New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-12
Capture Of Bagdad Tonic to the British Nation
Victory, After Two Years
of Fighting, Wipes Out
Townshend's Disaster
Anglo-Russian Lines
May Be Joined Soon
Driving of Turks from Ar
menia and Holy Land
Foreseen in London


London, March 1.-THE capture OF
Bagdad by the British forces under
General Maude is hailed by military
critics here as one of the minor
triumphs of the war. 1t happily closes
the chapter begun so disastrously by
General Townshend and opens up new
and striking possibilities TO the En-
tente arms on the Asiatic front.
At the present moment the moral
effect Of this sweeping British victory
transcends its military Importance.
Coming at a time when British arms
are ascendant on the Western front,
and preparations are being made for
the final great struggle in that region,
it serves to accentuate the superiority
which the British troops have achieved
on all fronts after two and half years
of bitter warfare.
To the people Of the Allied nations
the victory comes at a time when the
valiant deeds of armies are needed to
spur the civilian populations TO greater
and greater efforts at home, to cheer
and hearten them in the face of eco
nomic stress. The sacrifices which the
people of Britain and the Allied coun-
tries have made and must continue TO
make may be repaid by military tri-
umphs alone.
Rely on Soldiers
The Allied peoples are out to win
the war, and they expect their soldiers
to bear the burden equally with them.
Everywhere the British success is Civ
ing the greatest satisfaction.
Strategically, the fall of Bagdad will
change the general military situation
materially, but indirectly. It's effects
will be most apparent along the battle
lines 10 the north, where the Gar
legions are pressing forward against
the Ottoman troops in Persia and Ar
menia. II is hardly too much to say
that the British success Will lead event
ually to the freeing of i Persia and
Armenia from Turkish rule and end IN
the overthrow of the Turkish Empire
itself
fhe left wing of the grand dukes army.
west of Erzingan, will be considerably
weakened. if it is not withdrawn alto
eether. This will permit the Russian
forces to continue their campaign Tor
clearing all Armenia by driving through
the western districts of Angora and
S;vas. This move. if successful would
open the way to a campaign against
Constantinople. though such an opera
ton is regarded here as extremely I'M
probable.
Russian British Juncture Likely
The fall of Bagdad and the enforced
retirement of the Porte forces from
that district will also draw the Turks
out Of Western Persia, on both the
rorth and south extremities of the line.
and give the Russians free rein for
drive westward to the Tigris, with the
object of joining forces with General
Maude's command.
If these operations are carried out
swiftly il is not improbable that the
combined Anglo Russian forces would
extend their offensive TO the Euphrates
Valley and press northwestward toward
Aleppo. This farreaching scheme,
capable of consummation only if the
GAleHUS
plates the subjugation Of all Palestine,
as we'll as the rest of the Turkish do
mnions.
So far as is known. British troops are
row within twenty miles of Jerusalem,
on the southwestern Palestine front,
and the restoration of the Holy Land to
Christian rule has developed from a
dream into a strong possibility.
Campaign Begun in 1915
The British campaign against Bagdad
was opened early in 1915, when an An
glo-lndian force under Major General
Charles We're Ferrers Townshend was
landed at the head Of the Persian Gulf
and moved rapidly up the Tigris. The
primary object Of the expedition was 20
secure the valuable oil wells in the re-
gion at the mouth Of the Tigris. but
the ultimate and far greater object
was the SCATTERING Of the great German
dream of domination in the Near East.
The realization of this dream was
based on the construction Of the Ber
lin Constantinople- Bagdad railway, and
by the seizure of Bagdad the British
hoped to prevent the completion Of this
road, at least by German hands, and
strike a shatterng blow at German
prestige in that section OF the world.
General Townshend commanded a
force of about 10000 men. and at
first he pushed forward with amazing
speed. Early in June, 1915, he capt
ured Kut-el-Amara, about $50 miles
from the mouth of the Tigris and
about 100 miles from Bagdad. On the
22d OF the following November he
reached Ctesiphon. twenty miles from
his goal. where he was attacked by an
overwhelming force Of Ottoman
troops. His water supply gave out
and he was forced to retreat.
Fighting a continuous rearguard
action, the British expedition re-
gained Kut-el-Amara on December 3.
Here General Townshend determined
TO make a stand with a portion of his
forces. and intrenched with about TO-