RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 September 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

OPERATIONS AT RICA. I OX LAND AND SEA. New York, Sept. 0. It is reported the German fleet is preparing to attack Revel. [Revel is the next port of any size on the coast between Riga and Petrograd.] Petrograd, Sept. 8. Yesterday the German fleet appeared In the Gulf of Riga. The Riga front is broken on a of 37 miles. The Germans energetically attacked, especially north of llzkull in order to cut the Riga-Wenden railway. RETREATING ON CURVED FRONT. A TEMPORARY KEYSTONE. Received Sept. 8, 1 a.m. Times Servico. ( London, Sept. 7. The Russians continue to retreat on a curving front of sixty or seventy miles between the Gulf of Riga and the Dvina, and the most pronounced coastal region, steadying on fnedrictistadt, .which is the temporary keystone of the Livonian front. ANTI-REVOLUTION PLOTS. MONARCHISTS IMPLICATED. Reuter Service. Received Sept. 7, 9 p.m. Petrograd, dept. 6. It is officially stated that besides the Grand Dukes and other members of the ex-Czar's entourage certain monarchist politicians are implicated in the antirevolution plot. Evidence traced in Petrograd, .Moscow, Kieff, Odessa, and i Siberia show that large sums were in-! tended to bp utilised in the plot. The evidence has been seized and the arrests continue. RUSSIAN RETIREMENT CONTINUES. Received September 7, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 0, A wireless Russian official message states: Continuing our retirement north of the River Aa, we crossed the Melupe river in the region of Pakoviegad. We retired south-west of the Wenden. In operations cast of Riga we reached the line Klangsnberg-Moritzberg-Kastran-Friedrichstadt.

Riga stand* on both banks of the Dvina, whore it falla into the Gulf of j/Riga. For over 200 miles the river has followed a north-westerly course to the sea ; and the Germans have stood close upon its west bank for nearly the whole distance between Dvinsk and Riga. But ut Uxkull, 20 miles from the mouth of the river, the front turned suddenly to the west and formed a sharp bend at /Mitau, turning northward again there and reaching the coast of the Gulf of T.iga. The Mitau road ran down the centre of this salient. The exact spot where the Germans crossed the river is not shown by name on the maps available, but it was in all probability in the game j'laee as their attempts of last year a few miles north-west of Uxkull, where the problem is facilitated by the splitting of tho stream round Dalen Island and other advantageous features. Once across the Dvina, the enemy "developed his success to the northward" with the intention of reaching the coast east of Riga, or at least of cutting tho railway and road running north-east to Petrograd. This was the "threatening .situation" which obviously compelled •the Russians to abandon the Riga region. The abandonment at present probably alfects only the salient west of the Dvina. The new move will be certain to have very serious results. The Russian defenco of the Dvina in 1010 was the bulwark of tho whole Russian front as far south as the Pripel river. Now it has broken down the enemy may be able to enforce a very extended Russian retreat and may even essay an advance on Petrograd Itself.