The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-02-25
SLAVS CLAIM TO HAVE
TAKEN 100000 turks.
ALSO CAPTURED OVER 1000 GUNS
WHEN THE BIG TURKISH FORT
ERZERUM FELL.
GERMANS TAKE TRENCHES
BY Terrific Assaults the Teutons
Force the French and British From
a Few YarLs Of Trenches-Sit-
uaton in the Balkans, Etc.
Latest News From War Fronts.

Estimates at Petrograd place the
number of troops in the Turkish gar
risOn at Erzerum, the capture Of which
has been announced, at 100000. The
guns numbered more than 1000, but
It has not yet been officially stated
that all Of these troops and guns were
taken by the Russians
That the fighting before the fort
ress fell was terrific is indicated by a
COnstantinorle report which, although
not announcing the capture Of Ere
rum, says that in the last three days
before the communication was issued
the Russians had lost 5000 men killed.
Erzerum, Turkeys chief city in Ar
menia, is in the hands of the Russians.
Heavy assaults by the Russians
against the long line of detached forts
protecting the city, lasting over a Pc
riod Of five days, and described by
Grand Duke Nicholas, the Russian
commander In chief, as "unpreCedent-
ed" have resulted in the capture OF
the fortress
Unofficial reports early in the pres
ent month said the German field mar
shall, Won der Goltz, with $4,000 men,
was besieged in the city with proyis.
Ions for only fortnight.
The capture of Erserum is consider
ed of great strategic Importance,
From 1t radiate roads leading in all
directions. Over those to the south
east and south it will be possible for
the Russians to fight their way to-
ward their compatriOts operating
against the Persians and Turks in
Northwest and West Persia, or pro-
coed south toward Bagdad to the re.
lief of the British bottled up at Kut-
el-Amara, on the Tigris southeast of
Bagdad.
Switching their offensive from the
Artois and Champagne regions in
France to the Belgian sector around
Ypres held by the British, the Ger
mans have smashed their way by an
artillery bomhardment and infantry at.
taCks into a British front line trench
over distance Of between 600 and 800
yards Berlin gives the distance as
800 yards and the British official com,
munication In admitting the gain as.
serts it was on a front of about coo
yards. Berlin says that a majority OF
the defenders of the trench were kill
ed and that one officer and several
dozens of soldiers were taken prison
ers.
In the Artois region between Lens
and Bethune the crater of a mine
blown up by the Germans was occu
pied by them, while the French guns
have been busy Smelling German or
CARNATIONS in the neighborhood oil
the road to Lille. The French also
bOmbardGd German positions north oil
Vic-sur-Aibne and northeast of Sois
sens and in the Argonne exploded q
mine and occupied the crater.
Shorn for the first time since the
death of Queen Victoria of the pomr
of royal procession, the new parlia
mentary session was opened Tuesday
In London. Though important mat
ters concerning Great Britain's con,
duct Of her campaigns are to be
brought up Immediately, there was lit
tie sign in the approaches to West
minister OF public interest in the pro
ceediAgs.
The whole western fighting front is
the scene Of engagements. At some
points the big guns have been roaring
necessarily for days; the infantry
have been engaged in hand-to-hand
struggles; grenade fighting and min,
Ing operations have played a promi
nent part in the battles, while airmeu
have fought each other above the
lines and have been cannonaded from
below by antiaircraft guns.
" In Upper Alsace Monday the Ger
mans turned loose their guns or
trenches the French had recaptureC
from them, but the French during the
night had evacuated them, and the
Ehelling did no other damage than t
shatter the enplacements.
Seventeen fights in the air Is thu
record of Sunday, reported Officially
by the British along their lines il
Flanders. In addition there has beer
great activity south of La Basset
canal, where the Germans exploded
seven mines. Heavy bombardments
and an infantry attack in that section
also is reported, the Germans sue
ceeding In entering a British trench
They were driven out almost imme
diately
King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Vienna
reports, has arrived to visit Emperor
Francis Joseph. This would seem to
set at naught recent unofficial reports
that Bulgaria had asked the entente
allies for a separate peace.
Increasing activity in the Balkans
is reported from Athens. Following
the arrival of French and British re-
If -