OCR Text |
Show RUSS ADMIRAL REVIEWS CRISIS Landing of German Troops on Oesel Island Hard Blow to Russia POLITICS HURTS NATION Naval Power of Russia Greatly Outnumbered by Fleet of Germany. PETROGRAD, Monday, OcL 13. The landing of German troops on Oesel island could have been averted only by risking battle under unfavorable circumstances, cir-cumstances, which might have resulted in the opening of the Gulf of Finland to the enemy, Admiral Verdervski, minister of marine, said today. The blow is a hard one to Russia but the Russian fleet apparently was in no positjon lo hinder the Germans. , "Sinco March," the admiral said, ."I have soveral times drawn attention to the possibility of such a blow and I also discussed the situation with Premier Pre-mier Kerensky, but no one paid attention atten-tion to the government's warning. Although Al-though we are at war, aur political differences dif-ferences have been given first place in the minds of the people. The Germans take this into account and events show that they have been able to take full advantage of it." German naval power Is four times greater than that of Russia, the 'admiral 'ad-miral continued. The naval force in the Gulf of Riga did everything possible pos-sible to prevent. a landing. The admiral sees no immediate danger dan-ger of a German attempt to enter the Gulf of Finland, believing that owing to the lateness of the season, the Germans' Ger-mans' operations will be localized. oo |