The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-02-29
MANY PATHS OPEN
FOR The RUSSIANS
Fall of Erzerum Important Vic
tory For Entente Allies.
MARCH ON TURK CAPITAL?

Great Distances a Big Handicap to
Both Armies Operating In That Ter
r;tory-Captured City Was Important
Base In the Russo Turkish War Of
1878.
Several possibilities are opened up
by Grand Duke Nicholas capture of
Erzerum and other Turkish positions
Will his victorious army, which thus
has forced It's way through the back
door of Turkey. attempt to reach
Constantinople through the mountain
passes of Armenia? Will 1t send an
expedition north to Treblzond, on the
Black sea, through an equally forbid
ding country? Will 1t descend the
Euphrates with the idea of relieving
the British position on the Tigris? Or,
and this seems the most probable 30
luton. will 1t descend the Euphrates
to the point where It is crossed by the
Bagdad railway? The latter achieved
and this alternative could be INDUCED
ina march on Constantinople or one
across the desert to Aleppo, where Is
said to be gathering the Turko-Ger-
man army for a second attempt to
capture Egypt and the Suez canal.
Some military experts believe that
the recent activity shown by the An
glo-Indian force on the Tigris and the
Russian armies in Armenia and Per
sia was begun and developed with
the idea of serving as deterrents to
second attack on Egypt, just as It is
expected that an offensive of the al
lies on the Saloniki littoral will shortly
be developed with the same end in
view.
Distances Greatest Handicap.
The distances. however, are so vast
that at no point can military operations
at present be made to illustrate this
theory. From COnstantlnOple to Ere
rum Is TAO miles; from Erzerum to Kut-
el-Amara, the immediate objective of
the Anglo-lndian force ON the Tigris, is
$40. and from the Russian advance In
Persia to Kut-el-Amara is 250 miles.
while ErZerum, the Russian position in
Persia, and the Anglo-Indian position
on the Tigris form broken line whose
nearest point TO the Suez canal is T25
miles.
On Jan. 6 the Russian general staff
issued long report on the army of the
Caucasus from the time the grand duke
had taken command, on Sept. 8, to the
end OF 1915. According to this report.
the Turks had begun to prepare for the
Russian offensive in Armenia as early
as November, when the Third Turkish
army, anticipating the German-Aus-
trian drive in the Balkans and the re
tlrement of the nco-British forces
from GallpOli, had been ordered to the
region between the Russian lines and
Erzerum.
The plan OF the Third army was AZ
follows: The Ninth and Tenth corps
were to advance to Olti and form an
offensive wing, whereas the Eleventh
corps was ordered to hold Its power
fully organized position and to attack,
through strategic demonstration, the
weight of the Russian troops. In case
the latter took an energetic offensive
the Eleventh corps was ordered to fall
back on the fortress Of Erzerum, car
rying along with 1t the Russian troops.
At the proper time the latter would
be attacked by the Ninth and Tenth
corps, together with such re-enforce.
ments as could be sent from Constan-
tinople. 1t was the intention of the
Turks to use the great fortress OF Er.
zerum on the left flank or In the center
as circumstances might demand, feel.
ing sure the Russians could not muster
sufficient force to envelop the city.
The grand duke knew all this by
Dec. l. Without displaying any activ-
ity or signs of re-enforcements on this
line In Armenia he sent column
south into Persia in the direction of
Hamadan, where II defeated large
force of Persian insurgents, Turks and
1,200 Germans. At the same time,
with the main army not deplOyed, but
divided intoNen columns, each thanked
by large forces of Cossacks, he began
his advance on Erzerum
He was lured on as Enver Pasha
had intended, 10y the Eleventh Turkish
corps, but before he could be attacked
by the Ninth and Tenth these corps
had been isolated by the superior Rus
sian forces TO the south of Erzerum
and the Eleventh corps was driven
into the city.
Germans Arc Re-enforeed.
This was on Jan, % last. On the
same day re-enforcemcnts with many
German officers were started from
COnstantinople. aud It was aunounceC
that Field Marshal Baron Kolmar Won
der Goltz, formerly military adviser e
Enver Pasha. had been placed at tht
head of the Turkish forces I'm Armenia
Won der Gotz arrived at Erzerum OF
p Feb. aud at once assumed command
{ between TEN and fifteen miles soutl
p of the city the Ninth and Tenth corps
rc-cnforced by Field Marshal LimaI
D Won Sanders with most of the Turkisl
First corps and 10000 Germans, VIII
mp TO Dec 10 had been engaged n
Gallipoli ATTEMPTED 10 prevent IN
I Russian columns from envelOpng tn
city on the south, but before the rclle
. corps could effect junction with tn