The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-21
GERMANS FIGHT
WITH LIQUID FIRE
CAPTURE $500
Flame Throwing Machines
Drive French Out Trenches.
Verdun Advance Made Under
VOlley of Huge Shells.
RUSS OCCUPY PERSIAN CAPITAL
Drive AustrianS From Border
Fort; Close on TrebiZOnd.
British Chase Germans in
Naval Clash-RiOt i'm Ireland.
RUSS OCCUPY PERSIAN CAPITAL

Berlin, March 21.-French positions
northeast of Avocourt were captured
by the Germans who took $500 pri-
soners the war office announced to-
day.
The Germans before Verdun are
making a strong drive at the French
left flank well toward the border of
the neighboring Argonne region and
have gained ground south of Malan-
court some ten miles northwest of
Verdun Their first attacks took
them into the Malancourt woods and
today official statement from Paris
shows them to have pushed some dis
tance further southwark occupying
the Avocourt wood, the southern
section of the Malancourt wooded dis
trict.
The attacks have been made with
important forces, with the support of
a heavy bombardment by shells of
large caIiber and the throwing of
liquid fire by detachments carrying
special devices for the purpose. The
Germans attempted a further advance
southwark but according to Paris their
attempts to debouch from the Avo-
court wood were failures.
Persian City of $4,000.
A news agency dispatch from Te-
heran reports the occupation of Ispa-
han, one of the important cities of
Persia. 21S miles southeast of Te-
heran by the Russians. and have ad-
vanced along the Black sea to Trebi-
zond, where a strong Turk force is
garrisoned, and are laying siege to the
city.
Ispahan is one of the important
cities of Persia with a population of
some $4,000. 1t is 21S miles southeast
of Teheran.
The foregoing dispatch indicates a
Cicag1
than has been reported hitherto Rus
sian forces after the capture of Hama
dan advanced southwest towards Ker-
manshah, in the direction of the Turk
lsh frontier. The army now reports
at 1Spahan evidently striking south
ward from the main Russian forces in
the direction in the Persian gulf.
Russ Victory i'm GaIacia.
The Russians have won an impor-
tant success in southeast Galicia
where Vienna admits that the Aus
trlan bridgehead at Uscieczko on the
Dnlester, about forty miles northwest
OF CZernoWitz, has been evacuated
under the heavy Russian pressure. The
Austrian force there was trapped but
cuts its way through Uscieczko which
the Russians held and joined other
austrian forces near Zale Czczky fur
ther south on the Dniester.
The Italians have resumed heavy
attacks at the Tolmino bridgehead.
Vienna reporting the repulse of as
Saults against Mrzlievrh and Krn with
losses to the Italians of machine guns
and numerous of men taken prisoner.
The Austrians themselves captured a
position at RonSOn and made addi-
uonal captures there. At Gorizio
bridgehead where there has been in
tense artillery fire the Austrians
elected the Italians from a trench
Seven Destroyers Battle.
A clxi
and three German torpedo boat de-
stroyers occurred yesterday off the
Belgian coast. The London official
account says the German destroyers
turned as the British sighted them and
ran for Zeebrugge, the British craft
pursuing and shots being exchanged in
a running fight. Two German boats
were hit the statement says. Four
men on the British destroyers were
wounded.
The German version of the engage
ment declares that it was broken off
by the British who steamed away al
full speed after they had received sew
eral direct hits and the Germans suf-
fered unimportant damage.
Rioting has occurred at Tullamore.
Ireland. where Sinnfein rioters fired
on the police, three of whom were
wounded. Conditions in some parts
of Ireland have recently been reported
disturbed by the carrying on of a Wig
orous campaign against recruiting.