RUSSIANS STILL PROGRESSING IN ARMENIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 50, 28 February 1916, Page 5

RUSSIANS STILL PROGRESSING IN ARMENIA.

i CAVALRY CUTTING UP TURKISH REARGUARDS. ENEMY'S DESPERATE EFFORT TO RETRIEVE SITUATION. * ; \ LONDON, : A Russian communique reports the capture of the "town, of Ispir, in. Armenia. The pursuit of the enemy in the regions of Erieroum and Khvnaa continues. :-... , The ' Russians ' have captured in the Erzeroum' '. operations 235 ' Turkish, ' oncers, 12,753 men, nine standards, 323 guns,, and much ammunition, arms, . and provisions. "'"' "'' The Peirograd correspondent of the "Morning Post" writes;:—"The pursuit of the garrison and field troops retreating from Erzeroum 'has-been- continued for a week. The fugitives have now been brought to a standstill in the'; mountainous country near Mamakhotun, 60 miles west of Erzeroum, and have; ; been forced to halt to oppose a further Russian.advance. It is~cle~ar"that ' Kiamil Pasha got his main force moving westward directly it was evident that the fortress must fall. The Russian cavalry has since been cutting up the rearguards, and is now coining into contact with the <main body. The Russians continue energetically to pursue the Turkish- left wing." ; Trains arc running day and nigrrt from Constantinople, carrying troops and supplies to Angora, in a desperate effort; to retrieve the situation in Armenia. ■ H ' 7 '.'••■ . ;' "";■■-"-.■;•"' ■-'- The Athens correspondent of the Rome newspaper "Tribunal" states that prior to the fall of Erzeroum the commander of the garrison sent a TuicoGerman mission asking urgently for reinforcements andisupplies,,and.stating that the Armenians and Ehurds had refused to wage;guerilla" warf the Russians. The Turkish Ministers,. Talaat Bey and Enver Pasha, replied that it was impossible to do more for tie defence of Eraeroum> stormy scene ensued, and a German officer who accompanied the mission, to Constantinople narrowly escaped being violently handled.