Pursuit of Defeated Turks is Continuing

-Massacre of Armenians and Destruction of Villages is Reported”

Tiflis, Trans-Caucasia, May 5, via Petrograd and London – The pursuit of the defeated Turkish army under the command of Khalil Bey, in the Khori-Dilman region of the Caucasus, is being continued according to trustworthy advices reaching Tiflis.

This battle, which has resulted in heavy losses for the Turks, began April 29th at Hantahta, near Urumiah.  Both sides later received reinforcements.

Nersus, the bishop of Tabriz, Persia, has arrived here.  He describes the situation at Van as desperate.  Eight hundred Turks and a large number of Kurds are active there destroying Armenian villages.  It is declared in Armenia that the Young Turks have adopted the policy pursued by Abdul Hamid in 1896, namely, the annihilation of the Armenians.

The existing state of terror has prevented the planting of crops and a famine is impending.  The city Erzerum in Turkish Armenia has a today 300 cases of Typhus fever.