THE LAST MESSAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1571, 1 July 1916, Page 4

THE LAST MESSAGE.

KUT-EL-AMARA SURRENDER

“CANNOT HOLD ON LONGER.”

TURKISH LEADER’S ADMIRATION.

Further details regarding the surrender of the British force at Kut-el-Amara; in Mesopotamia, after a very gallant and lengthy defence, show that the last communication from General Townshend was a wireless message received on April 29th, at 11.40 a.ra. It stated : “Have destroyed my gune, and most of my ammunitions are being destroyed, and officers have gone to Khalil, who is at Madug, to say I am ready to surrender. I must have some food here, and cannot hold on any more. “Khalil has been told to-day, and a deputation of officers has gone on a launch to bring some food from Julner. Ship sent -on the night of April 24th to carry supplies to the garrison of Kut. “1 have hoisted the white flag over Kut Fort and town, and the guards will be taken over by a Turkish regiment, which is approaching. I shall shortly destroy the wireless. The troops go at 2 pan. to camp near Shamran.”

A prearranged signal from the wireless indicated at 1 pan. that General Townshend’s last message had gone through. On the same day the Turkish General Khalil Bey Pasha, received our parlementaries. He was anxious, ho said, that the garrison should be well rationed, and that General Townshend specially, for whom he expressed the most profound admiration, should receive every possible comfort after the privations he had endured so gallantly. He welcomed our proposal to send them stores, and regretted that the supplies at his command were not more plentiful. Two barges loaded with a day and a-half’s rations left our camp yesterday. One point raised during the negotiations regarding prisoners was the exchange of Bagdad ladies and children now in Syria for the wife and daughter of Commissioner Amarah and 25 Turkish officials. Khalil Bey said he saw no difficult} 7 .