MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1917, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

TURKS EVACUATE PERSI/to ' RUSSIAN ADVANCE COKTINUES. ■ Rome, March 18. Advices from 'Pelrograd state that' the Turks have evacuated Persia, and that the Russian advanc* "ontinues without cessation. ENTRY INTO BAGDAD. PEOPLE ACCLAIM BRITISH. London, March 19. When the British vanguard entered Bagdad divers sects and races lined the streets, balconies, and roofs, hoorahing. Croups of children danced before us, shouting and cheering, and the women - turned out in holiday dresses. The people had been robbed In order to supply the Turks, and the oppression of the last two years had been unendurable. Last week it degenerated into brigandage. The mere mention of th« British was punishable. The Turks abandoned hope on February 23 and looted wholesale, sending merchandise to Samara. The German Consul left a fortnight ago, and tha Austrian* two days before. The bridges and clothing factory wero blown up on March 10, and the railway station, hospital, and British properts! were gutted. " The Kurds looted when the Turkish, gendarmerie left, rifling the bazaar and; merchants were craving our protection. Regiments were detailed to police th» ouzaars. and houses, as we found th« ' nibble busy dismantling shops. Thsj! had even 'ooted the seats from tha public gardens. ' The British attitude was characteristic. There was no display and no attempt to create an impression. We entered dusty and unshaven after hard' I'gnting and bivouacking. We were fighting from March 7- to 10. Extrßojoniary gallantry was shown in crossina the Diala. a An official 'dispatch from Mesopotamia, satts. that after establishing poste on ■ he kit bank for 30 miles upstream Geo* eral Maude attacked the, Turkish rear, guard on the right bank 1,5 miles north* wards of Bagdad, after night marching on Wednesday. He drove the Turk* back three miles, and they continued to go back after dusk. We occupied a por- ! tion of the town of Bakabah, on the ' r;ght banak of the Diala. Machine guns miised a fire on a small Turkish steamer ' e.ttemptmg to cross the Tigris on Tuesday night. She drifted down the river am was captured with a quantity of ammunition. J

FRANCE. NEW FRENCH WAR MTNIbTEB. , , 'Paris, March 18. Admiral La Caxc, Minister of Marine. has been appointed War Minister oro tciii. r

ON THE SEA. A DESTROYER. MINED. Received March 18, 7.56 p.m. London, March 19. Tlio Mmiralty state that an, old type of destroyer was mined and sank yea-' ' terday in the Citannel. One man was ' killed and 23 missing. AH the officers \urc saved.