The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-03-24
WHIP I turks
IN BAT TIE Of
SIXTEEN HRS.
Bloody Fight By Russians
In W. -.
5 q .soIps'rss .sa,, =
sa-..sarr rsuo'sss'a
ALLIES TRY FOR
A SMASHING BLOW
Reason For German Retire
ment Appears To Have
Been Worked Out
BIZ ASSOCIATED PRESS.

PsGrograd, March 23.-yia London.
-tBritish admiralty per wireless
press-l-Russian troops pushing west
from kermanshah in Persia, have
reached a point less than As miles
from the Mesopotamian border. The
war office announced today that after
Turkish army had been beaten in
sixteen hour battle outside of Ke-
md, the Turks had retreated TO the
vicinity of Kerind and made another
stand there.
Another Russian column has at
tackled the Turks along the Shirwan
river, tributary of the Diala. about
midway between Kernanshah and
Sakkiz, which last point another Rus
sian army has been pushing south
westward into Mesopotania. The
Russians have also won a new sue
cess near Lake Ven. in Southern
Turkish Armenia, capturing men and
material on the southwestern shore
lake
Allies Close on Germans.
French refugees added their evi-
dence 70 the accommodating proof that
Won Hindenburg's purpose is 70 give
battle 70 his pursuers on q lire run
ming from Lille 70 Laon- This means
that II the French fail 20 break
through at La Fere, . further with
drawal Of the Germans Is due 10 take
place on the British front The sharp
salient running from .Arras to Cam
hrai must be evacuated This addi-
nor al retirement would mean the
evacuation OF about 500 more square
miles Of French territory including
the great coal mines around Lens.
The question at present appears 10
be whether the allies can move their
heavy artillery fast enough to strike
a smashing blow before the Germans
can effectively organize their posi-
tons. Entente military critics be-
heve a few days viii decide this
question.
Interest is attaching 10 campaign
N western Persia and Mesopotarniz
as the converging forces OF Russians
and British approach each other
northeast of Bagdad.
With the latest Russian advance 70
Kerind. less than IS miles from the
Mesopotamian border, reported today.
the two bodies OF entente troops can
hardly be more than 100 miles apart
and may be nearer. Little has been
heard recently from the British, who
may by this time be considerably
further up the Tigris and Diala rivers
from Bagdad than at the last re-
ports.
The initial phase of the battle N
Northern France has apparently
turned IN favor of the French who
are reported to have forced their way
across the Ailette river and the Gro
zat canal at several points. Along
these waterways the Germans elected
70 make their first stand IN defense
Of La Fere toward which General Nj
velle is rushing his advance troops
in desperate effort TO break the
Hindenburg line before German de-
tense is constructed.
Farther south the French are at
tempting to batter their way toward
Laon but between them and their goal
lie the great forests Of Coucy and
s.. Gobain and the comparatively
neager advances reported from Paris
indicate that the issue is still very
much N doubt. Some ground has
beer gained northeast OF scissors,
bat the fact that the French report
having inflicted avery heavy losses
On tae Germans is an insVIEsEon
tssaz the invaders are holding this
section in force.