RUSSIAN ADVANCE ON BAGDAD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2771, 15 May 1916, Page 5

RUSSIAN ADVANCE ON BAGDAD

RETREATING ENEMY ENTERS TIGRIS VALLEY TURKS PREPARING FOR STRENUOUS RESISTANCE By Teleeranh—Press Association—Copyright . i (•'Times" ami Sydney "Sua" Services.) ..-.'.' : .;' <Bec. May 13, 5.25 p.m.) London, May 12. ' Reports from Petrograd state that the Russians are moving towards Bagdad, '. and-are within-.thirty.miles of Khanikin. The mountain difficulties have been overcome, and the Russians are.following'up the Turks,, who are now entering the Tigris Valley. ~'.,.. ~-,,„ . A strenuous, Turkish resistance is expected at the. enemy's strongly-fortified position at Khanikin,, where tho Turks have been strongly reinforced. RUSSIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. , (Rec. May 14, 5.5 p.m.) Potrograd, May 13. . A Russian official communique states:—"A Turkish offensive in the direction of Bagdad has been repulsed." ';.' HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. The High! Commissioner reports:— London, May 13,-0.55 a.m. "In the Caucasus qur troops have moved further west, in the direction of Bagdad.'. ''•■., "Towards 1 . Mesopotamia, Turkish attempts to. advance were repulsed. At Kasro Shirin we captured one gun of an Austrian model, and a supply of artil-'-lery: munitions."- . LATEST RUSSIAN SUCCESSES . (Rec. May M, 11.30 p.m.) * Petrograd, May 13. A Russian official communiquo from tho Caucasus states: "Tho Turks delivered a merciless night attack on the lofty range dominatiug the Erzingan region. Our detachments took 400 prisoners. "Our advance' guard easily overcame a Turkish offensive in tho Maniahntun region. "Our left-wing defeated the Turks in a two days' battle, capturing two thousand rifles and much ammunition;" TREBIZOND-AND AFTER A DREADFUL. PICTURE OF TURKISH FIENDISHNESS. <Rec. May 15, 1.15 a.m.) ■ Petrograd, May 11. Prince Argutinski's report on. the condition of Trebizond, after its capture by the Russians, states that' the population was almost entirely Greek. The Turks had fled, and the Armenians had either been massacred or drowned, except a number of children who had been abandoned to the Greeks. 3"any children escaped the massaores by fleeing from the city, hiding in ditches, and feeding on roots. A search revealed a number. They wero a terrible spectacle, clad in rags, sickly, haggard, and terror-stricken, believing that they were going to be massacred:;. Tho Russians are dispatching the children to Batum, where relief societies are succouring them. The Russians arid Greeks continue to scour the environs of Trebizond, 1 believing 1 that 'thousands "are in hiding. '• They have found the bodies of children scattered along the roadsides, many of them shot for target practice. It is estimated that the Turks drowned eight hundred in Trebizond alone. BULGAR FORCE ON RUMANIAN FRONTIER WEAKENED THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND TRANSFERRED TO SALONIKA. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright . ' (Rec. May 14, 5.5 p.m.) Odessa, May 13. Thirty-six thousand Bulgarians on tho Dobrudja frontier have been transferred to the Salonika' front. GREECE BANKRUPT: ARMY UNPAID (Rec. May it, 11.30 p.m*) New York, May 13. , Advices from Athens declares that Greece is bankrupt. The army has not been paid for two months, and soldiers' families are destitute. The Government must have forty millions sterling to set its finances in order, and the only way to get it is to enter the war on the side of the Allies. Tho Ministry must fall if iWperststs in neutrality.