovno "a front of more
than 400 miles) we have cleared the
country of the enemy and taken pris-
oner general, several divisional conn
manders, 425 officers and 500 men,"
the German war office declared to-
day.
THE Russian town of Rovno has
been cleared of the Russians" the war
office reports. Trains with about
1000 cars, many laden with food, have
been captured well as airplanes
and an incalculable amount of war
material. Important railway and
highway functions have been occu-
pied
The war office also announced that
1853 guns and between 1000 and
5000 motor cars have been captured
from the Russians.
The Germans have passed thru
Wenden, IS miles northeast of Riga
and are now before Wolmar, 70 miles
northeast of Riga
(By the Associated Press.)
From the Gulf of Finland to the
southern border of Nolhynia the Ger
man advance into Russia is progress
ing. The main objectiveS are said to
be Veval, on the coast of Esthonia;
Pskoff between Dvinsk and Petrograd,
and the important centers of Minsk
and Nitebsk.
Hapsal and Werder in Esthonia,
southeast of Reval, have been occu-
pied. The invaders also are nearing
Pskoff Mohilev and Minsk. The inn
portant railway junction of Molo-
deschno, fifty miles northwest of
Minsk, is reported to have been cap
| tured by the Teutons. The occupa-
| ton of Dvinsk on Monday was a. COM
plete surprise to the civilian and milf
/ tary population. The Germans met
| with hardly. any resistance and took
artillery and much ammunition.
/ The German advance probably VIII
lcontinue until an authentic copy
| of the message of surrender is re-
| ceiyed from the Bolsheviki govern
ment in Petrograd. This is now on It's
way Foreign Minister Won Kuehl-
mann told the German relchstag that
he believed the new war would bring
| peace in the east. The treaty with
the Ukraine was made for the purpose
| of forcing the Bolsheviki to accept
| the German terms. Germany, he de-
| clared. wanted a peace with Russia
that corresponded to German inter-
ests In announcing that the German
| invasion of Esthonia was in answer to
| appeal for help. DR.. Won Seydler, the
! Austrian premier. declared tnat AUS
I tria- Hungary would not aid Germany
/ in her renewal of the war on Russia
| French i'm Brilliant Attack.
| In a brilliant attack in Lorraine,
French troops have gone thru the Ger
man first line on a lengthy front and
| captured more than four hundred
| prisoners This attack, the first of
| large proportions on the western
| front in 1918, was carried out north
| of Rures and east of Moncel, virtu-
| ally on the France-German border
south of Chateau Selins. Complete
| details of the successful effort are
lacking.
| There have been many raiding en-
terprises by both sides in this section
of Lorraine recently and this front
has been looked upon by French mill
| CONTINUED on Page Twol