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ARMENIA
THE POSITION EXPLAINED.
v TURKISH PLANS FAIL.
LONDON, Saturday. 12.55 a.m.— Mr.
Philips Price, tho 'Manchester Guard
ian's' correspondent at Tiflis. sums up
the position in Armenia and Persia.
The Turkish evacuation 'of Erzingan,
hs states, proyed to be the preliminary
to a big counter-offensive, extending
from the South Armenia plateau to
Western Persm. Tho Turkish plan
?ca3 to draw the Russians deeply into
the western Euphrates Valley, and
then throw the whole third army into
the Lake Van depression, while the
left wing, composed of the sixth array,
advanced into and occupied Teheran.
Abdi Pasha, commanding the third
army, hoped to pusli north from the
Mush plam. and cut off. the Russians
between Erzernm and Kars. He com
menced his offensive, sending 110,000
troops under Isset Pasha in three col
nmns, which arranged to converge near
Khumis, south of Erzerum. General
Yudcnitch, however, manager to out
flank Isset Pasha, who evacuated the
Mush plain. A large Turkish force is
now in tho trpper Knpbr^tt \ ille- con
nectcd with its base by bad roads.
Isset Pasha's power for .in offen'; ic Ins
been greatly reduced owing to the dif
ficulty of getting supplies from Khar
put.
The situation in Persii i, lea sitis
factory, Halil Pasha mi idtd Persii
with 2G.OO0 regular cavalry and infan
try, and 12,000 irregular Kurds, ar
companied by German batte-ies and
aeronlanes. Tho Russians frcing out
-wmheted, retired, nnd the Turks now
hold Hamarlnn/hnt havo made no'at
temnt to advar.ee nn Tehernn. fearing
o Russian counter-offensive, which,
won'd threaten Halil Pasha's retreat on
Bagdad.
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