MESOPOTAMIA.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2873, 17 February 1916, Page 2

MESOPOTAMIA.

DIFFICULTIES OF BAD WEATHER.

A TURKISH TALE.

(Received February 17. 8.0 a.m.) London. February 16.

Mir Edmund Caudler. war correspondent, writing from Basra on the I.lth, sayh the British camp on the Tigris has been turned into a quagmire by the heavy rains. Tlie Arabs report that a number of the enemy died of cold and exhaustion during the operations in January, and largo numbers of them deserted. The enemy is txperienciiig great transport diliiculties, accentuated by thmmicrruptioii of the river communication at Kut ci Amara.

General Brooking's column from the 7th to the oth punished the Arabs near Nasiriyah, killing OJUj of them. Amsterdam. February Hi.

A Turkish connuuni(|iie claims thai, on the Irak froiit successful attacks wore, aimed against the British at Bathia, and the, enemy lied, abandoning all his material and 50U dead. A 'soiall enemy detachment surrendered, almost annihilated. Jn our attack on the Kurnti the eiieinv suffered heavy losses. Hostile auxiliary forces attempted to relieve the British, but were forced to retreat.

The Press Bureau .states that the correct a'ccouut of the incident covered by the foregoing Turkish communique appeared in die War Olico communique cabled on tho 11th, wbub read: A detachment which was mak ing a reconnaissance of a bravh ol the Tigris named tho Slattelh.M, I'ou 1 that Turks and Arabs who wen: hitherto friendly had - become unfriendly. They attacked while tbo detachment was returning to Nasriyah. The British suffered H7.3 casualties. The encmv had over IviO

killed. A punitive column was ifyrwards sent and surprised the Aroiis, destroying four villages. THE SITUATION IMPROVE. London. February !;">. Mr Asquith announced in the that a conference of the Allies would be held in Paris to consider the political and strategical aspects of the Wi.r. Tlie situation of tho, British in Mesopotamia had improved materially.