Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-02-17
Turks Chief City in Armenia
Falls to Russians, Following
What Is Described as an In.
precedented Assault.
RING OF FORTS SUBDuEO
Place Is Said to BE of Strategic
1mpOrtance-Ts 500 Miles Dis
tant, However, from Kut-El-
Amara, Where the British
Forces Are Bottled Up.

London, Fob. 16.--Erzcrum. 'rurkcv's
chief city in Armenia. is in the hands or
the Russians. Heavy assaults bv the
Russians against the long line of de-
tachcd forts protecting the city. lasting
over II period Of five DAYS and describcd
by Grand Duke Nicholas. the Russian
commandcr-n-chief. as "unpreccdentcd''
have resulted in the capture Of the fort
ress. A Petrograd despatch says Grand
Duke Nicholas has teleEraphed the En-
peror as follows:
God has granted the brave troops of
the army of the Caucasus such great
help that Erzerum has been taken after
five days Of unpreceden assault
am ineXprcssbly happy to announce this
victory TO Your Imperial Majesty"
Unofficial reports early in the present
month said the German field marshal
Won Der Goltz. with 5000 men were
ocsicsed in the city with provisions for
only a fortnight
The capture of Erzerum is regarded as
of great strategic importance. From it
radiate roads leading in all directions.
over those to the southeast and south
it VIII be possible for the Russians now
10 fight their way toward thcir compa-
| riots operating against the Tcrsians and
| Turks in northwest and west Persia, or
proceed south toward Bagdsl. to the re-
lief of the British bottled Up in kut-cl-
Amara, on the Tisris, sou tlheast of Bag
dad.
The immediate effect Of the Russia n
victory on the situatiov in Persia and
Mesopotamia is problena seal. however,
Tor UPSDltp lc roads the country is
| mount ainous and there is still much
ground to De covered-something over
200 miles--before tho Lake Urumiah dis
trict Of Persia is reiched. and over
500 miles before inction with the
British at kut-el-Anara could he
formed
With the advent OF sormY weather n
| the western battle line the heavy fight
ing of the past few days seemingly has
simmered down again to artillery bonn
bardmcnts and mining operations Rer-
| lin reports however, that the British
and French have cndavored to recap
ture trench positions AIKEN from them
| by the Germans. respectively. southeast
Of Ypres and in Chaupgn near Tahure
but that the attacks allied. Paris as
serts, on the contrary, that near Tahure
the French have reta.en parts of their
| former trenches.
| The British and Gcmaus are still at
deadly grips for possession of the
trenches captured -om the British
southeast of Yprcs. rtilery and hand
grenades being emplord in the fighting
| London reports that in the attack in
which the British lot 600 yards OF a
front line the Germns attacked over
| "A front of 4OOO yard but We're every.
where repulsed with considerable losses
! except at the point te trench was cap
! turcd
on the Russian frot a driving snow
storm along the entia line has almost
stoppcd operations. he usual lombard
mcntS intorspersed nth infantry at
tacks continue Oh he Austro-l Italian
line.
In Albania the AuTians and BulCar-
ians are said to havformcd a junction
and are battling for he capture of the
important seaport otDurazzo. which is
being defended by Eiad Pasha's forces.
consisting of Albanns, Serbians and
| Montencgrins.
| Strumitsa, Bulgari has been raidcd
bv l3 French aerop!nes which dropped
las bombs and ret,ned to their base
| unscathed Several fires We're started
| by the bombs.
The ministers OF he entente powers
have informed the Segian government
that hostilities agaist the Teutons and
their allies will notoe permitted to end
without Belgium wing established
its political and onomical indcpend-
encc. They added at the Belgian gov
ernment also woulCbe called Oh TO take
part in the peace cgotiations.