MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1917, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

FALL OF BAGDAD. London, March Bagdad has fallen. DETAILS OF ADVANCE. , DUST STORMS AND GALE. A. & X.Z. Cable Association and Renter. Received March 12, «,:> p m. London, March 11. Official: We surprised the enemy and crossed the river Diala by moonlight on Thursday and established a strong post on the right bank. We bridged the I igris, and a strong detachment marched up the right bank. We found the enemy six miles "south-west of Bagdad and drove him back two miles. Wi> forced a passage over the Diala oil Friday and advanced four miles towards Bagdad. Our right bank forces dislodged" the enemy from his second position. We bivouacked on . the captured ground. Dust storms and a violent gale were experienced. We forced back the Turks three miles west-south-west of Bagdad on Saturday. , A. & X.Z. Cable Association and Rcuter. Received March 12, G.ISO p.m. London, March 11. Mesopotamia, official: Bagdad vfas cccupicd on Sunday. OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. 'Wellington, March 12. Tiie High Commissioner reports under date London, March 11 (8.5 p.m.):— Mesopotamia.—The rumor of the occupation of Bagdad is officially confirmed to-day. Lieut.-Goncral Maude telegraphs the announcement that the British forces occupied the city early this morning. No further details have been received.

SQUASHING THE TURKS GENERAL ENVELOPING MOVEMENT RUSSIAN FORCES 'PUSHING ON. GENERAL MAUDE'S SMASHING TACTICS. j INFLICT TERRIBLE ON * TURKS. Received March 12, 11.10 p.m. London, March 12. The main Russian force is' now IS3 miles from Bagdad, compared with 25S before the advance from Ifamadan. Another column is at Senne, seventytwo miles north of Kermanshah. The northernmost column has reached Beroze, '94 miles from the Mosul-Bagdad read, whereby the Turkish main supplies from the north came. Meanwhile General Murray is pushing on to the borders of Palestine, and the Grand Duke Nicholas is advancing in Armenia.

It is now apparent that General Maude smashed the Turkish army at Kut more completely than was disclosed at the time. Throughout the laborious operations, extending over many days, he inflicted terrible losses upon the Turks, who have since been found dead in heaps. Thousands of prisoners were taken, When the army fled to Bagdad only a remnant remained.

The fall of Bagdad means more than tho rout of tiie Turkish army in Oriental eyes. It is therefore doubly important that India has played a great and worthy part in General Maude's triumph. A very large proportion of the troops are Indian cavalry. ' lite taking of Bagdad is especially welcome to tho Persians. Half a million inhabitants of the Bagdad provinces, are adherents to the Persian form of the Islamic faith.

It is questionable how long l Turkey will be coiTtent to continue an alliance which takes men to fight on the Russian front while it has failed to sa.ve ,-hcr rich eastern provinces,

I THE ROAD BEW.o THE I DiaLA.

AN IMPREGNABLE FRONT 'PASSIBLE, I ; J TURKISH ARMY IN PERSIA IN SOKE STRAITS. v Received March 12, 8.10 p.m. a _ _ London March 12. J Military c-ritics point out that the I fir-sl-rnto roml behind the Diak, together j with tlie marshes, should enable the •l urks to make an almost impregnable , front between the Euphrates and tin; Ti- ! gris. The British victory leaves the Turkish army in Persia "in the air," and only a precipitate retreat, will save it. Mosul, on the upper Tigris, from whence the Turk? are operating, is a magazine comparable to -Sivas and Damascus. Mosul must now Iced the armies facing 1 heir opponent-: on two sides. The junction of Licit.-(icheral Maude with the Russians at llanmdan will be the next dramatic development. ■REJOICINGS IN LONDON. Times .Service, Received March 12, S."O p.m. London, .March 12. News of the fall of Bagdad caused widespread rejoicings in London and the provinces. A NEW VERSION OF STRATEG Y. Amsterdam, March 11.' The Turks admit the evacuation of H:; madan for strategical considerations. FURTHER SUCCESS IN PERSIA, ■ London, March 11. j A Russian official report S :iys:—As the result of lighting in the Hamadau region v/e occupied Saidiue and pursued the enemy, after stubborn resistance, towards