The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-12
GREAT POLITICAL I'M
PORTANCE OF VICTORY
British Forces Entered the
City Sunday Morning Aft
er Making a Remarkably
Speedy Pursuit of Turkish
Army from Kut-el-Amara,
80 Miles Away

i While great political Importance Is at
tached to the capture of Bagdad by th
British, the military results of the not
able event are of even greater immediate
interest, pointing TO the possibility o
comparatively speedy linking up of th'
British and Russian movements against
the Turks in this far away field of tn,
war The conditions which Gen. Maud,
found upon entering the city and ths
status OF his supply arrangements must
in a great measure affect any plans fol
further advance, but given assurance oi
adequate supplies and replenishments il
seems that he will attempt further to
move up the Tigris.
| Bagdad's capture marks the climax to
one of the most dramatic and picturesque
phases of the world war. The city
which has fallen to the British arms
| links the present to a past so distant
| that it is semi.fabulous. The known
history of Bagdad reaches back for more
than 1000 years to the shadowy times of
| King Nebuchadnezzar Of Babylon, a quay
| built by the scriptural monarch still ex-
isting submerged in the Tigris. Within
its precincts also there still stand the
tombs of the Jewish prophets, Joshua,
Ezra and Ezekiel, and the well of Daniel.
Long after the Babylonian dynasty
had ceased to be more than memory
lnI -. 0,,1n he 10
literary, scientific and religious capital
of the world. The heart of the great Is
lamic empire of the Caliphs for hun
dreds of years, it was known throughout
the world as "the glorious city" and
was the scene of the fantastic exploits
of Harun Al Rashid, the potentate whose
magnficence is immortalized in the "Ara-
bian Nights"
In 500 A. D. Bagdad was credited with
a population of 100000 souls and was
easily the first city in the world in
wealth and commerce. With the fall of
the Caliphs before the Turkish sutans
the decline of Bagdad commenced. 1t
was successively the prey OF Turks, Mo-
gols, Tartars and Persians, but it was
not until 1888 that the city became def
nitely part of the Turkish empire. It's
ancient Importance was largely due to
the fact that il stood at the center of
the lines of communication between India
and Persia and the West, but the opening
of new routes by way of Trebizond and
through Armenia diverted its trade and
was vital factor in its decline.
The British campaign against Bagdad
was opened early in 1915 when an Anglo |
L.. kar
We're Ferrers Townshend was landed at
the head of the Persian gulf and moved |
rapidly up the Tigris The primary OBJ |
ject of the expedition was TO secure the
oil well in the region at the |
mouth of the Tigris but the ultimate and |
a far greater object was the shattering |
Of the great German dream of dominion
in the near east. The realization of this
dream was based on the construction OF
the Berlin n-Constantinople-B Bagdad rail
way and by the seizure of Bagdad the
British hoped to prevent the completion
IF this road, at least by German hands,
md strike shattering blow at German
prestige in that section of the world.
Gen. Townshend commanded force
If 10000 men. At first he pushed for
ward with amazing speed Early in
Iune. 1918, he captured Kut t-el- Amara,
80 miles from the mouth of the Tigris
md about 100 miles from Bagdad. On
he 22d of the following November he I
cached Ctesiphon, 20 miles from his
,oal. where he was attacked by an over /
force of Ottoman troops. His [
water supply gave out and he was forced I
o retreat II
E,nbFfpn continuous rear osard
ion. the British expedition regained Kut
/ -Amara on Dec. s. Here Gen. Town
bend determined TO make a stand with
portion Of his forces and entrenched 4
rith about 10000 men. while the remain
er of his troops continued to fall back
long the Tigris in order TO Join hands
rith the relief army which was hurriedly Q
ispstched from France and India after :
he defeat at Ctesiphon.
Thirty thousand Indian troops and two Y
.nglo- Indian divisions, which had been .
ghting in France. formed the relief corps e
.hich joined the remnants OF the Town '
bend expedition and made a desperate g
fort to rescue the beleaguered garrison a
{ kut-el-Amara.
For three months Gen. Sir Percy Lake. !.
be relief commander. fought his way mp I
he Tigris and within eight miles OF his
esieged comrades. when on April H. 4
PIG. Gen Townshcnd. his food supply 4
was compelled TO surrender. 4
l the meantime additional reinforce 4
.ents had bccn sent from Egypt. includ- 4
II the 18Th Colonial division. which had 4
ken part in the Inflated Gallipoli cam 4
sign. But after the disaster at Kut-el- 4
mara the British abandoned the ofTen- :
We for several months. Cen Town =