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Show GREAT BATTLE IS I NOW EXPECTED j Turks Have 60,000 Men at Trebizond Russians I Within 16 Miles. I Petrograd, April 17, 7 p. m., via Lon- I don, April 17, 10:25 p. m. Having oc- I oupled tho strongly-fortified position 1 on tho lef hank of the Kara Dere on I the Turkish Black sea coast the Rus- I slan forces have passed the last of a j series of natural obstacles along the coast, tho defensive advantages of fl which had been made tho most of by 1 tho Turks. Thus thoy have entered tho immediate area of the Treblzond I fortifications. I Tho Russians now nro separated I from the city of Treblzond by only 1 sixteen miles of roadway, no part of I which Is considered capable ot sus- I taining a defense, although, since the 1 fall of Erzerum, th Turks have under- a taken everything possible to perfect the defonslvo power of the Treblzond 5 fortifteations and greatly increased tho garrison, which now is hald to contain three complete divisions. Therefore, th,e word "imminent" no longer Is -used here in predicting the jfl occupation of Trehlzond and it ia V realized the city will be taken only jfl aftor the hardest. kind of a struggle, ' '38 which is likely to outclass In stubborn- '8 ness and duration the one which, re- ,'JD suited In the fall of Erzerum. !3W Fleet Is Great Help. M The capture of the Kara Dere posl- iD tion, which necessitated tho crossing i8 of the swift stream, which Is partlcul- ! Wl arly swollen and turbulent at this Pi time of the year, was made possible If I by fine assistance rendered by the jl j Russian fleet The Turks, apparently 'I I believing the recent appearance In the L?J Black sea of their cruiser Breslau m had caused the Russian fleet to aban- j!f don the operation which it had so I , successfully executed in connection J ' with the land forces, and not antlclpat- lng a bombardment from the sea, set ' up no shore batteries and limited their jJi construction .of defenses to an olab- WM orate system of wire entanglements. Ill A vigorous bombardment from the 111 sea, which demolished a great part if M of the Turkish fortifications, was fol- III lowed by an infantry attack, which met with little resistance. Jll Tho Turks are still fiercely oppos- fll Ing the Russian forces operating j against Balburt, sixty mlle3 northwest iH of Erzerum, fighting in which the Rus- slans, if successful, are expected to WM unite their two groups of forces oper- H atlng along tho coast and to the west HP of Erzerum, in such a way that fur- Il ther Turkish efforts to prevent a if $ solid advance of tho Russian armies ill ' over the whole width of the front ifJk would be useless. Ua |