The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-18
Special Co6ie Despotch to The sus.

"pe''vs Noohe besputCN W Inv oV"'
LONDON, Jan. 1.-THE second i'm
portant British victory reported within
two days In the M~esopotamian theatre
OF war was announced in tn. House
OF Commons by Secretary for India
Chamberlain to-day. The British re-
lief force under Gen. Aylmer. on It's
way to aid the British army bottled up
at kut-el-A mara, followed up its sue
cess of January l3 n II and drove
the Turks 10 a position only six miles
from kut-el-Amara.
A War Office statement issued ester
day said the relief force. after having
driven the Turks Oh January 5 and y
to "A position astride the Tigris AT Orah.
twenty live miles below kui-el-Amara.
attacked the ottomans there, driving
them still further before them. To-
ua! 5 announcement shows that the
British since then have made a gain
of nineteen miles toward their goal.
Turks Repulscd Twice.
Secretary Chamberlain stated IN his
to-day that the Turks
were driven by the British OIL January
IL to Essian. six miles east OF kut-el-
Ainara, and that on the following day
the Turks advance again To the So
called Wadi position. The subsequent
British advance. In which the Turks
were again thrown back to Ess!an,
was made between January 10 and 10.
During the whole day OF January ~
there was continuous fighting. Sect
Chamberlain stated. 1t is evident from
his announcement that a battle OF ter
rifc violence preceded the latest Brit sh
advance. Military observers here agree
that this battle will be renewed mo-
mentarily. as the Turks are expected 10
fight to the last to prevent a junction
between the relief force and the be-
~leaguered troop at kut-el-Amara as
such a junction would mean "A new
menace TO Bagdad.
The consensus of opinion Is thai the
fighting in Mesopotam.a now in progress
is of AS bitter aud tenacious a Cndrac-
ter IA has occurred anywhere during the
war. The prize of victory for the Turks
is the opening Of the drive against Suez
and Egypt. while for the British victory
means avertlng thai menace indefinitely
and paving the way for a new attack on
Bagdad.
Decisive Battle Under Way.
In the six mile area that still separates
the relief force from the b~el.aguered
garrison "A decisive battle Is believed 10
be in progress. The British official re-
ports show the Turks to be IN "A perilous
position. II the main RritIsh force at
kut-el-Amara is AS strong AS IL est!-
.matei-about 4J.UOU--a successful sort!e
combined with a continued advance OF
the relief force would constitute a
tremendous menace TO the Turks h
are now between these two hres,
Tha announcements nf SplfptAry ChAn-
berlain follows:
The recent operations In Mesopo-
tam!a, including the advance to Ctesl-
phon, were considered and approved
by the VA Council. II would not be
In the public interest that ! should
make any statement on the scope Of
the operations now In progress. In
formation OF that kind in the present
circumstances would be far more val
liable to the enemy than TO the House.
On the llth instant | announced TO
the House that the enemy had retired
TO Essian, a position six miles east Of
k~ut-el-Amara.
He. however, apparently advanced
again on the 18th 10 what Is called
in the telegram the Wadi position.
Since then We have received tele-
grams from Gen. Townshend up TO
the morning OF the 10Th.
From these kilograms II appears
that on the 18th Gen. Kendall. on the
right bank, was holding the Turkish
position in front of him. whll, Gen.
Aylmer was pressing back two dlvi-
sion on the left bank at and about
the Wadi position.
There was continuous fighting on
the 18th IN the re!ghhorhood and on
he morning Of the iith ten. Aylmer
reported that the enemy We're again
retiring and that he himself was NOV
ing his headquarters and his water
transport to the mouth Of the Wadi.
on the 18th Gen. Aylmer exported
that the whole Of the Wadi position
had been captured and the enemy
rearRuard had taken up a position at
Essian.
Gen. Aylmer reports hat the OPP
erations were seriously hampered
throughout by weather and I am sorry
TO say that the weather is reported to
he a All the wounded hav been
sent down the river.
IA cable despatch received in New
York on the evening Of January II and
published in THE Sun OF the following
morning ~purported to contain the full
text Of Secretary Chambcrlain's state.
ment to the House Of Commons on
January II. Ii did not contain the state
ment referred 10 In his report of yester-
day that the Turks had retired 10 Is
sian. six miles east Of kut-el-Amara.'
The statement showed, on the contrary,
that the British had not made any head-
way beyond Sheik Said. a point on the
Tieris about twenty miles below Kut-
el-Amara.l
Fighting at kut-rl- ma IRA.
Berlin dispatches o-day quoted ar