The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORTED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1916. RUSSIA’S SPLENDID WORK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 18, 26 April 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORTED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1916. RUSSIA’S SPLENDID WORK.

The splendid advance made by the Russians must have a tremendous effect on the enemy and will cause both Austria and Turkey grave anxiety as to the best move to make to avoid their full punishment. With the Verdun offensive quite definitely a failure, German promises of aid will count foi nothing. The capture by the Czar's braves of the Turkish fortress town and seaport of Trebizond appears to have been a feat of no mean military achievement. The defences may not have been so strong as those of Erzerum, but they were certainly formidable, though concerted attacks from sea and land carried the day and secured a great victory. The subsequently reported death of the German, \ on dm Goltz almost looks like a suicide’s despair. When the Russians took Eizerum a couple of months ago they pelformed a marvellous feat, for the place was nut only a stronghold, but a strategical centre, giving a very wide ?ommaud. The possession of thau base supported Enver Pasha’s whole ambition to recapture Kars, penetrate to Tiflis raise the Moslem populations and carry the Ottoman frontier once more to the main range of the Caucasus . Russia iu earlier wars held dn place twice and was forced to relin/quish it. Since Roman times and before Erzerum had been regarded as be key to Armenia. It dominates a "oilwatered plain in a labyrinth of Alps The plain or plateau is‘over six tinusan'd feet in elevation. All round the mountains sweep up ridge above lidge to over ten thousand feet m beige..

:i region of cloud and ice. The hmj. routes run through profound and tor

tuous gorges piercing a wilderness o, savage grandeur and Arctic region The 'approach to this natural fastness from fhe East was iurther hailed 1 a wide range of forts, and these not ohsolete, but largely strengthened m the i hist few years by German stia.og} in ! preparation for war on the noild I the Hnnnish heart desired. Erzerum ! was defended by seme 700 modern i guns, without counting hundreds o old pieces. Add to this the terrible J severity of the winter weather, and we • can understand why the Turks counted

the place as the most nearly impregnable of their fortresses next to Constantinople, and second only to the latter in importance. The accounts oi the capture given in the latest English journals to hand show that only by: superhuman exertion and immeasurocl heroism was the caipture achieved, the Turks were outwitted right and Ictt.j out-marelied and out-fought, stalwai i warriors on the defence as they aie known to be. Russian critics now predict that the campaign will be carried forward to a successful conclusion. Russia’s part will he to strike north of Bagdad and cut the railway, fevering the only important line of communication by which the Turkish army is receiving its supplies. If this is effectively done another Turkish Army: must he annihiliatod by the Russian arms.