Evening star., 1917-03-12

IS
Campaign Brilliant One.
Mr. Bonar Law said the fall OF
Bagdad came as a sequel to series OF
brilliant operations carried out by
British and Indian troops, with dash
and determination for which no praise
could be too high. When Gen. Maude,
commander of the Mesopotamian army,
entered the Tigris above Kut-el-Awara
last month he imperiled the safety of
the Turkish army. The Turks i'm
mediately retired on Bagdad and were
pursued with the utmost energy. Large
numbers of prisoners and quantities OF
materials of all kinds were captured.
Threw Bridge Across Tigris.
Gen. Maude threw a bridge across the
Tieris at its confluence with the Diala.
Notwithstanding the heat and dust. Mr..
Bonar Law said. the British made a
brilliant march of eighteen miles to-
ward Bagdad, and found the Turks
strongly posted six miles southwest of
the town. The Turks were attacked at
once and driven back to their second
position, two miles in the rear.
On the night of March the British
esta blished footing on the north bank
of the Diala. On the 9Th and 10th troops
on the right bank of the Tigris. in spite
of dust storms, pressed their advantage
and drove back the Turks to WITHIN
three miles of Bagdad. At the same
time troops on the Diala thrust the
Turks back on the city. which was en-
tered on Sunday morning.
To Restore British Prestige.
The fall of Bagdad, besides ending Ger
man hopes of near eastern dominion,
ba sed on a Berlin-Bagdad railway, will
reverberate throughout the Mohammedan
emnires and, it is believed, will more
than rehabilitate British prestige in the
far east, damaged by the earlier loss OF
kut ct -Amara
| Perhaps no more welcome news could
come at time when the British pub
| lie for the first time. owing to the
the effects of the war in greatly re-
duced food supply, besides being
thrown into depression by the revela-
| tions of the Dardanelles report. Fur
ther news must be awaited before II
10 known whether Gen. Maude made
;mportant captures of Turkish troops
or guns, either before or at Bagdad.
Apparently the occupation was effect
ed without resistance and with only
| eight losses Even If the Turks sue
ceeded in extricating all their forces
the loss of Bagdad is a grave blow te
| them.
Base of Turkish Supplies.
Bagdad has been the base for al
Turkish operations in Persia. Up tc
within a few days the Turks occu.
MED about 10000 square miles Of
persian territory, but with the Rus.
slams pressing them closely from Kir.
,anshah. as well as from the direction
! ~ Erzerum, indications point to z
Sneedy junction of the British and Rus.
si.n forces, which would soon compe
the Turkish evacuation of Persian ter.
ritory.
~ ondon press. is of even greater
SIGNIFICANCE for the effect 1t is expect
sd 70 have on Germain aims than for
o.. value in restoring British prestige
in the ewes Of the Mohammedan world
and the east generally. While it is
raco1nized that the British pisfortunes
IN Mesopotamia have had a serious in
Suence on the prestige of the ruling
mower in India and Egypt, and while It
is claimed that the capture of Bagdad
,,,i,I restore the balance. the chief
mratif,cation expressed is that the sue
eass of Gen. Maude's expedition "has
eSastered the dream that Germans have
imdrIged in for more than twenty
years"
Blocks Route to East.
AS one typical comment puts it: THE
| Germans' proud vision Of an eastern
l =