IN MESOPOTAMIA

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13561, 5 May 1916, Page 3

IN MESOPOTAMIA

GALLANT DEFENCE OF KUT. ' • MILITARY. SITUATION 1 ' UNAFFECTED, ' ' / LONDON, May 2. The news of the surrender'at. Kut-el-Amara was liecfived. with, the. deepestregret, but as there was ho-news'"of,the garrison during the'past week, the pub-' lie. was partly prepared forthe outcome.' The,garrison's condition .had been, critical for \yeeks.past,. .The men Had been ; living,on horse flesh and .the niost slen-; der 'rations,' a,iu]enduj'jn|:.,the;, most, A'ere.. privations;'. ..The,' grounding,.of - the' 'relief., ship "after, running' the .gauntlet • of the Turkish guns sealed; their! fate,:', The fall of ,Kut does not-in any way' change the,military,'situation.in Meso-, potamia. | An early advance'.by General nnge is expected as:soon as,the weather' permits, • - / ,' ... ; The Times,' in a leader, .says:—"Gen-.j | eral ,To]vnsheml.was,,iiot 'only - a brave , and'skilful commanderbut the soul of;

ifth?erfuliiess, To : thtj -last liis messages We're full 'of' hope 'aM r 'c6rfrage,""3nA kept. up the spirits of the garrison, who presenter! a manly'Vfront,to ...the.foe, and held on while: theiast scrap'of food remained. Despite mistakes, the fail-' nre" to raise the siege was mainly due to the almost, insuperable physical difficulties.

'' The fall of Knt-el-Amara in of very limited military importance. The enemy will (loubtieaQ exploit it, to tho utmost,'but their efforts are already discounted, as the probable faterof the town was understood for weeks past. A triumphant Turkish march to the sea might disturb" India, but clearly the Turks in Mesopotamia are pinned to their present position, and :cannot move down the.iiyer'/'