The Washington herald., 1918-02-19
Trotzky Government Men
aeed by Foreign Foe and
Civil Strife.
FINLAND SEEKS HELP
OF GERMAN INVADERS
Red Guards Strike Terror
Among Starving Coun-
tymen at Kiev.

Amsterdam, Feb. Is. With
Austria insisting upon the role of
innocent bystander in the Eastern
war. which was renewed at noon
today. Germany resumed the In
vasion of the Russian coast prov
lnces. and took steps. it is re-
ported. toward a hard and swift
blow at Petrograd. in an attempt
to crush Bolshevikism with the
force of arms.
All that Austria will do here
after In a military way in the
East. apparently authentic advices
state. is to protect her communi-
cations with the Ukraine"
means to protect the transporta-
ton of Ukrainian food into the
starving Hapsburg domains.
Land and Sea Drive.
Al last accounts, sent shortly after
the armistice expired at noon. Ger
man troops were sweeping northward
from the Riga-Friedrichstadt front
into Livonia's interior and toward
Esthonia-both provinces the demand
for annexation of which wrecked the
peace parleys with the Russian readi-
Gals The main force is believed to be
proceeding along the railway Riga
Nolk, some 100 miles. Thence a
strategic railroad runs almost due
north to Petrograd, another 80 mfIes
German sea forces of the entrSRce Of
The Finnish Gun are expected to Co
operate witt the land drive.
From Dag Island, long since con-
verted INTO German naval base, the
German feet that invaded the Gulf OF
Riga just before Kerensky's downfall
would have a distance of less than s9o
miles to cover to get to Kronstadt.
the fortress guarding Petrograd. At
kronstadt lies the bulk Of Russis's
, Baltic feet. bottled up since the loss
Of Oesel, Dago and Moon Islands.
On the way to Kronstadt lies Reval.
the evacuated Russian fortress 800
miles west-southwest Of Petrograd.
Opposite Reval is Helsingfors. the
Finnish capital.
Finland Bess Aid.
From Germany there came again
today stories of pitiful appeals from
Finland for aid against the Red
Guards. German propaganda has
been busy for weeks preparing for
a campaign to 'liberate" Finland
from the Bolsheviki. On that pre-
text, a landing of German troops
on Finnish soil would surprise no
one In Petrograd, meanwhile, are
900 german prisoners. The Ger
man press is full of stories that
these are threatened with wholesale
massacres. From Finland. there
fore, the Germans are expected TO
prOceed-if they can-to Petrograd
to free" their nationals there.
Meanwhile. war OF the bloodiest
sort between organized mobs reigns
at the southern end of the Russian
front. Kief, the Ukrainian capital.
has fallen to the Bolsheviki. after
great slaughter. The dead number
ed 1000. The Ukrainian Rada, which
made the peace with the Teutons. is
safe at Zhitomir. capital of Volhy-
MIA. But this place is only eighty
miles southwest OF Kiev. Frantic
appeals have been sent, therefore.
by the Ukrainians TO Berlin and
Vienna to help stem the Bolshevist
tide.
COssscks Threaten.
simultaneously with the reported
German invasion. the Bolsheviki are
threatened with attack by large Cos
sack forces under Gen. Alexief. In
these forces the Teutons. alert to fur
ther Russian disruption, see a new
ally. They are expected TO bend might
and main to swing AleNieff and the
moderate elements which he represents
Gncluding the constitutional demo-
Gratis. led by Miliukoff, Dodzianko and
LvofD to their side.
Famine is one OF the Bolshevikfs
greatest foes. Petrograd has been
starving for weeks and hunger is
acute. One report from Petrograd to-
day had il that the Dutch minister
there had been robbed and stripped
by a mob. Gen. Kaledin, the CossacG
leader. continues the center of rumors.
1t is again reported he committed sur
eide.
Odessa doomed up again in today's
advices as the scene OF violent clashes
between the moderates and Bolsheviki
Mackensen's armies still stand at Tul-
cea, 155 miles from the great Black
Sea port, and at Braila, l2 miles
southwest OF IT, At the slightest pre-
text the Germans are expected to dash
northward to take possession OF
Odessa whence they could best -'su-
perintend'' the exploitation Of South
ern Russia's resources