THE NEAR EAST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16782, 25 August 1916, Page 5

THE NEAR EAST

ENEMY REPULSES.

ADVANCED TROOPS DRIVEN IN.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, August 23. The War Office Salonika report States : Yesterday we drove in the enemy advanced troops on the Daldi-Doiran front. The French holding the Komarjan bridge repulsed the enemy. The Serbians hold a line from Lake Ostrovo to Pozar.

SERBIANS STAND FAST.

BULGARIAN FORCE INEFFECTIVE.

GREEKS TAKE ALARM.

SALONIKA, August 23. The Serbians are standing fast against violent Bulgarian attacks between Lake Ostrovo and Petrsko. The fighting on the west wing is, however, unimportant compared with the fact that the Serbians are progressing in the Moglena Mountains, north of Ostrovo, where they are threatening an invasion of the Cerna Valley (north-east of Monastir). The French hold the villages which they seized on the Belassitza slopes. The advancing Bulgarians surrounded the Greek guard at Demirhissar. One Greek cscaped and warned the Seres garrison, •where the demobilised Greek Sixth Division were. The Greek commandant called on the local reservists "and defended the town. i A committee has been formed at Salonika to enrol and arm recruits. Already 200 have offered to serve in the defence of Seres. The Allies never intended to undertake operations further east than the Struma. The Bulgajiaais do not possess a force to achieve a real military purpose anywhere. A detachment of Albanians has arrived here wearing their national dress.

MARSHAL YON MACKENSEN,

SAID TO BE IN COMMAND.

BERNE, August 23. The Allgemeine Zeitung denies tlmt Marshal von Mackensen is on the v\e-st front, and says he is commanding against Sarrail the Salonika, front.

IN THE CAUCASUS,

TURKS DRIVEN BACK.

LONDON, August 23. A Russian oomnranique states : In Asia Minor we drove back a Turkish offensive with the co-operation of our fleet. Our offensive is developing westward of <jake Van.

TURKISH FRIGHTFULNESS

GERMAN TEACHERS RESIGN,

EVIL OF "GERMAN DOCTRINE." LONDON, August 23. Professor Graeter and Dr Niepage, German toachers of Armenian children lit Aleppo, protested to the German foreign Office last October against Turkish f rightfulness. Germany ignored the appeal, and the teachers mentioned resigned. Professor Graeter and Dr Niepage have now authorised the publication of their protest. Thej- wrote : How can we teach from the Bible when women, boys, and girls, almost naked, are dving in scores in this neighbourhood; when 2000 healthy peasant women are driven from the highlands, and all that remains of them here is 40 or 50 skeletons? The Turkish guards ravish the beautiful women, and the others die of hunger and thirst and floggings. Thos° lying helpless do-e to water are not allowed to drink. Europeans are not allowed to distribute food to Armenians. Over 100 corpses are daily carried out of Aleppo. All this is happening under the eyes of high Turkish officials. I'iity skeletons are now lying in a courtyard near the school. They arc alive, but they aie all mad. They no longer know how to eat. If given bread tl;ey jrash ifc away, groaning and awaiting the delivor:urce of death. The natives say : " This is the Ger man doctrine." -Our prestige in the is. at stake. Even the Turkish Arabn show their disapproval when brnt'il Turkish soldiers drive the Armenians th"ough the town, flogging pregnant womc'i. More frightful massacres be e\pwtf>d, endangering Gcrn am's good iianie.

IN THE CAUCASUS,

TURKISH OBJECTIVE FAILS

DISPOSITION OF TROOPS

Reuter's Telegrams. PETROGRAD, August 23. (Received Aug. 24, at 6.45 p.m.) It is officially believed that from 13 to 15 Turkish divisions are operating in the Erzingan region; about two corps are engaged at Lake Van on the Bitbs-Mush line; and four to six divisions in Mesopotamia. Military authorities are of opinion that the Turkish initiative on the Caucasus front and in Persia is on the \eige of collapse. The Turkish objective of diverting the Russians from Erzingan and Sivag lias signally failed