ROUT OF THE TURKS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 963, 13 March 1917, Page 7

ROUT OF THE TURKS.

ALLIES CLOSING ROUND. IMPORTANCE OF BAGDAD. Australian and K.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, March 12. The main Russian force is now 180 miles from Bagdad, compared with 258 miles before the advance from Hamadan. Another column is at Senna, 72 miles north of Kermanshah, while the northernmost column has reached Beroze, 94 miles from the Mosul-Bagdad Road, by which the Turkish main supplies are received from the north. Meanwhile General Sir Archibald Murray (Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in Egypt) is pushing on from the borders of Palestine, and the Grand Duke Nicholas is advancing in Armenia. It is now apparent that General Maude smashed the Turkish army at Kut-el-Amara more completely than was disclosed at the time. Throughout laborious operations, extending over many days, the British inflicted terrible losses on the Turks, who were often found dead in heaps. Thousands of prisoners were taken, and when the army tied to Bagdad only the remnant remained. The fall of Bagdad means more than the rout of the Turkish army in Oriental eyes, and is therefore doubly important. India has played a great and worthy part in General Maude's triumph. A very large proportion of his troops were Indian. The pursuing cavalry who entered Bagdad were made especially welcome by the Persians. Half a million of the inhabitants of Bagdad and the neighbouring provinces are adherents of the Persian form of the Islamic faith. It is questionable how long Turkey will be content to continue an alliance which takes her men to fight on the Russian fronts while it has failed to save her rich eastern provinces. ANGLO-RUSSIAN CO-OPERATION. JUNCTION EXPECTED SOON. Australian anil KJi Cable Association.. LONDON, March 12. Military critics point out that the first-rate road behind the River Diyala, together with the marshes, should have enabled the Turks to make an almost impregnable front between the Euphrates and the Tigris. The British victory leaves the Turkish army in Persia in the air and only precipitate retreat will now save it. Mosul, on the Upper Tigris, whence the Turks are operating, is a magazine comparable to Sivas (in Armenia) and Damascus (in Palestine). Mosul must now feed armies which are facing an opponent on two sides. A junction between General Maude's forces and the Russians who recently captured Hamadan (in Western Persia) will be the next dramatic development. VICTORY WELCOMED. REJOICING IN ENGLAND. "Lite Times' Service. LONDON, March 11. The news of the fall of Bagdad caused widespread rejoicings in London and the provinces. MUM f S THE WORD. TURKS KEEP SILENCE. A. and A'.Z. Cable Association and Renter. (Received March 13, 0.20 a.m.) LONDON, March 12. To-day's Turkish official communique does not mention the fall of Bagdad. THE BAGDAD RAILWAY. LATEST GERMAN SCHEMES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. AMSTERDAM, March 11. German engineers are busy upon projects for improvements to the Bagdad railway, with a view to obviating the ferry across the Bosphorus. They have been preparing plans for tunnelling the Bosphorus, as an alternative to the construction of a bridge 600 metres in length from Rnmili Hissar to Anatoli Hissar, on the European and Asiatic sides of the Bosphorus respectively.