Evening star., 1917-03-18
British Score Big
Successes in Near East


of these, other than the revolution in
Russia, was the capture of the ancient
city of Bagdad. in Mesopotamia, by the
British armies operating under the di-
rection OF Gen. Meude. who has march,
ed VIGOROUSLY up the Tigrs.
The Turkish armies are declared TO
have been completely demoralized by
the swift and effective methods of the
to tarry at any juncture. Following the
capture of Kut-el-Amara by Gen.
Maude and his men, the Turks have
been kept constntly in fight, they not
amount of artillery and countless
stores of othsr character left behind.
Gen Maude expected to encounter
stiff resistance on the part Of the enemy
Turks evidently decided to abandon
this position without making a stand.
for the British passed through this
place in a flash and pushed on to the
Diala river, where after a sharp battle
the Turks were defeated. Constantine
pie reports the repulse of the British
at this point but this hardly could
have been so. for the fall of Bagdad oc-
CURED Immediately afterward.
The British. not nontent with their
success. pressed on after the demoraliz-
ed Turkish forces, and at last reports
were more than thirty miles to the
north of Bagdad. There is every rea-
son that the Turks, viii try to make
stand before they reach Samara,
seventy-five miles north of Ba gdad. but.
on the other hand. the Russian menace
through Persia may force tho Turks to
fall back to the westward without
making prolonged defense at any one
point until their battle line runs prac-
tically north and south from, the Black
sea.
The Russian operations under the
leadership of Gen. Baratof in Persia
have been highly successful. Herman
shah has been captured during the
past ten days and the Russians are
now said to be less than 140 miles
from a point whore they can he ex-
pected to effect a Injunction with tho
British. From latest reports it may be
seen that the Russians are advancing
almost as swiftly westward as Cen
Maude is moving northward The Rus
sins are making swift progress in the
Caucasus front, it being. officially re-
ported that they have reached within
ten miles Of the Turkish border in the
region of Banch. Persia, If tho present
speedy operations of the Russ4ans are
continued. soon VIII be cleared OF the
Turks and practically the whole OF
Armenia soon viii he in Slavic hands.
Grand Duke Nicholas men are press
ing forward in the general direction OF
Sivas. to the southwest of Trebizond on
the Black sea coast y glance at the
map viii show that the Turks are in
danger of complete development. They
must give up practically all OF
Armenia and the Tigris and Eu-
rhrates regions TO escape it. Their retreat
must be kept UP all along the Asia
Minor front if they are to preserve their
ranks. for the. Russian operations in
Armenia alone are sufficient to cut
them off from all their bases if the
Slavs continue their success.
London and Paris are inclined to be-
lieve that the success of entente arms
not only viii go far to undermining
Turkish influence in the near east
forever. but are inclined 10 think that
the present operations are but the
beginning of the end for Turkey. Ihe
disintegrating process is apparent in
all quarters. and the statement has
been made that the complete: wipinG
out of Turkey as a nation is within the
bounds OF possibility.
The Turks also are meeting repeated
reverses in Syria. In Palestine the
Turks are fleeing northward. according
to latest reports. The activities OF
Arab tribesmen continue to work to the
of the Ottoman forces.
According TO dispatches from Berlin.
the Turks are laying trap for allied
forces and have fully 100000 men
ready to hurl into the fray at the
proper moment. Entente. critics are in
cliEcd to the belief that the" Russian
and British operations Will force large
of Ottoman troops operat-
ing in European battle fronts
Whatever future developments may
he, the fact remains that .the dilemma
Of the Turkish government at the pres
ent moment is extremely grave.