Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1916-04-06

VI VcVb'd ARC Progressing SduSraC-
torily, Petroorad Reports-AIone the
Much-disputed Sectors Around Yer.
dun the Only Activity Has Been an
intermittent Bombardment In the
Region Of Douaumont and vaux.
Calm Follows Successful Offensive
by French, Who Make Large Gains.
LONDON. April o -(8:09 y. MA
victory for the British over the Turks
on the Tigris below Xut- -Hl.Amaro
has been reported by General Lake.
IN command OF the British forces The
Turkish entrenched position at UmT..
TlHenna was attacked and carried at
} o'clock this morning by the Tgris
corps. General Lake telegraphed. and
the operations are proceeding salts.
factorily.
The capture Of Umm-El- Hcnna,
which Is on the Tigrls. about 20 miles
downstream from Kut-El.Amara. IL
the most important news from tho
theater in some time aud Is regarded
here as giving promise OF tho early
relief of General Townsend's forces.
which has been beSieged in knt RI
Amara since the first week in Dccem.
Der.
umm-El-Henna Is u strong position
AT an important bend of the river ara
Is said to be the last serious barrier
To the relief OF General Townahenl.
although two or three less strong po'
sitions are still to be overcome before
Kut- ElAmara IN reached
Next to the Dardanelles expedition,
the operations in Mesopotamia have
been a subject on which tho govern.
mcnt has been more criticised than
any other, not only on account OF the
breakdown in the hospital arrange.
ments. but on the question OF respon
sibility for the advance. with insult
ficient forces, toward Bagdad.
As in the case Of the Dardanelles,
the critics accused tho ministers, at
home Of insisting ON the expedition
against the advice OF the military au.
thorities IN India and on the spot. This
accusation, however, mat with an un-
qualified contradiction by Austen
Chamberlain. secretary for India, IN
the house OF commons yesterday. Mr..
Chamberlain declared that the ad.
vance on Bagdad was undertaken on
the advice OF the commander-in-Chicf
in MesopOtamia.
PETROGRAD. April 5.--tVia Lon
don. $40 p. m.)-Although there has
been no recent official news concern
ing the developments on the Cau-
casus front. 1t has been learned from
private sources that the Russian arm
les beyond Erzerum and in Persia
are progressing satisfactorily and that
the Turkish forces are Offering only
occasional resistance.
It is evident that the Russian
troops. advancing through Persia to
the Mexopotamia frontier. have not
yet met the main Turkish forces
Those. consisting of the Bagla1 di
visions and reinforcements sent 10
the sonthwar! after the fall of Bills
ana Mush, are reported to be asso. III.
ling in the Hanikin ass. and when
:he Russians reach this point. they
will be confronted 10 longer by tho
mountain bands and remnants OF
l,ckcn and demorali2ed divisions but
with the full strength OF the orIani"-
81 Turkish army.
Therefore. although an ultimate
junction with the British forces is
not doubted here. II is not supposed
that this consummation OF the Rus
sian plans will be easily reached.
The German forces have passed
quickly to a general offensive along
the entire northern front in Russia,
their attacks reaching the highest in.
tensity in the Riga region where the
preliminary skirmishes have develop.
ed into a steady assault. supported by
the heavy artillery. The Germans.
however. have been unable to gain
territory by frontal attack against the
strong Russian positions an now are
attempting to flank the Riga po.
sitions from the southeast
From the other points on the front
there is little to report except con-
inuation of mining operations and
aerOplane warfare.
ASSOCIATED PRESS RESUME.
For the moment the infantry of
both sides is quiet everywhere aiong
tt,x.