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Show TURKS RETREAT BEFORE RUSSIANS Troops Pressing Pursuit of Ottoman Ot-toman Forces Toward Banu Obstinate Battle Ends. PETROGRAD SHUT OFF Vigorous Russian Offensive on Wide Front in Persia i Is On. i PETROGRAD, March 15. via Lon don, 1:50 p. m The Turks are in retreat re-treat on the Caucasian front, pursued by the Russians, the war office announces. an-nounces. Kermanshah has been captured cap-tured The announcement follows: "In the direction of Sakkiz our troops pressing the retreating Turks, are approaching toward Banu. "In the direction of Hamadan, after an obstinate battle lasting two days, our troops took possession of the town of Kermansbah. "Pursuit of the Turks continues " Petrograd has been shut off from j the outside world for several days and I the foregoing dispatch is the first word received from that source since the of-' of-' ficlal statement, of Monday. The ab-; ab-; sence of the war office reports for j the first time in the war and even of j press dispatches for such a period of tlm gave rise to considerable speculation specula-tion as to the situation in Russia, par-j par-j ticularly In view of the disturbances in regard to the food shortage which were in progress in Petrograd at last j accounts. The official statement Indicates a vigorous Russian offensive on a wider front in Persia than had been previously previous-ly reported. The capture of Kerman-bhah. Kerman-bhah. which is about 80 miles south-v south-v of Hamadan. was reported unof-I unof-I fir tally from London yesterday. The I town referred to as Banu probably is Baneh. 130 miles northwest of Ker-I Ker-I manshah and only about ten miles I from tho Turkish border. It is well to I the north of the Turkish army defeated defeat-ed by the British in Mesopotamia, which may be cut off if the Russian advance continues |