Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-15
BRITISH CAPTURE
CITY OF BAGDAD
Ends German Hopes Of Near
Eastern Dominion Based on
Berlin. Bagdad r. r.
GRAVE BLOW TO TURKS.
Event Ciinaxcs one Of the Most Dra-
matic and Picturesque Phases Of
tie War-Esgla1d Elated.

Event Cllnoxco one OF the Most Dras
matic and Picturesque Phases Of
tie War-Esslazd Elated.
London, March 1I--General Frederick |
Stanley Maudc, in command Of the entente
forces In Mcsopotainia, telegraphed to.
day the welcome news for the British
Of the occupation carly this morning Of
tho city Of Bagdad, the chief Turkish city
in Mesopotomia-
No details Of the capture have yet bean
operations carrying events only up to
Saturday morning when the British after
affecting q surprise crossing of the Diala
and bridging the Tigris. had driven the
Turks back to within three miles of
Bagdad It IL evident, however. that the
Turks have been unable to offer any SER
ious resistance since the fall of Kut-el.
Amara They were said to be hastily
summoning achievements from other
theatres Of the war where Turks were
engaged. but the distances to be covered
were so great that additional forces were
Unable to arrive in time to save tho
ancient city. which. after Mecca, occupies
first place in the Mohammedan imagina-
ton.
The fall Of Basdad. besides ending Ger
man hopes Of near eastern dominion.
based on a Berlin.B s glad railway. will
: reverberate throughout the Mohammedau
! empires. and. 1t Is said. will more than
| rehabilitate British prestige in the Far
East. damaged by the earlier loss Of
Kut -ol.Amara-
| Perhaps no more welcome news could
come at q time when the British public
for tho first time, owing to the subma-
rine war. IL beginning to feel the effects
Of the war in a greatly reduced food
supply. besides being throw ninto At
Of depression by the revelations of the
Dardanelles report.
without resistance. and with only slight
losses. Even II the Turks succeeded in
extricating all their forces. the loss of
Bagdad Is a grave blow to them. Bag
dad has been the base for all Turkish
operations in Persia. Up to within few
days the Turks occupied about 10000
square miles of Persian territory. but
with the Russians pressing them closely
from Kirmanshah, as we'll as from the
direction Of Erzerum. indications point
to q speedy junction Of the British and
Russian forces. which would soon compel
the Turkish evacuation Of Persian terri
tory.
Bagdad's capture marks the climax tc
one of the most dramatic and picturesque
phases Of the world war. The city which
. has fallen to British arms links the pres
ent to a past so distant that 1t is semi
. fabulous. The known history of Bagdat
, reaches back for more than 1000 years t.
, the shadowy times Of King Nebuchadnez
, Ear Of Babylon. a quay built by tn
, scriptural monarch still existing sub
! merged In the Tigris. Within its precinct
: also there still stand the tombs of tn
. Jewish prophets Joshua. Ezra and Ezekie
! and the well Of Daniel.
: Long after the Babylonian dynasty ha'
ceased to be more than a memory Bag
dad rose to splendor as the artistic, liter
; ary, scientific and religious capital of tn
= world. The heart Of the great Islami
empire Of the Caliphs for hundreds o
years It was known throughout the worl
as 1.-THE glorious city, and was the seen
:. Of the fantastic exploits Of Harun Al
Rashid. the potentate whose magnificenc
= IL immortalised in the Arabian night:
!, In 800 A. d. Bagdad was credited wit
. easily the hrst city In the world In wealt
y and commerce. With the fall Of tn
lCaliphs before the Turkish sultans tn
= decline OF Bagdad commenced. 1t wa
J. SUCCESSFULLY the prey Of Turks. Mogol
IL TartArs and Persians. but it was nt
r. until 1888 that the city became def1nitel
l. a part Of tho Turkish empire. Its al
N cient importance was largely due to I'll
It fact that 1t stood at the center Of ii
% lines OF communication between India ar
> Persia and the west. but the opening
- new routes by way Of Trehizond ar
Is through Armenia diverted its trade ar
i1a1 In ita n. r1i
l. The British campaign against Bagds
p was opened early In 1915 when an Agl
A. Indian force under Major-General Chari'
We're Ferrers Townshend was landed
tho head Of the Persian gulf and move
~ rapidly UP the Tigris. The primary o
u ject Of the expedition was to secure Il
u. valuable oil we'll in the region at Il
10 mouth Of the Tigris but the ultimate al
q. a far greater object was the shattering
10 the great German dream of dominic
q in the Near East. The realization of tn
'c dream was based on the construction
= the Observation-Disclosures RAJ
Ie way and by the seizure OF Bagdad Il
British hoped to prevent the complete
nc Of this road, at least by German hand
co and strike a shattering blow at Gcrmi
us prestige in that section Of the world.
General Townshend commanded a for
or of 10000 men at first he pushed forwa
no with amazing speed. Early in June, ~
70" he CAPTURED Kut-el-Amara, 80 miles fro
NJ the mouth OF the Tigris and about
o. miles from Bagdad. On the end Of Z
+ following November he reached CITE
o' phon, % miles from his goal. where he W
attacked by an overwhelming force OF
toman troops. His water supply rave o
and he was forced to retreat.
IL Fighting q continuous rear guard acti
the British expedition regained Kut-
Y. lAmara en- December 5. Here Gencl
Towrshend determined to make a sta
with a portion OF his forces and entrenc
re- ed with about 10000 men. while the
Din maindcr Of his troops continued to
cn back along the Tigris In orderto join han
OF with the relief army which was hurriet
no despatched from France and India ar
ae' the defeat at Ctesiphon
'o Thirty thousand Indian troops and I
~ Anglo.Indian divisions. which had be
- lighting In France. formed the rel
~ CORPS which Joined the remnants OF
"a. Townshend expedition and made
~ desperate effort to rescue the beleaguel
~. harrison at Kut-el-Amara.
~ For three months General Sir Pei
Lake, the relief commander. fought
s~ way UP the Tigris and within ell
", ~. miles Of his hesieged comrades when
a.. April ia 1916. General Townshend,
~. food supply exhausted. was compelled
~. surrender. In the meantime additio