Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-11

more than temporary earthworks. NJ
Seton Watson, in the English Review.
refers to the errors and omissions OF
the allies and severely critictsee the
British authorities and their military
necessity of the SaIoniki front. But for
Gen. Joffre's violent insistence there
would have been SO Saloniki front. ana
that would have been a calamity from
the entente point of view.
The sudden appearance of the Rus
sian army of the Caucasus in mid
winter and the dra.
Armenian matte capture of Erz-
erum was a surprise
oonpaAsn. for the world. to say
nothing of how much it disconnected
the plans of the imperialists against
Saloniki and against Egypt. The cap
ture of Erzerum, Trebizond, Erz-
ingan and Bitlis were the prologues
of the liberation of Armenia and a
strategic advance in Asia Minor. The
capture of Erzerum caused us to COM
prehend for the first time the signih-
canoe of the sudden disappearance of
the Grand Duke Nicolas, and his ap-
parent disfavor and exile to the Cau-
casus.
When Turkey. already Germanized.
espoused the cause of the central en-
pires. her armies. only half organised
by Enver Pasha and the German gem
eral Leman Won Sanders. were dis
tributed in Thrace, around Constanti-
| nople, Syria, Mesopotamia. Armenia
and Arabia. The allied fleet attempt
ed to force the Dardanelles in Novem-
Der. 1914: at the same time an expedi-
| tionary corps Anglo-lndian. debarked
at Koweit and quickly captured Bas-
sorah and threatened BagdaG. The
Turks placed in Armenia 10000 eff
fectives.
Kars and Erivan. being Armenian
mosities. not only because the an
habitants were Christian. but because
they had been coded to Russia by the
treaty of Berlin (1S7S). The mass of
northeast of Erzerum on the route
| Kars and Arabian. The Turks at
tackled and the Russians retired, but
January Is, 1915, they counter-attacked
order on Erzerum. The two armies
| remained facing each other during
1915. At the close OF that year the
cause of the allies seemed compro-
Joined Germany and Serbia had been
overrun; the Austro-Germans were
masters at Constantinople: the oper-
| ations in the Dardanelles had failed.
saloniki. despite the opinion of Sir
Edward Grey to "scuttle." changed the
face of things. In concentrating a
powerful army at Saloniki. the allies
perialists thought achieved. victory
which would assure them liberty Of
action in Egypt and in India.
| The arrival of the Russian army OF
the Grand Duke Nicholas before
| Erzerum was a shock to
Capture of the Germans and Turks.
C No, one except the
AeAu A' grand duke knows the
size of his force. We only know Of
the extreme cold in these mountains,
the deep snow, the ice. The sufferings
of the Russian soldiers was inde-
scribable. How they scaled the ice and
snow-clad mountains is a marvel. Gen.
Malleterre tells how they came down
the slippery sides of the mountains:
The soldiers seated themselves on the
frozen sleeps and let themselves 60.
and with vertiginous face they fell
like an avalanche on the enemy, as IL
coming from the clouds. It was too
much for the superstitious Turk. who
bolted. and Erzerum was taken by this
extraordinary coup de main. which was
not literally a coup de main, although
an undoubted surprise.
Erzerum did not capitulate, but the
Turk. always brave except when con-
/ fronted by something akin to the
supernatural. fed. The booty was
enormous. Not only all armament and
munitions were abandoned, but all its
artillery. The 5th Turkish Division was
overtaken and almost annihilated.
| ErZerum. capital of the ancient king
dom of Armenia, signifies land of the
Romans" so-called because occupied
by the Romans. 1t fell under the do
minion of the Turk after the collapse
of the Byzantines. Trebizond. captured
| by the Russians, is an important city
on the Black sea and it is there that
army and fleet are preparing their
com bined action against CONSTANT
nopie.
Notwithstanding the censorship over
| the operations of the armies of the
grand duke we are told that he pro-
poses to advance upon Constantinople
render necessary the cooperation of
the Black sea fleet. The route by the
littoral and that from Erzeram to Err
ingan to Sivas and Angora will both
be utilized and prepared.
The Black sea fleet on the breaking
out of the war counted seven armored
ships. five of which were
R1ack SEQ proper for active opera
Fleet. ,usnty-two c.nnons ., ,es
millimeters displacement varying be-
tween 5000 and 1890 tons): two pro-
tected cruisers of 800 tons. well armed,
and twenty-five knots speed: twenty
three destroyers. varying from $50 to
]. 100 tons and twenty-six to thirty -one
knots twelve torpedo boats. 100 to $50
tons: two special draggers Of mines. to
which are added two transformed tor
pedo boats; eight to ten submarines.
one of which. the Krab.. carries sixty
automatic mines. To these may be
added gunboats and small scout ships
and transports There was in construc-
ton or completion at Sebastopol or
Nekolaiev, two dreadnaughts OF the
type Imperatrica Maria (23.000 tons.
twenty-one knots. 225 millimeters.
twelve caWons); two rapid cruisers.
$500 tons, type Admiral Laxaref: nine
destroyers, six submarines and some
auxiliary ships.
Subsequently IL was announced that
the dreadnaughts Imperator Alexander
ri Iel \ huA