Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-12

Asiatic Turkey. it being already report
ed that this port will be used as a tenn
porary base for supplies to be sent
across the Black sea from Odessa. How
ever. the Russians want Trebizond.
which will to an even greater extent
enhance the chances of future successes
in this region. The Russian fleets
which are now said to completely DOM
mate the waters of the Black sea. are
keeping up tremendous and continu-
Gus bombardment of Turkish coastal
towns and are expected to operate in
unison with the land forces when they
arrive under the Turkish guns at Ire
bizond. The Turks give all indications
of making a stand at Trebizond. but
Petrograd is confident that with a
combined sea and land attack the Mos
lens will be pushed out of this fortified
point and forced to seek junction with
scattered Turkish armies farther to the
westward. With the fall of Trebizond
it may be expected that the central
Russian forces will move forward with
greater speed. as there will be direct
route from Odessa via Trebizond, and
it is expected that this line of COM
munication can be maintained with lit
tie difficulty.
That the Russians are taking the
near east campaign seriously is indi-
Gated by the
Ruesians Take dispatch that
Campaign Seriously. a. Hsssrvss
which were intended for operations on
the eastern front have been dispatched
to Asiatic Turkey to help wrest the
dominions of the near east from Turk
ish control. The capture of Constanti-
nople even is declared to be within the
bounds of possibility.
While the Russians are gaining in
the Armenian regions they also are
taking rapid strides toward Bagdad
During the week they captured the
Turkish fortified position of Selma. in
Persia, and it is declared that Bagdad
Is only comparatively short march
away. In the meantime the British
have not been idle In the Mesopotamia
region, it being declared that Gen. AyI-
mer. who mas been greatly REINFORCED
is now within seven miles of kut-eI-
Amara. where Gen. Townshend and a
force OF ten thousand men has been
penned up for months. Gen. Aylmer
when previous dispatches were received
was twenty-eight miles from Kut and
vas meeting strenuous resistance, but
1t is Believed that the Indian troops
sent to his assistance have enabled him
to sweep aside resistance up to late in
the week. when he failed in an attack
on Essn.
The much expected and much desired
union between Russian and British
FORCES in Mesopotamia seems to be
near. Once this junction is effected the
combined British and Russian armies
VIII De able to completely dominate
the Mohammedan regions in and around
Persia. and the German effort to stir
up sedition possibly will fail. That
there is continued effort to fan the
Goals Of Mohammedan prejudice into
m o n hrl
vices that the Emir Ibnalrashio Of
Resht. Persia, has decreed a holy war
in all the towns and cities of his prov
ince. This is the most recent evidence
OF the attempts along this line. which
heretofore have proved futile. But
should the Russians and British once
gain firm grip on the near eastern
situation 1t may be safely stated that
India and regions further east will be
comparatively safe from anti-alIy
Staggering in its intensity, the num-
Der of casualties and the number of
great guns
Verdun Battle being used,
Passes Twentieth Day. .vs,S S''t sa OF
passed its twentieth day. with no deci-
sive blow struck. The Germansare striv-
ing as they have never striven before
to gain their objective, and slowly. al
most inch by inch they are eating into
the French positions surrounding the
stronghold They have been content to
lose 10000 men to gain a half mile.
They have been content to. advance at
all. 1t is this spirit of do or die" on
the part OF the crown princes armies.
coupled with the effective use of thou
sponsible for the German gains along
the twenty-five miles of front in the
vicinity of verdun. The Germans dur
ing the week just closed have made
steel nut cracker" have closed ap-
preciably upon the defending French
armies. To the northeast the woods Of
Hardamount have been occupied and
the villages of FORCES and Regnieviile
captured To the southeast where the
other section of the German wise is
seeking to press the French back and
force eventual evacuation of verdun,
the Germans haye occupied Fresnes.
while at several points the French
domination of the Meuse heights has
been threatened.
Capture of Forges-declared neces-
sary because the French position
overlapped those of the Germans, en-
dpiiHk tHe diiiCS " tdhS inc atIACk1nR
forces from flank and rear-indi-
Gates that the Germans now are in
tending TO press the battle on the west
side of the Meuse. The earlier opera
tons of the Teutons largely were on
the eastern bank. The German attack
at FORCES is said to have swept the
French back for IA distance of two
miles. -.
The loss Of Fresnes. according to ad-
vices from Paris, Is severe blow to
the French scheme OF defense as 1t
opens the way for attacks on Com
bres from both the east and the south.
This position ia one Of the most vital
in the scheme of operations in the
Verdun region.
Probably the fiercest fighting of the
| week. however, has been in the Cor