GERMANY MOVES

Evening Star, Issue 16663, 20 February 1918, Page 6

GERMANY MOVES

ADVANCE ON PETKOGRAD. DVINSK FALLS. KIEFF ALSO THREATENED. WESTERN STROKE EXPECTED. [By Criticus.] All tilings come to' an end at last, and there is good reason to believe that we are at the end of the long period of unparalleled dullness in the war news which has been the-main feature of the past few months. The news promises to become interesting again. Berlin officially announces that hostilities against Russia were resumed 011 Tuesday. The Germans have crossed tho Dwina in the neighborhood of Dvinsk without a fight, and they are advancing from Kovel in response to the appeal of the Ukraine for assistance. • The first move looks like the beginning -of an advance by the most direct road upon Petrograd. The second move is the opening of an advance south of the Pripet upon Kieff for the purpose of interposing between the Bolsheviks and the Ukraine, in order to ensure communication with the latter country. The first move is the most critical. It may be fatal for Russia, unless the Russians pull themselves together in a most unexpected way; and it will be best to deal with it first. Dvinsk stands on the river Dwina, about 120 miles south-east of Riga. It is located at the point where the Dwina bends away sharply to the eastward, and this fact, coupled with its position on the most direct line to Petrograd, gives it immense tactical and strategical importance. It is surrounded by very diilicult and swampy country, and the* Russians have exhausted every military device in strengthening the town. It withstood all the assaults of the Germans even when the Russians were short of munitions; but now that the Bolsheviks are in control we may expect it to fall almost without serious resistance. The Tiews of its occupation by the enemy may be expected any hour. Haying Dvinsk. the Germans have their choice of two main lines of advance. They may either advance straight upon Petrograd .by way of Pskov, a distance of 500 miles; or they may swine to the left and advance upon Re'val, the important naval base upon the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 150 miles north of Riga. This latter advance would enable their fleet to co-operate on their left flank,- and Reval would serve as an.excellent advanced base for a march on Petrograd. Thev would thus have the advantage of sea communications all the way. As a matter of fact, both lines of advance are likely to be adopted. The main advance will probably be by way of Pskov, and, as the Russians are pushed well back, a smaller force will advance northwards.upon Reval. Thus the advantages of both lines of advance can be secured. Later sables briu°news of the fall of Dvinsk. CRITICAL EOR RUSSIA. Let us waste no time or enemy in talking nonsense about General January or the Russian winter. Spring is coming* the enemy have the summer before them, their communications are excellent, and only hard fighting can save the Russians. But it is very doubtful whether Russia is capable of hard lighting. If she were united and efficient the forces that the Germans are using against her would be contemptible. But she resembles nothing so much as a huge blubber whale, to such a condition of anarchy and helplessness have the Bolsheviks reduced her—these wellmeaning folk who intended to bring peace, prosperity, and happiness both to Russia and the. world at large. The small but efficient German armies will be like killer whales taking huge bites out of the sides of the helpless and blubberv monster until death ensues, unless there is a recrudescence of the lighting spirit in Russia accompanied by the overthrow of the madmen who are at present hurrying her -to destruction For the tune being there is nothing in sight which ran step the enemy from occupying Reval. Petrograd, and Moscow, and reducing Russia, to subjection. Civil war is raging everywhere. Petrograd announces that the 'White Guards, under General Mannerheim. have captured Tammersfors, in Finland. It is curiously illustrative of the Bolshevik habit of mind that the Leninites, instead of unitin" to defend their capital against the Gcrnians should have telegraphed to the revolutionary Government at Helsingfors urging them to hold out. and announcing that troops and artillery are being sent-. So troops and artillery are to be sent away from Petrograd for the purposes of civil war in Finland, when the Germans are actually advancing upon the capital In the south Generals Alexieff and Korniloff are reported to be at the head of armies and General Alexieff is said to be successfully developing operations in the neighborhood of Lagantag: while, characteristically enough, Petrograd reports that the Bolsheviks are sending 100.000 men, under Ensign Kiylenko, against General Alexieff. But the Germans will have something to say in regai'd to the despatch of troops from Petrograd presently. THE SOUTHERN ADVANCE. The cable announces a German advance towards " Kovel, but as that place is already in the hands of the Austro-Germans it doubtless means eastward from Kovel. On Monday the enemy reported the occupation of Brody. 80 miles to the south Railway lines from both these places converge upon Rovno, about 80 miles southeast of Kovel. and 60 miles north-east of P l r ° dy V J mm Rovno a line runs north through Sarny, across the Pripet Marshes and through Luniez to the important- Baranovitchi junction, now held bv-the ■Yustro Germans. Sarny is about 90 miles east of Kovel, with which it is connected bv rail Luniez; is only 30 miles north-erst of Pinsk, and is connected with that town bv rail also. The Austro-Germans hold tmsk, and an advance from Pinsk and Kovel upon Luniez and Sarny should give them early possession of the railway running north from R-ovno, and thev will thus secure an excellent lateral fine of communication linking up with Baranovitchi junction. Kieff is nearly 200 miles east of Rovno, but as the enem'v will have the. co-operation of the Ukrainians the advance should offer no great difficulty *lt will turn the flank of the Rumanians bv the north, and completely isolate them The most hopeful sign is the reported arrival of a Rumanian peace delegation at Petrograd. That looks like an attempt to come to an understanding with the Bolsheviks in the face of the common danger. What the relation of the forces under Gen orals Alexieff and Korniloff to the Ukraine may be is not clear, but the generals in question are hardly tho men to counte - ance a separate peace The ultimate combination of all the other Russian sections with Rumania against the Ukraine is not an impossible or even improbable thimr as_ the German danger becomes more imminent Later cables report the capture of Lutsk, on the line- from Kovel to Rovno! ON THE THRESHOLD. According to the correspondent of the United Press, civilisation is 0 n the threshold of the most colossal battle of nil time, and the German offensive is expected immediately. He anticipates that the enemy will attempt to 'smash the British line between Arras and St. Quentin That is not an improbable point of attack- as it represents a blow at the junction between the. British and French armies. Success there would separate the Allies, and ren der possible a swing round by the north upon Paris, only about 80 miles southwest of St. Quentin. The correspondent has much to say about the coming Geriman tactics, the, most interesting point being the anticipated employment bv the enemy of tanks with a speed of four" miles an hour, and armed with mortars and machine guns. As a" surprise attack with a large fleet of tanks embodying, perhaps new tactical ideas of great potency, is the greatest danger we have to face, it is reasuring to see that opinion on the west front is awake to the possibilities of the situation

It will be noticed that all the authorities are taking the expected attack for granted. _ Presumably there must be vast preparations in the German rear to justify this conclusion. Still, it will be wise to be cautious in taking anything for granted until we see the attack actually delivered. Germany is now definitely committed to an offensive against Russia in defence of the Ukraine. On the east front she has the chance of a comparatively easy conquest of Russia, with the elimination of danger in the East and the securing of her supplies of food, oil, and other munitions for the remainder of the war. On the west front she has only the prospect of a desperate forlorn hope, with little real chance of success and every probability of meeting with a bloody repulse. If Austria is unwilling to renew the war with Russia she will be still more unwilling to attack in the west, and this' is merely another argument for concentrating upon the attempt to secure a decisive success in the east.