The Washington herald., 1916-01-18
RELIEF IS NEAR
FOR BELEACUERED
BRITISH TROOPS
Gen. Aylmer Reported Within
Six Miles Of the Besieged
Army Of 10000 Men.
TIIpYc ApC pCpIU CEO
TURKS ARE REPULSED
Forces Attempting to Cut OFF
Advance Driven Back, Says
Indian Secretary.
TURKS ON TIGRIs WITHDRAW
Attempts to Cross Right Bank of Ark
hava Repulsed-Russians Attack
Arasa Positions.
Special Cable to The Washington Herald.

Special Gable to The Washington Herald.
London, Jan. H.-Gep. Aylmer, with his
relief force. is within six miles OF Kut-el-
Amara. where 10000 British troops are
besieged.
The Turkish forces which had pro-
ceeded southeast of Kut-el-Amara as far
as Sheik Saad, in an effort to prevent
Gen. Aylmer's advance. have been driven
back.
These announcements were made in the
house OF commons today by ]. Austen
Chamberlain, secretary of state for India.
Gen. Aylmer's troops are fighting des-
perately to reach the beleaguered garri-
son before it is forced to capitulate.
Official Turkish reports are all but
silent regarding~rhe movements in Mes
opotamia. There has been intermittent
artillery fire near Kut-el-Amara," they
officially state.
On the headwaters of the Tigris, how
ever where the Russians under Grand
Duke Nicholas have begun a great Of
fensive on a 1Oo-mile front, the Turks
admit the withdrawal OF advance posts.
Facts Are Suppressed.
THE recent operations in Mesopotamia.
Including the advance to Ctesiphon, were
considered and approved by the war
council" said Mr.. Chamberlain in his re-
port to Parliament. TT would not be to
public Interest that should make a state
Fment on the scope OF operations now In
progress Information of that kind in the
present circumstances would be far more
valuable to the enemy than to the house.
'On the 11th instant l announced to the
house that the enemy had fed to Essian,
a position six miles east of Kut-el-Amara-
He, however, apparently advanced again
on the following day to the Waddi posi-
ton. Since then we have received tele-
grams from Gen. Townshend up to the
morning of the 18th. and from Gen. Ayl-
mer up to the 10th. From these it ap-
pears that Gen. Kemball. on the right
bank, was holding the Turkish position
In front of him. Gen. Aylmer was press
ing back two divisions on the left bank
at about the waddi position. There was
Ou tnt lOtH, ana tnt
following day Gen. Aylmer reported the
enemy as again retiring and that he him
self was moving his headquarters and his
water transports to the mouth of the
Waddi. On the 18th Gen. Aylmer reported
that the whole of the Waddi position had
been captured and the enemy rear guard
had taken up a position at Essian.
Weather Hampers Operations.
Gen. Aylmer reported that the op-
erations were seriously hampered by
| the weather, which was very bad. All
the wounded had been sent down the
river"
Regarding operations in the eau
| casus, tonghts official report from
Petrograd said:
The Turks made two attempts to
cross the right bank of the Arkhava
River Both were repulsed In the
| fighting of the 18th We took 167 pris-
depot northwest of Khorassan contain
ing a million rifle cartridges and a
| thousand shells"
The Constantinople official report,
| in which a check is admitted, follows:
The Russians have repeated their
attacks against Turkish positions on
both banks of the Arasa River, suffer
ing heavy losses. especially in the dis
trict between Arasa and the Enid VAL
ley. Here the Turkish advance posts
retired some kilometers."