IN THE CAUCASUS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1916, Page 5

IN THE CAUCASUS.

POSITION OF TURKISH FORCES REORGANISED. RUSSIAN TRANSPORT FACILITIES. London, September 13. l The Manchester Guardian's eorrespon-1 dent in the Caucasus reviews the position in Armenia. The recent fighting has been largely based on the fact that the Taurus, Anti-Taurus and Pontic chains divide the plateau into plains, but the mountain barriers were fractured in a number of places, thus enabling the Russians and Turks alike to turn the enemy's flan'k by expeditions through the gorges. These enabled the Turks to initiate several threatening counterattacks. The Russians, however, worked with untiring energy to secure their position until the Russians caine to Chorok Valley, which is roadless, so that only mountain batteries were possible. The Rusisans built roads and sapper battalions constructed bridges. whereas in 1015 they were only able to transport rough ammunition with which to fire the field guns one round daily, and stores for every road junction. Now they move with a full cquijiment of shells and cartridges. The mule tracks of 1915 have become high roads, zig-zagg'mg over the passes and bearing an endless c'hain of rapid waggons. Some 153 miles of road have been built at the Chorok basin during the last four months. Since the Erzingon defeat the Turkish armies have been reconstructed, unfcler Issem Pasha and Nezvi Pasha. The latter commands in the Baiburt region the Turkish army between Baiburt and Trebizond. The former commands the Turkish army in Armenia. The Rusians. thanks to superior numbers, possess > superior concentration of artillery and communications, and arc now able to make headway. The Turkish policy seems to be to evacuate the Armenian plateau, first destroying every living thing, and then ■ forcing the Russians to transport everything trom the Caucasus.