Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-10-20
REPORTS THAT PETROCRAD HAS
BEEN CAPTURED BY RUSSIAN
ANTl.BOLSHEVlKI ARE DENIED
General Staff Of The Finnish
Army Makes Official Re-
port OF Capture OF The
City; Other Reports Con-
tradict Il.
(By the Associated Press)

The Bolshevik hold upon Petrograd.
which, although repeatedly reported
captured. was still in Bolsheviki hands
at last reports from accepted sources.
is fast weakening and the fall of the
city seems imminent, according to to-
days official advices from the British
war office. *
krondstadt, the great island fort.
ress defending the old capital from
the seaside, capitulated Friday and
there Is nothing now to prevent the
advance of the Esthonian troops along
the shore toward Petrograd which the
fortress guns had thus far held up.
Anti-Bolshevik cavalry in wide
circling raid, have swept around the
general vicinity of Gatchina and have
cut all three of the remaining rail-
roads connecting Petrograd with the
rest of Russia The main line to Pskov
and Berlin with its branch to Reval,
fell into the hands Of General Yude-
mitch hitch when Gatchina was taken. His
cavalry now have cut the ,Vietbsk line,
running directly south from Petro-
grad through Tsarskoe Selo and
Pavlovsk, at a point about IS miles
from the city; the main trunk line to
MOSCOW was reached and cut at Tos-
ma, thirty miles southeast Of Petro-
grad, where the destruction Of the
sure an interruption of traffic with
the capitol for considerable time,
and the road running eastward to
,Vologda. which closely follows the
south bank of the Neva, was destroyed
at point south of Lake Ladoga. Boil
shevist reinforcements. which Trotzky
announced were being rushed to the
defense of the city, now must be de-
trained full days march from Pet
rograd and if approaching from the
south must fight their way into Pet
rograd through serious opposition as
shown by the destruction Of Bolshevik
division in the vicinity of Krasnoe
the Baltic fleet, the remnants of which
have been lurking in the shelter of
Kronstadt but if, as seems possible
from the dispatches, the fortress fell
not as the result of assault and land
ing but by surrender from within, the
spirit of the garrison probably is shar-
ed by the ships crews, composed of
the same elements. fi.
The fall of. Kronstadt is vastly inn
portant, not only strategically, but also,
for its effect on Bolshevist morale. 1t
has been considered impfegnable to
attack from sea or land and the mem
bers of its sailor garrison have been
from the outset Of the revolution the
! stoutest supports of the Bolshevist
cause. Now that it's formidable guns
! are SILENT the allied ,cruiserssan de
stroyers can pass further up the bay
toward Petrograd about 20 miles
away, and can support the advance
of troops along the coast to points di-
rectly in the rear of .Bolshevist forces
defending Petrograd from the south. =
Paris, Oct 20.-(Havas)-Co
dictory reports are received from Rus
sia and it is impossible to confirm ru-
mors that Petrograd has been taken
! by the northwestern Russian army
| under General Yudenitch. 1t sen1es
| certain, however, that. the -Yudenitch
troops are advancing and must be at
the gates of the city. if they have
not already entered it, -
Capture Reported.
Washington, Oct. 19.-The fall Of
Petrograd and the occupancy of both
that city and the fortress of Kronstadt
| by the Russian anti-Bolshevik forces
has been reported officially by the
general staff Of the Finnish army to
the Viborg representative of the
northwest government of Russia. This
inform alton reached the state depart
ment tonight.
| Made Chief.
Paris. Oct. 20.-(Havas)-News
papers here announce that General
Mangin Of the French army has been
/ nominated as chief of the inter-Al-
| lied mission to supervise the evacua-
ton of the Baltic provinces by Ger
man troops who up till last week were
under the command Of General Won
der Goltz. They declare. however,
that the nomination has not been con-
firmed. but that it seems probable
| that this or some other similar post
CONTINUED on page 12.l