New-York tribune., 1916-01-17
British Relief Force
ROutS MOSlemS
Near kut.
GERMANS JOIN
PERSIAN REBELS
Russians Report Defeat
of Combined Force
at Hamadan.

London. Jan. l6.-In the huge
war theatre of Asia Minor. in which
lie the roads to India and Egypt,
the Allied armies have begun
series Of new thrusts TO halt the
Turks and their German leaders.
The centre Of this gigantic battle
area is still the Tigris, where 10000
British troops are surrounded al
For the moment the
interest lies in the fate of this
force, for its capture would mean a
moral stimulus that might inspire
the Moslems tc fercer attempt at
Suez or India-improbable as such
drives are thought here-and its eS-
cape would strike some terror az
least to the Sultan's forces.
In the effort to save General
Townshend's army besieged in kut
the Allies are striking from two di-
rections. A relief force under Cen
eral Aylmer is pushing up the
Tigris. At Orah, twenty-five miles
downstream from kut, the Turks.
according to "a official statement
issued here tonight, have been
routed and are in retreat.
Gar Begins New Attack.
simultaneously with this report
comes the announcement from Con-
stantinople that the Russians have
launched new offensive along a
hundred-mile front in the Caucasus,
lying north of the Mesopotamlan
theatre. This is undoubtedly an
attempt to divert the Turkish forces
pressing the British on the TIgrls.
For the Turks fighting in this huge
area have been reinforced and are
being strengthened daily b. troops re-
Ueved when the Allies withdrew from
the Dardanelles. II these forces are
occupied in one sector. their ability to
attack in another sector will be dimin-
ished.
II the much heralded drive on the
Suez Canal is TO be begun, Mesopots-
mia must first be cleared, for any Al
lied force in Mcsopotamia would
threaten the flank of an army adyane-
ing on Egypt, and, moreover wouii
hold large forces which could be uti-
lied for the projected offensive.
British Fighting Hard.
The British are putting forth valiant
efforts to maintain their positions on
the Tigris, and, # possible, TO move
arain on Bagdad. toward which they
once pushed within less than twenty
miles. The Indian troops withdraw
from France, it is now established are
fighting with General Aylmer's army
These reinforcements may have over
come the Turk resistance. Or-thls -
the other possibility the Russian
move in the Caucasus may have forced
the Turks to transfer troops from the
Tigris TO meet this new threat.
Thus the task Of the Allies is two
fold TO keep the Turks so occupied
that they can move neither toward
Egypt nor toward India. Field Marshal
Won der Goltz has been reported at
various times in charge OF forces
ready to make one move or the other
By continuing the threat in Mesopots-
mia the Allies are occupying Turk
forces which might be used for either
At tne same ;ilae the battle in Persia
is developing. Berlin reported few
days ago that the Turks had taken
Kermanshah, on the main caravan
route between Teheran and Bagdad and
on the road 20 India. This city Is the
junction point OF the roads from the
Turkish frontier. and therefore an i'm
portant strategic position. It's capt
ure was viewed here with some con
cern, because II recalled the reports
IN December of a march across Persia
toward India by Turkish and German
forces under Won der GOltz.
Turks Beaten in Persia.
But the Russians now have thrown
new forces into this front. Petrogrsd
reports a success for the cars troops
between Hamadan and kermanshah:
When the German intriguers stirred
up the Persian rebels the Russians
met them at Hamadal and forced them
TO retreat to hermanshan. The cars
forces are now occupied IN meeting
the new advance.
Southeast Of Hamadan,' -ays the
Russian official statement, eve drove
back toward Dsulatabad detachment
consisting Of turks and Germans"
This is the first official intimation that
the Germans are hghting with the
Turks in Persia, and q, too, has giNel
new significance TO the reports of
move on India. How serious the new
offensive may be is no. yet clear. bus
1t points TO the necessity OF q victory
for the British on the rigris.
A Reuter- dispatch from Amsterdam