The Washington herald., 1918-02-23
GERMAN DRIVE
UPON CAPITAL
STUNS RUSSIA
Bolshevists Appeal in Vain
to Check Persistent Ad-
vance Of Armies.
BENT ON ANNEXATIONS
Indications Are Gen. Won
Hoffman Would Emulate
Feat Of Napoleon.
BENT on ANNEXATIONS

Amsterdam, Feb. 22.-Coupled
with their land-and-sea drive on
Petrograd, the Germans, accord
ing to indications late tonight,
are trying to repeat Napoleon's
drive on Moscow, Russia's ancient
capital.
There they will attempt, relia-
bic reports have it, to make a
deal with the Constitutional Dem
Ocrats, led by such men as Mil
yukoff. Rozdianko, Prince Lvoff
and Gen. Alexieff, for the estab-
lishment OF a stable government
in place OF the Bolshevik.
Their immediate objective in
this drive is Vitebsk, one of the
oldest cities of Russia, which still
bears the marks of the Napole-
Onic campaign. They are march
ing on this city from two direc-
tions-from Dwinsk, I25 miles to
the northwest. and from Minsk,
~ miles to the southwest. From
\itcbsk a strategic rail runs di-
rectly to Moscow, 287 miles south
eastward.
Advances Continue.
Meanwhile the advance on the So
mile front. with Petrograd and Kiev
the principal goals. continues at whirI-
wind speed. Cavalry is in the lead.
Chlans and Hussars are approaching
Walk. in the North, 222 miles from
Petrograd. and Zhitomir in the South,
eighty miles southwest of Kiev.
In the center. Mohiley. the former
Russian headquarters and chief sup
ply distribution point comparable to
Edine. in Venetia. is near fall In
caiculable stores OF provisions and ma
tcrial are accumulated there. Greater
than all the dangers involved in this
advance. however. is the menace TO
.Petrograd lurking behind the so far
carefully screened German movements
or Finnish soil.
over the PROSTATE body of Fin
land. bathed in the blood orgies of
the Red Guards. Germany proposes
to leap at the throat of Bolshevism."
This prediction has since been full
filled GeTmany's desperate efforts
To embTOil Sweden with the Bolshe-
Wiki continue. Sweden, however,
still remains adamant.
Beyond allowing volunteers to
help the Firms. she will take no ac-
tion. The MaNimalists quick to
realize the menace presented by the
landing of German troops in Fin
land. today ordered a halt to the
campaign OF murder and piIlage the
redguards have been carrying on
there. All BoIshevist troops are to
he withdrawn. and the Russian fleet
m the Finnish gulf has received
orders to retire to Kronstadt.
BOIsheyIki Fight.
Imcensed over Germany's silence
toward their peace message, the
BOlsheviki are summoning all Rus
sia, soldiers and peasants. men and
women, to fight a real revolution
aTy war" against the invader. A
peoples terrorism" guerilla war
fare on an unprecedented scale, is
to be opposed to the Kaiser's steam
!. roller. Petrograd has been placed
in a state of siege. Ensign Krylen-
kO, the Bolshevist generaIissimo. is
racing from one end of the soldier
mob-line to the other, imploring,
persuading. threatening the troops
to defend the revolution. From the
SmOlny institute a new appeal is
issued every hour.
Each expresses the conviction
that the Teutonic masses will re-
volt ere long and overthrow the
militaristic regime that is swallow
ing up holy Russia's vast border
lands. Each denounces the Russian
bourgeoisie. threatens severest pen
atty to those who will not fight or
work, and adjures the people to
stem the invading tidal wave with
their lives. il necessary. so the revo-
luton may live.
Sick at heart, utterly powerless
to help their suffering fatherland
because it is too late. the moderates,
the generals of CZardom's times,
the statesmen and leaders of
thought. who foresaw all this many
months ago, are viewing the spec
tacIe of the apostles of Utopia, who
themselves wiped out all law and
order, all discipline and organiza-
'tion, now frantically striving to
bring all these things back over
night.
- Upon the feelings of the moder-
kres the Teuton spies, generals and
dipfols-sts are now preying as they
preyed upon the feelings of the
Ukrainidl dlns and Firms. This is the
moment.l Berlin and Vienna believe.
TO strike home a bargain with the
survivors, of the old system.
Trptzky Awaits Answer.
Meanwhile the delegates of Trotzky
and Lenine that we're sent to Gen.
Hoffman. with the authenticated SUR
render document' demanded by him
are still lost somewhere between Pet
rograd aud Dwinsk." Smolny Institute
is vainly waiting for a word from them
or from Hoffman.
The Germans" says one of the
Bolshevist proclamations in substance,
are purposely delaying their answer
so as to gain time to gobble I'D as
much territory as possible
Between Dwinsk and Potsdam the
wires are buZzlng at fever heat. The
generals aad the diplomats are screw
ing the neN demands On Russia higher
and higher ''Petrograd will be occu-
pied at al costs says one virtualiy
Aofficial dipatch from Berlin Ths