The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-31

Armenia in january, 1916, which re-
suited In the capture of Ezerum and
the port of Trebizond and expelled /
the Turks from the greater part of /
Armenia. After comparative Iull |
OF some months the grand duke re-
stunned his advance simultaneous with /
a serious uprising against the Turks |
by the Arabs in Arabia. The Arabs |
took the sacred city Of Mecca, Jiddah
and Taft and besieged Medina, the
city where Mohammed was buried and
one of the hottest spots of the Mo-
hammedan world. In the meantime
the Russians took Mamakhatun. and
Baiburt, and in the last week have
taken Erzingan, an important city
ard fortress eight miles southwest of
Ezerum.
In connection with the Turkish
campaign the year saw serious re-
verse for the Franco British and a.
less important, but highly dramatic,
disaster for the British. The disas-
trous attempt of the French and Brit
ish to force the Dardanelles and seize
Constantinople was definitely aban-
doned in November, 1916, and the al
lied troops Withdrawn from the CALI
poll peninsula. About 10000 troops
had been used in this venture, sup
ported by mighty fleet. Six battle
ships, five British and one French,
were sent to the bottom as well as
some minor craft and the casualties
were unoficially reported to be almost
equal to the original number of the
expeditionary force. This was the re-
suit of six months of some of the
most sanguinary fighting of the war.
| The second disaster of the British
was the surrender of 10000 troops
under General Townshend to the
Turks at Kut-El-Amara on the Tigris.
This expedition had made a sensa-
tional dash more than 300 miles up
the river in an attempt to seize Bag
dad. It was within ten miles of the
city when it was decisively defeated
by the Turks and forced to fall back
100 miles. Here it was surrounded
and forced to surrender after relief
force had made several vain efforts at
rescue.
Two new nations entered the ranks
of the belligerents during the year.
On October Is, 1916, Bulgaria threw
in her lot with the Central Powers
and on March 9, 1916, Germany de-
clared war on Portugal after the re-
public had seized all German ships
linterned in her ports.
The entrance of Bulgaria into the
arena was signalized by combined
assault on Serbia by Austria, Ger
many and Bulgaria which resulted in
the complete overwhelming of the
!; lhope1essly outnumbered Serbians and
the subjugation of their country. The
remnants of the Serbian army were
driven across the frontier into the
wilderness of Albania whence they
/ were rescued by the British, French
and Italians. They were shipped TO
! Corfu where they were reorganized
and re-equipped and later, to the
J, number of about 100000, joined the
i Franco British forces at Saloniki. The
8 survivors Of the Gallipoli campaign
J. were also gathered at the Grecian
] seaport as well as large British
, army from Egypt. This combined
| force is estimated at 100000 men and
j is presumably being held for an at
! tempt to wrest Serbia from the Bull
garians.
i The principal success won by Aus.
{ trian arms during the year was 9
; great offensive undertaken against
i Italy in May. The Austrian forces
j swept the Italian invaders back over
LA wide stretch of country in the
Southern TyroI, reconquered about
/ 270 square miles of Austrian terri
I tory and carried the battle into Italy
| The Italians rallied, however, and al
) the close of the twelve months ha(
5 regained large portion of 'groune
and were vigorously pressing coun
: ter offensive in accordance with the
q plans of the Entente for concerted
action.
81 On the sea the year witnessed al
event of surprising interest. This
| German grand fleet, steaming ou+
. from it's mine fields and impregnabls
D harbors at Kiel and Wilhelmshaven
engaged the British fleet in thu
: mightiest naval battle of history.
: The battle was fought off the coas1
: Iof Jutland on May 81. It's results
t are so obscured by the conflicting
j claims of the combatants that hey
) will probably not be definitely known
i until the war is over, if then. The
: Germans assert that the British
, losses were far heavier than theirs
, and on that ground claim the victory
!, The British, denying greater losses
i point to the fact that they still con
: troll the seas as the basis of theil
D right to the title of victors. Londor
) also claims that since the battle 20t
J British ships, which had been tied vi
{ in Baltic ports since the beginning o.
! the war, have been able to make theil
T Iway to English ports unmolested By
German warships.
s-f r. Al