IN ASIA MINOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1916, Page 5

IN ASIA MINOR.

CAPTURE OF TREBIZOND. | " . « ... HEAVY BLOW TO THE EXEMY. s 4 , ' " l ( ' V * 1 r t "Timer and Sydney Sun Services. ' IJycelved April 21, 5.5 p.m. > London, April 20. Cohiiaatinople and Berlin are in a! state. of "consternation at the fall of Trebiiond,- : aud. have not yet Tevealed the mews, becsune. it is feared that it demoralise the Turks, forcing them fo sue fora Separate peace. HerrwiJ Bethmann-Hollweg has summoned the Turkish Ambassador, and the /Htter has left Berlin to confer with the Kaiser 'at Imperial headquarters. '. It isctear that the Turks have been disorganised since the fall of Erzerum, despite the German officers' attempts to Hold them together. Grand Duke ')>M .dislodged, them rapidly : lrom a series of strongly organised positions, culminating in the capture of Trebizond, which means that the Turks' Caucasian army is now almost entirely «ttb 6tt. THe_ Russians hold a secure line from the Black Sea to Bitlia, leaving Grand Puke-Nicholas master of the, situation, Mdffite Jo strike where he Wills. The, Prussian victory is not' likely to hnmeaittely' effect the Mesopotamia j, situation,: because the nearest flank at »: . Bitli* is a„tiH one hundred miles away fvouuthe British line of communication. I- Uussian critics consider that General Townshend has indirectly contributed to |& victory by causing the mobilisation of important Turkish forces. The French press is greatly impressed „by. Trebizond's swift. capture, which - equal* in importance that of Erzerum, 404, fbwahadows a swift development of the Russian campaign in Asia Minor. 'it. ' '' , i LINES OF RETREAT. THE TURKISH FORCES. TREBIZOND WELL FORTIFIED. Received April 20, 5.5 p.m. t', • Petrograd, April 19. The Turkish garrison at Trebizond Slid the'field army number about fifty Sousabd. . There are two possible lines retreat, the first westward to Kiresun*, sixty-five miles along the Black Sea.coa>t, and the second southward by rairto Gemuschana, and thence to Ergingtyuu oVer mountainous country. The line of retreat is well adapted for deTh* seaward defences of Trebizond ♦ere especially strong, and included powerful naval guns on concrete emplacements. J'"||toSßlAN REPORT. Received April 20, 9.5 p.m. Petrograd, April 20. ' A communique says: The Russians at west of Erzerum, by a night assault carried a high mountain range. -Strongly Mganised we annihilated some •IwenU IS Tilrks, recently from Gallipeii, and they'sustained heavy losses dwiag our bayonet charges.