THE RUSSIAN DRIVE IN ASIA MINOR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2761, 3 May 1916, Page 5

THE RUSSIAN DRIVE IN ASIA MINOR

A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION TURKS SHOIOT THEIR GERMAN COLLEAGUES Br Telegraph—Press Associatioa-Copyriglit ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. Mav 2, 5.30 p.m.) London, May 2. Reports from Petrograd state that the Turks have strongly reinforced the region from Trebizoncl _lo Urzerut (? Kharshut). Austrian guns and largo quantities of muniiions have been railed to Angora, and thence by motors. Theso new faqtors account for the temporary suspension of■ the Russian offensive. ' . The "Times" correspondent at Bucharest states that before leaving Trebizond the Turkish officers shot several of their German colleagues. The conviction that Germany has the present troubles upon Turkey is increasing in the army and the population generally. It is recognised that she has little prospect of retaining her independence, and the milder rule of.the Allies seems to be more tolerable than German tyranny'. When the Russians entered the town, it was totally abandoucd, aud full ai corpses of massacred Armenian women arrf children.

TURKS REPULSED BY THE RUSSIANS . IN THE DIRECTION OF BAGDAD. ' (Rec. May 3, 0.30 a.m.) Petrograd, May 2. Official.—"ln the-direction of Bagd ad the Russians have repulsed the Turks towards the west, capturing their artillery. "There is universal admiration for General Townshend, who only capitulated through hunger and sonrvy." THE ATTEMPTS TO RELIEVE TOWNSHEND (Rec. May 3, 0.30 a.m.) . j .. ■' ■ Amsterdam, May 2. A telegram, from. Constantinople states that'the British, in addition to sending the,ill-fated food ship up the river in the attempt to get supplies to Kut-el-Amara, also attempted to relievo General Townshend by dropping sacks of.flour from aoroplanes, but the latter, which were old, were easily shot down by the Turks, whereupon General Townshend said, that he was willing to surrender if the army were allowed to depart. Tho Turks refused, and demanded an unconditional 6urrander. GERMAN OPINION ON THE SURRENDER OF KUT-EL-AMARA ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) ; (Rec. May 2, 0.30 p.m.)' London, May 1. The German Press is jubilant over tho surrender of Kut-el-Amara. The "Lolcal Anzeiger" says: "Kut-dl-Amara and ;the Irish rebellion make EnglancPs tlack week." '.'■-'.- The "Tageblatt" thinks that $16 surrender of Kut-el-Amara a;u»'j*ecipitate a. British Ministerial crisis.

GERMAN ACCOUNT OF THE r.F.ISONERS. (Rec. May i, 10.40 p.ra.j Amsterdam, May 1. A German official communique states:—This prisoners nfc Kut-el-Amara include four generals, and 340 British and 270 Indfcvs officers. * To?inshend was allowed to retain his sword. WAS VON DER GOLTZ ASSASSINATED? (Rcc. May 3, 0.30 a.m.) . Bucharest, May i: f-'ma from a reliable source in Constantinople states that an Anatolian o&r.t.- named Ali Abdurah shot Meld-Harshal Von dor Golta, firing >?«• bul-( lets-, on the evening of April 14. MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT'S VIEW. '. To a Christchurch interviewer,. Mr. lAshmead-Bartlett, the British war correspondent, recently in the Dardanelles, imparted some interesting opinions .concerning,the surrender at^Kut-el-Amara. -, Thero was nodoiibt, he said, that to the mass of people in New Zealand the news would come as%.shock, because of the optimistic telegrams received lately tending to the belief that tho force could be relieved by General Gorringe's army advancing up the Tigris, or (that General Townshend would be able to hold out long enough to enable the Russians to make a diversion from Bitlis. 1 To those in the know, however, it was obvious that it was'only a question of time before General-Townshend woußd capitulate. It was now merely a realisation of a disagreeable anticipation., "I think you will find," Mr. Bartlett continued, "that the event will bo taken quietly at Home, and the solidarity of the Coalition Government will not be jeopardised, because the incident belongs, not to the present, but rather to the dark da 3's of 1915, before we had; set our house in order. It is i mpontant to state that since the reorganisation of the General Staff the direction of our campaign has at last been ' centralised and placed under the best military talent. Sir William Robertson and the General Staff, therefore, are in, no way responsible . for the disaster, as the direction had only been takeui from the Indian Government ', a short time ago. Naturally an effort had to be made to relieve "General Townshend, and it failed, owing to the great strength of the Turks, the extremely difficult nature of the country, and tho difficulty of operating a. long way from the base by a single line of communication, every yard of which' had to be protected against roving predatory Trnnds of, Arabs. The whole unfortunate affair can now be regarded as closedj," commented Mr. Bartlett. "It is the last of the unsettled bad debts which arose from the muddles of 1915. Compared with the, Russian! successes at Erzerom and Trebizond; it is but as a drop in,the ocean." Asked whether he thought that the reverse would affect the situation in the East, Mr. Ashmead-Bartlett did not anticipate any trouble with the Moslem population,, although it was ppssible that one or two disturbances of a looal character might result.

CLEARING THE WESTERN EGYPTIAN DESERT : ENORMOUS HAUL OF IBOOTY. ~.■.', > London, May 1. Official.—The conditions in the northern area of the Western Desert, near Solium, are rapidly returning to normal. Over a. quarter of a million rounds of ammunition and two wireless sets have boen crjptured. Our aerial reconnaissances from Kliarga completely frustrate the* enemy movements. The British have occupied Moghara.

The Hirrh Commissioner's report adds:—"The oiative markets have opened at Dabaahamma and Ambiato,_ and supplies are reaching the west. Our aerial flights ■at Dakhla have inflicted considerable clamagc. Refugees from Baharia report that there are immediate prospects of famine, and that typhus has broken put. No medicines exist, and there are uio arrangements to cope with the epidemic." ■ THE TROUBLE WITH GREECE M. VENIZELOS SUPPORTS THE ALLIES Br Telegraph—Press Association—Copyflight Athens, May 1. M. Venizelos supports the passage of Serbian troops over the Greek railways. ;