THE FIGHT FOR VERDUN

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 70, 28 February 1916, Page 5

THE FIGHT FOR VERDUN

Germans’ Appalling Losses

NEW FORM OF DEVILRY

Liner Maloja Mined near Dover

Rescuing Vessel meets Similar Fate

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

By the way a Taranaki daily persists in heading the operations at Erzerum as “In Mesopotamia.” This is incorrect, as the operations in the former quarter are quite apart from, though probably in conjunction with, Mesopotamia, where, at Knt-el-Amara, General Towushend and his garrison are beleaguered. Mesopotamia is hundreds of miles from Erzerurn, which is in Armenia. Mush is nearly 100 miles south-west of Erzcium and is 450 miles distant and north of Bagdad, which is the objective of three lots of forces, operating from the north, from the east in Persia, and from the south up the river Tigris.

All theatres of action take second place to the West, where the terrific contest for the occupation of Verdun is being fought out. The reports from the various sources are conflicting at times, the Germans evidently making the very most of their advantages, while the French or British pass lightly over their reverses. It is not reassuring to some to read that the Allies retired without fighting to another position. No reason which the layman considers sufficient 13 usually given, and he jumps to the conclusion that something is being kept back. It must always he remembered that the policy of the Allies is to conserve their forces, while the Germans view the appalling losses of men with impunity, nay, they invite death by the very nature of the formation adopted. “Now or Never!” is said to he the motto of the enemy in the case of Verdun, and this would explain the reckless manner of the attacks. If the worst comes to the worst,we shoulc remember that Verdun (so the Observer says) is not vital, and its fall would not be a thrust in the Allies" side, but only a dent in their armor.

The Persian campaign lias the credit of jibe capture of Kermanshah, with a population of nearly 40,000, and the captial of the province of Die same name. It is distant from Bagdad about 150 miles, but the country is said to be mountainous and difficult of travel for an army. The Russians have another force operating west of Kermanshah, and have captured Kashan, the capital of a province of the same name, 250 miles away, while it is south of the Teheran, the capital town of the country, hy about 150 miles. It will bo noted, then, that there is cause for congratulation on the success of the Russians of Lite in all the theatres in which they have been engaged. There is no doubt that they have at last “Come Back!”

As far as the Balkans are concerned, there is no doubt that Germany is risking her reputation in staking so much on the capture- of Verdun, for sure as the Sun rises, if she is not successful, Roumania will be found striking at her ln x“e Near East. In fact, the news that a quarter of a million of men are reported to be armed-on a war footing, and that the feeling for intervention is growing fast, points to almost immediate action. Again, what is the meaning of the secret mission to Russia of one of Roumania’s well-known pro-Allied politicians ?

Doubtless, in the terms of the contract between Germany and Bulgaria, viz., that the former should obtain for the latter that territory in Mace-' donia which wa s part ol Old Servia, also Salonika from Greece, as well as Dohrudia (or Dohrudsha) as far as the Sulina, from Roumania, will he found the reason for King Ferdinand of Roumania giving an audience to two Opposition leaders, AIM. hilipescn and Take Jonescu, both of whom have for long held strong views on the advisability of Roumania boldly taking sides with the Allies. Indeed, it was announced recently that M. Take Jonescu stated that the Roumanian Opposition hoped that the Government would not make a second mistake by cringing before German threats in ~ stead of intervening on behalf of the Allies. The opinion of the country, he said, was unanimously for the Allies, and the army was confident that that was the side it should lie on, and was, moreover, fiercely against Austria. King Ferdinand is < l Hohenzollern, like the Kaiser, being a son of Prince Leopold of Hohenzbllcrn-Sig-maringen, and the fact that he has come round so far as to discuss the situation with such pronounced P™Allies ha s caused much comment. The significance of the meeting cannot he denied, and there is now additional hope of the intervention of his country on the opposite side to those who have been bargaining for the cutting up oi his domain.

In capturing Erzerum anil Mush, the Russians have secured the head waters of both the sources of the Euphrates—the Kara Su and the Murad Su. From Erzerum the Kara Su proceeds westward to Erzingjan, and from Mush the Murad Su runs westward past Kharput, and joins the Kara Su ; whence the united river makes a wide sweep southward and ultimately eastward. Within the fold .of this sweep is born the Tigris, which passes Diarbekr, and becomes a mighty river before functioning with the Euphrates hundreds of miles eastward. Some of the Turkish troops (the 11th Army Corps) appear to have retreated down the Kara Su towards Erzingjan, others towards Kharput on the Murad Su, others towards Diarbekr, which is south-west of the Van, towards Mesopotamia.

From Asia Minor the news of the Russians’ work continues to lie very satisfactory, and while the pursuit 01 the Turks proceeds to the west and south of Erzerum there is the capture of the town of ispir, which is alight!y more than half way from Erzerum to Trebizond, the Turkish port on the Black Sea, which is the objective of the Russians. Huge losses were sustained by the Turks in the fall ol Erzerum, when about 13,000 troops and over 300 guns, with much aramunif?oi and provisions fell to the Russians. The reverses being met with by the enemy are sure to have ing effect upon the campaigns in Mesopotamia and Egypt, and in the operations in the Balkans, and generally will he helpful in its moral influence upon the whole of the belligerents.

Dobrudja and Sulina are new names to readers, and short references to their position will be appreciated. Dobrudja is one of three provinces of Roumania, being that part south of and including the delta dt the Danube and Black Sea. The area is 6,1 U’z square miles, bounded on the west by the province ol Walachi, on the north by Bessarabia, (Russia), and on the East by the Black Sea. Anciently, it was known as Scythia Minor, and was crossed from the Black Sea to the Danube by the w r ai] of Trajan. Sulina is the name ol one of the branches of the river Danube, and there is a town of the same name at the mouth with a population of over 6000, doing considerable trade m grain. Dobrudja was one of the theatres of the Russian war of 1851-56, and then was part of Bulgaria. But there have been many changes on the map of the Balkans as elsewhere since that period.