TURKISH CAMPAIGNS

Nelson Evening Mail, 4 August 1916, Page 7

TURKISH CAMPAIGNS

CAPTURE OF ERZINGAN. IMPORTANT RUSSIAN SUCCESS. Erzingan, or Erzinjan (Arsinga of the Middle Ages}, is the chief town of a Sanja.k .in the Erzeroum vilayet of Asiatic. 'Turkey'. It is the headquarters of .the .Fourth Army Corps, being a place of sonio military importance, with large barracks and military factories. It is situated at an altitude of .3900 feet, n.;>.r the western end of a rich, well-watered plain, through which runs the .Kara Su, or Wes'teru Euphrates, It is surrounded V>y orchards and gnrdens, and is about a mile from the right hank of the river, which here runs in two -wide channels crossed by bridges. One wid'e street traverses the town from east to west, 'but the others are narrow, unpaved and dirty, except near the new Government buildings and l the large ■mosque of Hajji Izzet Pasha to the north, which a.re the only buildings of notr.

The principal barracks, military hospital and clothing factory are at Karateluk, on the {plain, and along the foothills (to the north three miles off. one recent addition to the buildings having electric power and- modern British machinery.: some older barracks and a military tnnnerv and boot factory being in the town. The population numbers about 15.000. of whom about half are Armenians, living in a separate quarter. The principal .industries are the manufacture of silk and cotton and' of copper dishes and' utensils. The climate is hot in summer, but moderate in winter. A carriage road leads from Erzingan to Trebizond. and other roads to Sivas, Karahissar, Ei-zeroum and Kharput. The plain, almost surrounded by lofty mountains, is highlyi productive, with many villages on it, a_ n .d' the border hills. Wheat, fruit, vines and cotton are largely grown, and' sheep are bred. Water is everywhere abundant, and 1 there are iron and "hot sulphur springs. The battle in which the Sultan of Rum. (1243) was defeated by the Mongols, took place on the plain, and the celebrated Armenian monastery) of St. Gregory, "the Illuminator," lies on the hills 11 miles.south-west of the town.

Erzingan occupies the site of an early town in which was a temple of Anaitis. It was an important place in the 4th centurv, -when St. Gregory lived in it. The district passed from the Byzantines to the Seljuks after the defeat of Pomanus. 107T1, amdl from the latter to the Mongols in 1243. After having heen held by 'Mongols, Tartars and 'Turko-

man?, it. was added to the Osmanli bm-pii-c l>v Mohammed' 11. in 1473. In 1784 the town was almost destroyed by an earthquake. Erziiigau j. s about 90 miles west of Ki'zerouni, and 95 jimlcs south <>l Trehizond. The Russians experienced a strong check eastward of Erzin-jan some weeks ago. but they have sine developed, a "Trent offensive, extending alonp; their whole front from a point south of I >eoizond to the region south-west of Lake Van. 0". the sea-coast in the vilayet of Trt'bi/.o"d they are steadily pnshinjr to the westward.. The position on the Russian left winix (south of .Mush) is obscure, but there has been severe fi;j;li; in.H' at several points in this region. The success in the centre, marked by the fall of Erzingan, will doubtless see a furl her advance along' (he whole fro>>t. with a stronir development on the left along the' Murad. : Sn or Eastern Euphrates towards Ivharput (about 100 miles west of Mush) and Dinrhekr (over 80 miles south-west of Bitfis) on the Upper Tigris.

The Riusoian armies under General BartotY, operatintr from Persia, have been on the defensive for some time. The troops which fought a way from 'T-fama-dttii through Kermanshah to a point- on the western frontier of Persia to within lilO miles of Baghdad, were recently forced hack, the Turks claiming to have, recaptured Kermaiishah. At the same time the Russian force which was moving - towards.Mosul, had also to retire, to the eastward 1 . It is not -clear whether the Russians still hold Eowandiz. 'The advent -of cooler weather in Mesopotamia, reported the other day. may see a concerted offensive movement shortly on the part of the B-rvish Army below Kut-el-Amain, and General Ba ra toff's Army from iPersia.