Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-09-16

General Charles " f. Townsnends
defense of Kut- ell Amara, a little mud
town on a bend of the Tigris, 105 miles
below Ragdad added another TO the
long list of accomplishments by Brit
ish armies which, for grim determine
ton and resourcefulness' rivals any of
them
The high compliment paid General
/ Townshend and the garrison of Kut by
the British war ministry in its official
announcement of the surrender was
phrased thus:
After a resistance protraeted for
14S days, and conducted with gal
antry and fortitude that will be for
ever memorable, General Townshend
has been compelled, by the final ex-
haustion of his supplies, to surrender"
I The siege of Kut-el-Amara has been
told. 1t is enough TO say of it here
that General ToWnshend. who had
/ shared every hardship his soldiers en-
/ dured, capitulated on April 29, 1916
/ For practically three weeks the garri-
son had existed on flour ration of two
l DtICCS pti udN. VI tHtdl llcIt was
/ none during these last weeks. except
of mule, doIed out in particles almost
minute. The town was full of sick
and wounded.
The British war office in it's official
announcement of the surrender said;
THE force under him General Town
| shend) consists of 2970 British troops
of all ranks and services and some
| 5000 Indian troops and their followers"
TURKS CLAIMED $4,000
The Turkish war ministry in its Of
fetal announcement claimed the cap
ture of more than 1900 troops, which
number probably includes the numer-
Gus camp followers of Townshend's
Indian troops.
Shut mp in Kut-e Amara, Town
shend fought on until actual starva-
tion WIS only a day or two away Then
the wireless operators of General
Lakes army. which was baked in its
efforts to relieve Townshend, picked
this message out of the air at IL 40 a.
m. on April %.
Have destroyed my guns. and most
of my munitions are being destroyed.
Officers have gone to khalil Pasha,
who is ut Madug, to say I am ready to
surrender. ] must have some food here
and cannot hold on any longer. Khalil
has been told today and a deputatton
of officers has gone in a launch to
bring some food from the Julndr, the
ship sent the night of April "a to bring
supplies to the garrison. Townshend.'
The Julnar had grounded. At l p. m
that same day the wireless cracked:
Il have hoisted the white flag over
Kut fort and town and the guards will
be taken over by a Turkish regimen
which is. approaching. l shall shortly
destroy wireless. The troops go al
p. m. to camp near Shamran. Town.
, shend"
A COURTEOUS TURK.
! The gallant defense had won the ad.
miration of Kha1il Pasha, commander
, of the Turkish forces. He did every
thing he could to relieve the sufferings
of the famfshed garrison and showed
every courtesy to the British officers
even sending General ToWnshend's
terrier Spot and two other pet terriers
to General Lake under escort and
flag of truce.
, Khalil Pasha, with many compli
ments, refused TO accept Genera
! Townshend's sword. The British com.
, mander was sent. under an escort y
honor, a prisoner of war, to Constan'
tlnople Reports have reached Lon.
don that he has been removed from the
Turkish capital.
General Townshend 55 wears old, |!
the heir presufnptive to the Marquist
of Townshend. He is the great great
grandson of that George Townshent
who in 1859 fought with distinction OF
the Heights of Abraham. when Quebe,
! was stormed and Wolfe died in vic
i torys arms. General Townshend hai
: had a distinguished career. beginninI
\ with the royal marine. in which HI
i made the Nile expedition, After beini
+ transferred to the Indian army he dis
;. tinguished himself by his defense o
i Chitral
n Despite his success at kut-el
a Amara. Khalil Pasha was denoted ant
. dishonored for losing Ragdad. it wa
+ reported. He had met the English be
s fore, but not at war. Khall passed
i, many months in London eight YEAR
ago trying to persuade the British gov
eminent to accept the overtures of tn
d Young Turk party. which was event
n ually thrown into Germany's arms be
!. cause the British rejected its proffer
: ed friendship.
Q One of the defenders of Adrianopl
during the first Balkan war, khali