The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-12
Expedition Pushes Into I'M
portant Turkish Base Al
ter Forcing Passage OF
Rivers In Face of Dust
Storm.
Russians Closing In From
North, While Ottomans
Flee Prize Avenges De
feat of Gen. Townshend's
Army.

British army In MeSOpOLalIlid, IN oiaS IL
news that his troops entered the glo-
rious city of the Caliphs' yesterday.
The despatch gave no details, but it is
inferred from an official statement
bringing the news of the campaign UP
TO Saturday morning that the Turks,
having been swept from their Dialah
position, six miles below Bagdad,
made little further resistance, prob
ably abandoning the ancient capital at
once.
The previous reports had brought
the story Of Gen. Maude's advance up
ito Thursday afternoon when his ad-
vance guards found the Turks making
q stand in force on the line of the
tDialah.
Our forces engaged with the Turks
on the Dialah line the report con
itinues, ION the night of the sth sue
sceeded, despite the bright moonlight,
In effecting surprise crossing of the
Dialah and establishing a STRONG post
on the right (north) bank thereof
Meanwhile, on the morning of the
9Th, the Tigris having been bridged at
some distance down stream, British
iue4achTnent marched about six miles
southwest of BagdadL The enemy was
driven from this position to another
position about two miles in the rear.
Outing the night of the 9Th pas
sage OF the Dialah was forced and
our troops advanced some four miles
toward Bagdad- During the 9Th our
6orces on the right bank (the west
bank Of the Tigns), drove the enemy
from his second position, bivouacking
on the ground gained This advan-
tage, despite a. binding dust storm
/ and a violent gale, was pressed on the
morning Of the 10th, the Turks being
i forced back to within three miles
west and southwest of Bagdad"
Turkish Oficial Bulletin
IA Turkish Official bulletin, dated
Saturday, and received here Sunday,
makes no a11usion to the locality
where the fighting has been going on
sSince yesterdays activity on both
sides OF the Tigris has become vlo-
lent" it says IAN attack by five
enemy battalions against our posi-
lions on the southern bank was re-
pulsed by our fire. with heavy losses
toAthe enemy A portion of the enemy
forces remained about 500 yards in
4 front OF our positions, while the re-
1rraindAr was compelled to retreat
J. 1t would be difficult to exaggerate
fthe glow OF exuItatiDn that has gone
through London with the news OF
fsen MEude'B SUCCESS. Not only ON
romantic and sentimental grounds but
In military value Bagdad is consid-
i cred one Of the great prizes of the
war. It's possession viii Immensely
enhance British prestige Throughout
the East, where a halo OF tradition
! still keeps alive the city's former
1paenduus in the Oriental Imagination
and win, it is hoped, more than re-
deem the effect produced by General
sTuwnshends surrender at Kpf-el-
Annara-
Controls Fertile MesOpotDmia-
n1rthermpre, with Bagdad in their
n1a1ads, the British control the entire
fertile region of Mesoputamia, marked
/ before the war as the richest prize Cd
iEser1nan colonial expansion The Ger
+ mans hoped, by vast irrigation AND
engineering projects, to make this
agafn one Of the gTanaries OF the
4 world, and there are oil and bdtumer
f1elds of great potential value which
now pass into British hands.
Even il the Turks succeeded in Elk
tr1cating what was left of the ARMY
with which they have been facing
MnSM. u1Iuu<1, LILO ICTM1lI4II6 oI nlSSi
forces in Persia, IN tho opinion Of
military critics here. are in a peGilous
]. position
Bagdad has been the base for al
the Turkish operations In Persia, or
the Kerrnanstah- Harnaldan Road, and
If they are to extrfcate tneInseIvee
from the trap formed by che British
on the south and west and the Rus
slams on the eact and north, they nc1sa
Il beat a hurried retreat over the Mosu1
AT the very least it is regarded as Ger
tain here that all Persia with soon bs
free OF Turks.
Russians Closing I'm, Too.
Yesterdays official bua1etfn from
Petrograd indicates that the Russian
also are closing in on the flank ant
rear of the Turks
THE Turks attempted an offensiv,
along the SivaS Road, but were re
pulsed 1t says. CThis is in Anato1ia
west Of ERIN t1an, Armenia, and ma.
have been intended at a diversion t,
relieve the hard pressed Mesopota
milan and Persian army
AS the result Of fighting in the re
f1on of Hamadan, our detachment
occupied Selma on March Z. (Sehn
is In Persia. north Of Kermanshak
n ana us pOA6SSSiCu Wy the Russian
still further narrows the gap tlrougi
which the Turks must escape.) Pur
sued by our troops the enemy, afte
stubborn resistance, retreated towar
Bfstuns Munition stores in Sehn
were captured by us.
There have been reports that Turk
ieh reinforcements were on the wa
to save the situation in Meeopotamit
The distance from any other from
however, is so great. and the commu
nfcations 80 poor. that the opinio
here is that it would be impossible 70
the Turks. even If they had the troop
to spare, to get then up in time t
retrieve the balance now swung 1eav
lily against them. Moreover, with tn
British Egyptian army on the Dor
ders of Palestine, with the Grand Duk
in the Caucasus. and with German
drawing on Turkish troops for Euro
peAn service. IL is not clear wnenc
such troops could come.
PARIS PLEASED BY NEWS.
Paris. March 1.-THE morning pa