BATUM

a city of the former Ru ian province of Trans-Caucasia, now a part of the Soviet Republic of Armenia, The city is on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, and is the center of one of the most {important petroleum fields in Asia. Before the World War Batum was one of the chief exporting cities for petroleum and it acquired great importance also for the exports of silk, grain and flour. It was several times captured during the World War by Turkish and Ru ian troops. The po e ion of the oil fields in and about Batum was one of the disputed points in the conference at Lausanne, in (1923), between the Great Powers and Turkey. Pop. of the city, about 50,000; of the province, about 170,000.