The Washington times., 1914-11-24
Suez Canal Vulnerable
Point of the Empire

The Suez canal has been described as
the most vulnerable point in the Brit
ish empire It is England's chief line
OF communication with Australia, with
India and with other British de-
tendencies in the east, not counting its
value in the relations with Japan.
Slightly less than 100 miles in length,
the Suez canal is even more import
ant to Great Britain than is the Pana-
ma canal to the United States.
In any plan of war between Turkey
and Great Britain the SueZ canal would
naturally be the first object Of attack
by the Ottoman army. For q long
time the porte has been preparing for
such a move and ii is estimated that
900 Turkish soldiers have been con-
centrated in Syria for an invasion of
Egypt That Great Britain realized the
seriousness of the situation was shown
by the recent appointment of Sir John
Maxwell to the supreme military COM
mand Of Egypt.
Pro-Turkish Element.
A long time ago an agitation was be-
gun to have the canal adequately pre-
pared against an invasion Of FL Arish,
comprising the desert Of Tih and the
Peninsula of Sinai. In a state of defense
in order to prevent injury to the canal
by an enemy.
The difficulty in the way of realiza-
ton of this plan has been the fact that
Egypt has been until now a theoretical
dependency eS the Ottoman empire, the
Khedive ranking at Stamboul as hered-
itary governor-inferior in grade to the
grand viZier and the grand eunuch Of
the seraglio. The Khedive himself Is
known to be Turkaphile, preferring the
porte to England, which he has always
hated
In addition to this there has been a
very considerable pro-Turkish element
in Egypt. which, with the ruler, would
have raised very serious objections to
the use Of the revenues Of the nation
to fortify the canal against the Turks
who. in all probability, would have
construed such an action as a hostile
step.
The porte has always insisted that
the desert of Tih really belonged to
Turkey, and was not included in the
Khediviate. In 1906, on the occasion
of Sinai and the Tih desert, r British
official OF the Egyptian government
was appointed commander and inspec-
tor OF the peninsula. Thereupon the
anti-British element in Turkey spread
the report that England was going TO
fortify the Gulf of Akabah to menace
the Medina-Damascus railway. then in
course Of construction. The Sultan
marched troops from Akabah to Taba,
on the Gulf Of Akabah, at once.
Delicate Situation.
Great Britain called upon him TO
evacuate Taba on the ground that IT
was Egyptian territory, and finally
forced him to consent to the fixing of
the boundary line SO that il should run
from FL Rata on the Mediterranean to
a point on the Gulf Of Akabah at least
three miles east of the town Of Akabah.
Since then the position Of Great Britain
has been even more delicate. and II
has been obviously impossible for her
TO propose again to fortify Egyptian
territory against an invasion which
could come only from Turkey, the |
suzerain Of Egypt.
The territory over which the Turks |
must cross to get to the canal is easily
especially with such con-
veyances as the motor lorries with
which the Germans have made such
progress in France and Belgium, and
with which the Turkish army Is equip
ped 1t has been estimated that all the
which Great Britain could
spare from other points OF contact
would not be sufficient to protect the
ANAL from at least partial destruction
soldiers. led by the skllful German
military engineers. And. apparently. |
Great Britain has not enough available |
and forces to make the protection |
more than partial.
About the only practicable way to |
'ut, in the present circumstances, |
would be to take the offensive and try |
o prevent the Turkish army from ever |
the canal.