Show 1 AS A PIVOTAL POINT L Thriving Russian City That Controls l River Valley One of the Strongest Fortified L one of Russia's strongest for for- cities Is described In a bulletin Issued by the National Notional Geographic society solety so so- lety clety which says f- f With a n population of In In- eluding Jews Is a city i 1 of prime Importance to Russia for It virtually controls the whole valley of tho the River upon whose right i- i bank it Is situated miles 13 miles by river southeast of Riga Not only Is Important as a 0 strategic river point but as a thriving railway center It Is the Junction point for the great arteries of commerce com corn merce merce running from Riga to and from Petrograd to Vilna There Is also an Important railroad to Libau i r Is miles by rail southwest of f Petro Petrograd rad F Is nn tin Important agricultural V center enjoying an extensive trade In Ina Ing g a flax hemp and grain It Is also a big timber market and Its flourishing Industries In before the war Included d flour mills breweries match and tobacco factories tanneries brick and tile me works t In most encyclopedias and the city Is listed under Its old name F. F of but In 1893 the Russian r authorities officially declared It to be During Napoleons Napoleon's Russian campain campaign cam pain 1 In 1812 Marshal tried dIn Jn In vain to tp I capture the bridgehead at but the honor of taking the i city was reserved for Macdonald a n few weeks we s later |