MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1917, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

(JENERAL MAUDE'S SUCCESS. ; 'A DIFFICULT TASK AHEAD. General Maude is pushing on his campaign north of Bagdad with wonderful vigor and success. His advance has been rapid, considering the difficulties of the country and the length of his lines of communication, and he is harassing the Turks over a wide expanse of country. liast week the .passage of the Sliat-el-A&haim was forced near its confluence with the Tigris, 55 miles north of Bagdad, on the eastern side of the main tiver. This cleared the way for a movement on the left bank of the river, and It was here that the enemy's position covering the Istaibulai station was attacked. Istaibulat stands twenty miles to the westward of the Adhaim's confluence with tie Tigris, sixty-five miles in it foeeline north of Bagdad. The Turks are 'being pursued to the north of Istaibulat, while the advance in this sector should render the task of sweeping the enemy from the Jebel Hamrin hills, between the Tigris and the German border, as easy affair. The British now liold moretfcan half the railway running northwards from Bagdad along the left bank Of the Tigris. The line runs as far as Tekrit, forty miles north of Bagdad, though' it may possibly have been pushed on a IMb further. Tho short length ItSiey now hold will be of little use to the Turks, but the whole section wil proyo of material advantage to the British in their advance. To the north of Tekrit, eo far as ia known, there is a gap of 250 miles in the railway line. The Bagdadl railway lias been carried from the coast (through southern Asia Minor to NishiSfa, ZTO miles inland, but even with jtoart of the 250-mile gap filled in by possible recent construction, it is certain that there is a break of great length. Kf General Maude is aiMe tto link up the line from his base at Basra with the taction at Bagdad 'he will hold a great hdvawtage over the enemy. There is Mill > difficult taek ahead of him, for Mobulj the main Turkish base on the (Tigris, is 100 miles away, midway beJlireen vur .position and that of the Suasions is Armenia. Though the British are in tojich with the Russians who adYamsed from Persia, it is not likely that they will gain any material assistance from Wwm, Ibufc the number of men and guns in General Maude's army may be Bufflfeieni to enalble him to effect a juitetion With Armenia, thus cutting off the from a large section of their tolaa possessions. A resumption of the by the Russians in Armenia Wiotfld BSfflent a very difficult problem %o the Turks, and possibly it is the shr»ts of this that has induced the German High Command to send Mackensen : to talfc charge of the defensivejopera'.i. f 1 '• _