The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-08
SAY TURKSLO
100000 TROOPS
ATSARIKAMYSH
Correspondents Believe Sui
tan Has Suffered Worst
Defeats Of War.
TWO DIVISIONS WIPED
OUT AT ARABIAN

LONDON, jan I. ALTHOUGH later details
Indicate that the defeat of the Turkish
armies In the Caucasus. announced in
Petrograd. is as complete as any forces
have suffered in the present war. neither
Turkey nor Germany have yet conceded
the defeat
The latest official Turkish communica-
ton ignores the Caucasian situation en-
tirely and devotes itself to the field
extending over the Persian frontier The
Turks say that with the help OF the
Persians they have defeated the Russians
at Urumiah. Persia. an important town.
There Is little caange IN the battle
line extending from the Baltic to the Car
pathians and the Germans apparently
have been able to approach no nearer
to Warsaw.
English military critics give special
attention to the vigorous offensive con
Quoted by the Russians in the Austrian
province Of Bukowina. Because this
province is populated largely b. people
of Rumanian blood the critics see in its
occupation the possibility OF bringing the
Balkan situation to a head
The main effort of the Russians APP
pears to be directed against the passes
OF the Carpathdns leading into Hun
gary
The Petrograd correspondent Of the
Daily Mail says:
THE complete, crushing victory OF the
Russian Caucasian army over the Turks
| is the severest blow to German military
prestige since the war started. The
Turks have been under German orders
| al. Of drawn bE the
German staff The Turks fought bravely
| and il was thought that they might he
| very formidable with German leaders.
| That fear has now been shattered
The Turks advanced IN two main bod
| los one marched upon Sari kamysh,
Just on Russian territory. The second
| crossed the frontier at Artvine, rev
| miles from the sea. marched inland and
| occupied Arabian. Here they had be
| hind them a range of mountains through
| which they had TO come. In snort time
| they found that they had Russian troops
not only on their front. as they had eN'
pected but also on the left flank between
them. and the rest OF the army. They
| found they had been lured into trap
| which d military writer to-day calls a
| Sedan on "A small scale. This was sun
day. ,-,.-,
a frontal attack on Sari kamysh Per
haps they did not know that the turning
movement at Arabian had failed; per
mans the Germans decided to advance IL
tspite OF this, in the hope OF retrieving
thei- fortunes by bold stroke,
For this audacty they paid dear
They had made the mistake of under
rating Russia's Caucasian troops whos'
yearly mannuvres have taught them al
that can be known OF hill fighting. 1t Il
admitted that the Turks fought with al
much bravery as the conditions per
united In many parts of the field group'
of OttomAns were surrounded. but refused
TO surrender and fought until all Wer'
killed.
The losses, for this reason. we're ap
mailing There are dead and WOUNDED
Tor miles and the narrow valleys an'
winding mountain roads are thckly dotted
with frozen bodies. After Il nights frost tn
hndies become like marble. Tn" ground II
co hard that Il is impossible to bur
them. and the only way to dispose OF tn
dead is by huge funeral pyres.
zone army corps has been botted out
Another has scattered IN several drec
lions and is fleeing in disorder to tn
frontier. still losing heavily. II the Rus
SLAMS could follow up their victory quickly
they might invest Erzerum beiore IN
.ren,y has recovered from this staggerini
h,ov but the difficulty of moving In TN
region, where there IL nothing but noun
! great and II "oulu DC unrc"soH""''
r expect too much.
r "Although the Russian troops are sea
, sopcd TO the cold they feel IT so niue
mat they drive cattle 10 their sleepln
places and keep them there to act a
central heating, so that the soldiers ma
keen warm mt night.
n ,nther despatch from the Daily Ma
n correspondent, filed Thursday night, says
I "Tbe pursuit OF the broken Turks
. army continues with ever increaSln
. captures Of prisoners The Turks, VIII
e i'm the heat OF battle fought desperatel
and refused TO surrender, are unable I
= hear the strain Of the difficult retrea
r during which they are harassed nlgf
s and day by the Caucasian Light Hors
u and are giving themselves up In gret
numbers Some are apathetic, some
e despair. some In panic and some in
{ fury Of anger against their leaders, VIII
= deceived them. who told them that II
u Russian forces were weak and not read
: for battle.
u nearly 200 guns IN the Sari Kamysh r.
gion and two divisions at Arabian. Whe
they were eutrapped their only hope WI
10 fight their way out. For two da!
= they tried to do so with a courage Al
~ energy which excited the warm admire
:, ton Of the Russians Their efforts. how
~ ever, failed utterly.
n THE Russian troops who were 81
-, trusted with the task OF taking the Turl
q I'm the rear had to make their way ov
M passes 900 feet high, In deep snow Al
20 with the temperature below zero. Pro-
ably no troops but Caucasians could ha'
a. faced such conditions and accomplish
"a punctually the work they were given
In do.
'The Russian advance toward Transy
Il yanla, which Hungary Is so anxious
re watching continues to meet with on
,n feeble resistance. The Slav populatio
Il. Of Hungary are welcoming the Russi'
-, troops as deiverers and are shown
- open hostility to the Austrians.'