Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-21
TURKEYS FALL
NEAR, RUSSIAN
VICTORS HOLD
Petrograd Paper Declares
Trebizond Defeat Has
Disorganized Turks
RUSSIA REFUSES PEACE

PETRoGRAD. April 81.
WITH the fall Of Trebizond the Russians
are masters OF Armenia and the end OF
the Turkish war is coming into view.
There are dIficulues still to be overcome
There are long distances TO be traversed,
but tho commanding position OF the Rus
sian army IN Asiatic Turkey is assured
and the splendid generalshlp, the mag
nlfcent soldierly qualities Of the Grand
Duke. which brought about the fall of
two such cardinal points as Erzerum and
Treblzond, Is gage OF further victory.
The Allies can begin nowvconidently TO
face the probability of the liquidation of
the side Issues of the war In Asia Minor.
Noicing the conviction that Turkey Is a
defeated nation and not in a position to
offer any peace terms the Petrograd Ga
zctte declares
we may now consider one of our ene-
mics finished. The taking of Trebizond
has 80 disorganlzed the Turkish defensive
plans that all that remains for her Is to
lay down her arms and ask mercy. She
already has sought ways TO q separate
peace, but has met with the absolute re-
fusal Of her opponent, who is determined
TO close no separate agreements. Tur-
keys hour has struck, and II Is not i'm
profitable that she will in the near future
entirely disappear from the map"
No longer impeded by Turkish pressure
on the coast. the Russian armies west of
Erzerum have begun swift advance on
Baiburt and Erzingan. With three groups
of Russian armies from the Black Sea
coast to Bitls in close cooperation the
westward campaign through Asia Minor
is expected to develop rapidly
An official statement issued last night
says:
At Treblzond we captured some six
inch guns. The town did not suffer
from the war operations. The Turk
ish population fed. The Christians
remained and received the Russians
with acclamations.
South OF Bitlis our detachments
dislodsed the Turks from series OF
mountain positions and advanced In
the direction of Sghert 600 miles east
of Diarbekr). repelling all enemy
counter.attaclSs. The enemy left sew
eral hundred killed We took many
prisoners.
tDiarbekr Is the Russian objective in
the operation which seeks to cut off COM
munication between the Northern and
Southern Turkish armies.1
ADMIT FOES GAINS.
CoNSTANTINoPLE, April 21.-Yes.
terday's official report from the War Of
flee admits that the campaign against the
Russians in the Black Sea coast region Is
taking an unfavorable turn for the Turk.
ish troops. but also declares that the sit.
uation of the British troops shut up in
Kut-el-Amara is becoming critical.
In the Caucasus the battle has
taken on violent character. especial
ly ON the right wing in the Tchoruk
region northwest of Erzerum). The
enemys attempt to advance. at the
cost of heavy losses, has failed be-
cause of our counter.attacks.
The enemy. by the fire of his war
ships, repulsed our coast reconnais-
Hance sections in Lazistan CTrebizond
region). and by reinforcing and sup
porting his land forces as much as
possible in the operations. is gradual
ly getting the upper hand. Our troops
there, In spite of their small number.
are bravely trying to foil the enemys
operations.
The official admission of Russian sue.
cesses on the Turkish Asiatic seacoast has
caused feeling of alarm in certain circles
here.