New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-21
co;ro as the Goal of
Teuto- Turk Effort
in the East.
FRANK n. SIMONDS
~ Author Of The Great War.


..a Turk or crush the offending Sero.
:, q more than a vigorous thrust 10 open
-. Orient Railway and thus unite three
c...rol Powers, increased now by the Bull
enlistment. Whether it be threat
real purpose, Germany's new opera
.,on Is directed at Suez and Cairo is a
uow at the Suez Canal, that waterway
~h,.h in German literature is described as
A.. "ueel Of Achilles" of the British En-
pire. :.
In London. as in Berlin, the threat is
recognized. The reasons for the threat
are equally plain. After sixteen months
If war Germany has conquered Belgium
and occupied a considerable section OF
Nortbern France. from which all efforts TO
srnel her have failed. She has conquered
Poland and Courland, pushed Russia wen
within the older Romanoff territories.
Roth France and Russia have suffered
ssvere blows But both have escaped de
.;s;ve defeat. and both are able to keep
the field, France with the aid OF the
British army. Russia with the help OF
British finance. In addition, the BRUSH
Feet continues to suffocate German INDUS
trial life and interfere with the German
food supply.
Unless Great Britain can be brought 70
desire peace the Germans recognize 'ha'
the war may be indefinitely prolonged
Such prolongation, on the face OF the STU
ation points to German defeat, because
Germany is outnumbered; she is OUT
matched in wealth and in resources; she
!, hlockaded and her economic life par
alvzed: her markets beyond the seas
barred. her colonies one by one conquered
She is fighting the fight Napoleon fought,
and she knows that all his genius was OF
no avail against British hostility because
Napoleon could never quite get at Great
Britain.
Gott Strafe England!
How. then, is Great Britain 70 De
wounded: wounded so severely as to bring
her TO listen to the thought Of peace on
German terms? The submarine blockade
has failed. The Zeppelin menace mas
proven empty as a peace producing
weanon. The drive to Calais failed year
AGO. and there is no hope now Of reaching
the narrow strait facing Dover. There
can be no thought of an invasion Of Eng
land because the British feet remains IN
being. The sea, as in Napoleon's time re-
mains the bulwark Of British homelands.
There remains the chance to strike the
British Empire. The remoter colonies are
beyond reach, because they lie beyond tne
seas. But if Germany, having opened the
road from Berlin to Byzantium, could OFF,
Ger and munition a strong Turkish army,
this might strike at Egypt by way OF
Suez. True, the attempt was made oy a
Turkish army early In the war, but IL
was a raid rather than an invasion, ana
the army had not been equipped by Ger
mans with the care and completeness re-
quired.
A second blow, more carefully planned,
more thoroughly prepared, might carry
the Turk across the Spez Canal TO such
an invasion the Egyptians would probably
respond By an instruction. The faith OF
Islam Is common to the Turk and the rul-
ing caste of Egypt. Once the masses OF
the Osnanli, under the Green Banner, en-
tered the ancient land Of the Turk and
approached the city Of the Caliphs, an
outburst Of religious fanaticism might be-
expected 10 sweep before 1t every vestige
Of British power. Egypt might be lost In
day and the remnant of British armies
driven south upon the Soudan or north to
Alexandria and the transports.
Would the Threat Suffice?
Such dire possibilities would, to the Ger
man mind, not inconceivably bring the
British 10 terms before the blow fell.
Once England felt that Suez was In dan
ger, Egypt In peril, India likely TO be Gu.
Oh from direct communication with Brit
ain, save by the Cape route, England
might be willing 10 listen TO the talk Oh
German peace which left England her
empire but insured Germany her place in
the sun, both In Asia Minor and in Gen.
tral Africa Belgium might be evacuated,
for the cession Of the Congo Free State
France, for the surrender Of French
Congo and a swingeing indemnity. Eng
land might be glad Of peace at price
IN money fixed by Berlin.
But II Great Britain would not yield
before the blow fell, could she endure the
''fs OF Egypt, the prospects Of an insur-
rection In India? Would Italy still be for
war 10 the knife when, instead Of winning
Insste and Trentino, she stood to lose
inpoii, threatened alike by internal revolt
shd BY Turkish invasion7 For France, too,
mere would be the peril Of the Turkish
''vssion from TripoIi into Tunis and Al
svia' new return Of victorious Islam
utodR the mad ths x.h ~cnrttHyoYe took.