Arizona republican., 1916-04-30
FACED WITH DEATH
 BY STARVATION
The Ottoman Troops Had Beaten Back Successive Relief Expeditions Until Supplies Were Entirely Exhausted
LRepubIican A. p. Leased wireI

LONDON. April 29.-Major General Charles Townshend commander of the British forces beseiged at Kut Fl Amara Mesopotamia by Turkish forces since last December has sur rendered. This information was con- tained in a British official statement issued this afternoon.
 The official statement added that Gen. Townshend destroyed all his guns and munition before surrender ing.
 It is estimated that the force sur rendered consists of about 13,000 men. The following official announce ment was made: Alter a resistance protracted for 14S days, and conducted with a gal lartry and fortitude that will be for ever memorable. Gen. Townshend has been compelled by the final exhaus- ton of his supplies to surrender.
 Before doing so. he destroyed his guns and munitions.
 The force under him consists of e970 British troops of all ranks and service and some 5000 Indian troops and their followers"
 The stubborn defense of kut Fl Am ara and the ultimate disaster will live. in the history of British operations in the Far East, besides the desperate defense of Khartoum against over whelming odds by the hero Chinese Gordon.
 Like Gordon. Townshend has fought battle for existence against vastly superior forces and has evidently Leld on until further endurance became impossible. The help that is oll the way, like that which went to the suc- COT of Gordon, will arrive too late and Englands proud banner has been dragged in the dust of a defeat that might have been avoided.
 Gen. Townshend probably Wal driven to surrender to avoid starva ton of bis forces.
 recent official Turkish communi- cation said hat the position of tn; British at KUt-El- Amara was critica and that they were expecting to re. ceNe small SUI pl-es of food by aero Diane An official statement rsceive, yes'eiday fro.l london showe3 that last effort to scnd supplies .o the gar risOn haC faded It was announce, that d ship ladcn with supplies hat hern sent up ,he Tigris, that it hal heen grounded shout four miles eas of the city.
 Less than a score of miles away, O the banks of lhe Tigris river belo, :he city, is q relief army which fc months has been attempting t. reac tlIe heseigel forces of Gen. Town sfend Of late the Turks resistanc Las increased and. aided by Good! tiey nave been ale to hold the Sri iSh in check.
 No official figures have bee.i gi e out as to tbr number of troops whic left Inc Persian gulf in November ( lel4 on the expedition which has no ended in surrender Unofficiafr Il number has l,eeu estimated as hif:1 { 50c0G, but it vas probably consider ably smaller than this. This force h; suffered heavy losses in severe la ties with the Turks
 The surrender of Gen. TowsheI IS one of the few instances of the W; in which an entire fighting unit of in Lortant numbers has laid down srms.
 It IS one of the largest bodies troops of the entente allies that ha Surrendered and l1Iger than any oth captured French or British force.
 Early in December of last year Gc Townshends army was beaten in ba tie at Ctesiphon. eighteen miles belf Bagdad, and retreated to Kut-El- AT