RUSSIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 23 October 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA

GOVERNMENT TO MOVE TO MOSCOW PETROGRAD IN THE WAR ZONE.

(Reuter's Telegrams.)

PETROGRAD, Oct. 19.

In view of the new strategic situation bringing Petrograd into the. war zone, the Government will take measures for the evacuation of Petrograd. The Government will go to Moscow. A special Ministerial commission has been constituted to consider evacuation. The Constituent Assembly will also meet at Moscow. The evacuation by the Government will not be precipitate. The preliminajy Parliament will hold its first meeting at Petrograd, when the Government will explain the reason for th» transfer to Moscow.

The railway service is precarious owing to lack of fuel, and a further reduction of trains is foreshadowed.

The Novoe Vremya states that the evacuation of Reval began on the 16th inst., owing to the. danger of an enemy landinsr. ,'Most of the inhabitants have gone into the interior.

THE REGENT NAVAL lATTLE

TEN GERMAN DREADNOUGHTS ENGAGED'.

LANDING ON DAGO ISLAND

MOON SOUND CLOSED.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.)

(Admiralty per Wireless Pres£.)

LONDON, Oct. 19.

A Russian official message says : During Wednesday's battle our battleships secured hits on enemy Dreadnoughts. No fewer than ten German Dreadnoughts of the Kaiser and Koenig type, ten cruisers. 50 destroyers, of which 20 were of the. newest type, ten submarines, and a large number of trawler auxiliaries, transports, hydroplanes, and rafts participated. Enemy troops on Wednesday landed at Serro, on Dago Island. It is reported that eleven enemy ships are anchored off the east coast of Moon Island. Two German torpedo boats were sunk in the minefields in Moon Sound yesterday. ABOUT TWENTY kUSSIAN WARSHIPS BOTTLED UP. PETROGRAD NOT IN IMMEDIATE ' DANGER. (Published in The Times.) LONDON. Oct. 20. The latest news from Riga emphasises the seriousness of the disaster, the present position being that apparently nineteen or twenty Russian warships are bottled in the narrow Moon Sound, one side of which is under German occupation, while German fleets, with numerous auxiliaries, are guarding the north and south exits. ,

The actual number of warships taking refuge in the Sound ie unknown. A German communique says that there are twenty The Russians name big vessels, but are silent concerning what has happened tp the remainder of the defending fleet. It is certain that the powerful Baltic fleet based on Kronstadt has not participated, and it may possibly now seek to go to the rescue of- the isolated squadron, whose dangerous position is accentuated by the dangers of Moon Sound, which is mostly shallow water, with a deep narrow passage midway. There are mines at the entrance.

Land operations depend upon the German intentions. Their occupancy of Moon Island, the partial destruction of the forts, and the narrowness—six by ten miles —of the Sound, enable them to land troops on the mainland from Oesel Island in boats under cover of long-range naval guns, outranging the remaining .land batteries.

The Government's decision to evacuate Petrograd was the natural outcome of the recent events, and is largely political, as there is no immediate danger of/ occupation by enemy troops.

ENEMY SHIPS JIN GREAT STRENGTH

RUSSIANS HOPELESSLY OUTCLASSED. (Reuter's Telegrams.) PETROGRAD, Oct. 19. The bombing of Pernau resulted in the killing of ten* civilians. The Russian crews throughout the fighting displayed great bravery. The Minister of Marine, M. Verderevsky, has joined the Baltic Fleet. jHe states that each Koenig Dread- ! nought in the recent battle was more powerful than the whole Russian squadron. He declares that the Rus- ' sians sank the Slava when it was dis- ! covered that she was too much damagi ed to join the remainder of'the retiring ! warships, the object being to block the channel against the enemy. The Chief 'of the Naval General Staff stated that the submarines were unable to prevent the German disembarkation at OeseL Island in consequence of the heavy swell. ABANDONMENT OF MOON ISLAND. GERMAN MINE-LAYING OPERATION. (Australian and N.Z. Gable Association and Router.) LONDON, Oct. 20. A Russian official report states: Under pressure of superior naval forces we abandoned Moon Island. Our trawlers discovered that many minefields had been sown with tho intention to close the entrance to Riga Gulf from Moon Sound. These operations, in conjunction with the landing of detachments at Dago Island, show the enemy's desire to destroy the naval forces defending this region. SITUATION IN BALTIC ISLANDS. RETIREMENT IN GOOD ORDER. (Australian and N.Zj Cable Association and "R^Htwr.) LONDON, Oct. 22. A Russian naval communique dea.ls with the general situation in the Baltic Isles on the 19th inst., as follows: ! The islands of Oesel and Moon are de- ' finitely in the enemy's hands. ;opera- ! tions in Dago Island are hampered by j the marshes, and also because the I small garrisons are merely defending j the coast batteries. v The naval base at Moon Sound, ' inj eluding the bulk of the warships, tugs," } transports, etc., was transferred in an orderly manner to a safer point at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, de- ■ spite enemy opposition. ' The abandoned base was completely dismantled. Russian warships are now protecting the northern entry to Moon , Sound and the mouth of the Gulf of Finland against a fresh enemy attack. ; During the Gulf of Riga operations . a submarine attacked the enemy fleet and fired tw» torpedoes at a Dreadnought, but the submarine was shelled and riddled by seaplanes and "was com- , pelled to submerge. A Dreadnought [' and a fleet of transports approached, and one of the latter, was torpedoed.

HEROIC DEFENCE

DESTROYER FIGHTS TO THE LAST. (Rec. Oct. 23, 11 a.m.) PETROGRAD, Oct. 22. Details of the Oesel battle show that the destroyer Grom was holed in 20 f places, and was soon a sheet of flames, but continued to fire until every gun was out of. action. The battle was fought at short range. When the crew abandoned the vessel, the enemy torpedoed, and then attempted to tow the Grom away. A Russian sailor in the torpedo chamber, who still survived, by heroic efforts launched a torpedo and blew up a German torpedoerfl Both vessels sank side by side. According to refugees from Oesel, the Germans placed the Russian prisoners in boats, saying, "Get off to Russia, as we have nothing to feed you with." When the boats were a short distance from the land the. enemy ma-chine-gunned them. STATEMENT BY RUSSIAN NAVAL. MEN. The crews of two Russian torpedo boats which participated in the fight !at Oesel Island have arrived. They declare that the fighting lasted»practically uninterruptedly from th e 12th to the 17th, the Germans losing one Dreadnought, and one cruiser sunk and another wrecked. Four torpedo boats «unk and two disabled. A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reut-er.) J Admiralty ?«r Wireless Pr*aM LONDON, Oct. 20. A German communique says: "We completely overcame the Russians on Moon Island, taking 5000 prisoners." CAPTURE OF DAGO ISLAND. LONDON, Oct. 21. A German official message says: "Bago Island is in our bands." ITALIAN SUBMARINE'S JOURNEY. SxVFE ARRIVAL AT ARCHANGEL. (Australian and N.Z Cabl» Association.) NEW YORK, Oct. 21. News has been received that an Italian submarine safely journeyed from Italy to Archangel. It will be carried in sections -to the Baltic. REMOVAL OF MUNITION WORKS. PETROGRAD, Oct. 22. 2 Important munition works are being removed from Petrograd. PETROGRAD CANNOT- BE TAKEN THIS WINTER. STATEMENT BY RUSSIAN EMBASSY. - WASHINGTON, Oct. 21. The Russian Embassy" declares that the Germans cannot take Petrograd this winter, and would never take it should the Russian soldiers offer the slightest defence. It is considered that the rumour of the Government moving to Moscow will permit the carrying out of a constructive programme, eliminating the Bolsheviki influence.

THE PRELIMINARY PARLIAMENT

M. KERENSKY'S ADDRESS

(Reuter'a Telegrams.) PETROGRAD, Oct. 21. The preliminary Parliament has opened. It is attended by representatives of the bourgeoisie, the Democrats, members of the Government, and Allied and neutral diplomats. M. Kerensky, in a spe.ech, urged the Government and Parliament to grapple •with the difficult problem of restoring the combativeness of the army to enable it to repulse the enemy, who were becoming more violent. Their triumph was not owing to their, atrength, but owing to the Russian impotence. Russia, if willing, could emerge from her painful situation much sooner than her enemies thought. M. Avkentiff, president of the Peasants' Delegation, was elected, president of the gathering. THE KORNILOFF REVOLT. PETROGRAD, Oct. 19. A conference representing all the Coseack troops demanded a public investigation of the Kormloff revolt, believing "that individuals, or organisations ambitious of securing power instigated the revolt. KORNILOFF 1 S DISINTERESTEDNESS. PETROGRAD, Oct. 2L Published documents relating to the Korniloff affair include a memorandum issued bv General Alexieff when ' resigning the post of Chief of Staff. He states his conviction that Korniloff did not lift his hand against the State. All he desired was to create a strong and capable Government. He had no personal aims, and was ready to work with anvone who would save the country. This is the basis of the widespread' sympathy for Korniloff. POLISH NATIONAL COMMITTEE. LONDON, Dct. 19. The Entente Governments have formally recognsed the Polish National Committee, which has been formed to secure Poland's independence with access seaward, and to raise a Polish armv to operate in France and Russia.

GERMAN ARMY. MUTINOUS MOVEMENT REPORTED. PETROGRAD, Oct. 22. Reports from the D>wina front .state that German prisoners admit a mutinous movement in the army at the prospect of a winter campaign. Ihe mutineers were severely punished. SOIDIERS' AND WORKMEN'S COUNCIL. SOME OF THEIR PEACE DEMANDS. PETROGRAD. Oct. 22. The following are among the Russian peace demands, which the Soldiers' and Workmen's Councils' Delegate will present when attending the mter-Al-lied Conference at Paris :—A free and uninfluenced plebiscite regarding the future of Alsace and Lorraine,' Italia Irredenta. Belgium, Serbia, and Montenecrro. with compensation from an international fund, restitution to Germany of all colonies, neutralisation of nil straits leading to inner seas, including Suez and Panama Canals, disarmament, on land and sea, avid the creation of a sv6tem of militia.

LAND OPERATIONS 1 Admiralty par Wrrelww PrawO LONDON, Oct. 21. A Russian official message says:_ — Our troops disregarded the enemy's signal to fraternise at Marotch Lake and the Buz.ec river. Our firing dispersed the signallers.