ARMENIA AND PERSIA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14124, 17 October 1916, Page 3

ARMENIA AND PERSIA.

STRATEGIC MOVEMENTS. THE TACTICS OF THE TURKS. (Australian and N.Z. Gable' Association.) LONDON. October' 15. Mr. Phillip Price, the Manchester Guardian's cOrrtespoiident at Tiflis sums up the position m Armenia and Persia as follows,:— ' The Turkish evacuation of Erzingan pr-ved the preliminary to a big counter-;.• (Tensive extending from the South Armeira plateau to Eastern. Persia. The Turkish plan was to draw the Russians deeply into the Western Euphrates Valley, and then throw the whole Third Army m the lake depression, while on the left wing their Sixth Army' advanced and occupied Teheran. Abdi Pasha, commanding the Third Army, hoped to push north from the . Mush plain and cut off the Russians between Erzeroum and Kars. Hie commenced his offensive by sending 110.000 troops under Isset Pasha m three col- >__ umns, which were arranged to converge near Khunrp. south of Erzeroum. General Tudenitch, however, managed to outflank Isset Pasha, who evacuated the Mush plain. A large Turkish force is now m the Upper Euphrates Valley connected with its base only by bad roads. Isset Pasha's power of offensive is greatly reduced owing to his . difficulty m getting supplies from Khar- ': put. N The situation; m Persia is less satisfactory. Halil Pasha invaded Persia with. 26,000 regulars, cavalry and mxx fantry, and 12,000 irregular Kurds equipped with German batteries and aeroplanes. The Russians 7 who were outnumbered, retired.^ The Turks now bold Haroadan. but will not attempt to advance on Teheran, fearing a Russian counter-of-fensive, which would threaten Halil Pasha's retreat to Bagdad.