Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-05-16

ceptlng the communications between |
that fortress and Erzerum. The Turk |
ish command sought to defeat this |
movement by sending troops from |,
Kars to oppose the advancing Russians. |
An engagement ensued which proved |
indecisive. 1t is now apparent that |
the Russian armies are concentrating |
upon Erzerum, and Will simply invest |
Kars until the greater fortress falls |
into their hands. The frontier is
crossed by four main roads. The most |
northern starts from Poti, the termi- |
nus of railway from Tihis. This |
road, after crossing the Turkish |
frontier, forks at Batum, whence one |
branch runs along the coast to Trebi- |
zond, while the other goes direct to |
ErZerum. The second road crosses |
the frontier close to the Russian fort |
resS of Achalzich, and thence to kars. |
The third is the direct road from Tihis |
TO Kars, crossing the frontier at the |
Russian fortress of Alexandropol. The !
fourth road leads from Erivan to |
Bayazid, thence to Erzerum. The |
Russians have begun their advance on |
the laSt-named road by capturing |
Baya2id. In 1923, Paskewitch only |
moved by the three southern routes |
but the force at his command was 50
small in comparison to the army now
launched against Turkey that the |
precedent is Of no value at the present |
time.
Excepting Of course kars, there are |
no great barriers to the advance of the |
Russians on the roads leading to Ere |
rum. The army from Poti, turning
off at Batum, would pass through the |
defiles in the Valley of the Djoruk |
without meeting a fortress. On issu |
ing ont into the plain of Erzerum they
would find themselves ilanked on either
hand by the little fortreSseS of Isper
and Ihortum. These, however, are
over twelve miles apart, and Thortum
could be masked and besieged by a small
force while the main body marched
out OF reach of its guns upon ErZerum.
The road from Ach1iZich to kars was
used by the Russians in 1928 20. 1t
is rough and is barred by the fortress
of Arabian. In 1923 this place sur
rendered without defense, but this was
IN the first feeling of depression subse-
quent upon the fall of AchalZich. after
one of the most desperate defenSes
ever related in history. Arabian is
small but strong. It's defences are not,
however. proof against the improved
artillery with which the Russian army
is supplied. On the short, level road
which leads from AleXandropol to kars |
there are no obstacles TO the Russian |
advance. On the fourth road leading |
to Er2erum the fortress of Bayazid was !
the main barrier. Having captured |
this, tie Russian column may either |
take the line followed by Paskewitch, |
ana advance through Toprak kaleh, or
more probably it Will march due west.
pass the Bngol Bagh Mountains and
the Eastern Euphrates. and then, turn |
ing north, come down upon the main |
road to ErZerum, in the rear of the |
Turkish army.
The invaders would thus have |
marched nearly all the line of frontier |
which Russia coyets. kars is a strong |
fortress. 1t repulsed invaders several |
times prior to the Russian attack in !
1928, when it fell after very short |
siege In the Crimean war it fell |
again, but this time 10y Il slow process |
OF starvation. The garrison upon that |
occasion WAS very strong one, almost |
rs large rs the heSleglng army. and the |
Turks have always maintained that it
ought not 10 have been SHUT up in the |
fortress, but ought to have fought IN
the open. The position of kars as a
fortress Is faulty, except rs covering Il
large iutrenched camp. ~ a citadel
only 1t Is useless, as the country to It's
south IS sufficiently level and open for
IN army to march past ont of reach of
its guns, There is another road
through kaghi2man, twenty miles
further south, and the position can be
turned altogether by invading armies
advancing either 10y the Djoruk road
OF that 10y Ararat. If. however. it be
well proylsioned and used rs an in
trenched camp for a corps II dImte, it
must lie reduced and its garrison de-
teated before an army can move for
ward either 10y the main or southern
road. IL IS said that the Qualifications
have been increased and strengthened,
and another famous siege may be
looked for. Erzerm is Strategicallya
Ash h'l' liul taIIN hNi AltNN Nhdu hdlS.
1t blocks the main road and that com
ing up the pioruk Valley from the
coast, and, in tact. bars the passage of
amy army coming To the northwud of
the Bmgol Bagh range, Ii is fairly
fortified, and il new rtdoubtS have
been thrown mp ON ;3c sides from
which u IS TO some extent commanded
toy modern artillery, ii should make
long and stout resistance. Ii has.
however, the disadvantage of being a
large mud populous city. being the Cap
ltal Of Asia Minor Food may be laid
i'm NN I'm active and rrvrytiiy Governor