Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-10
THE BRITISH In MESOPOTAMIA.

zones Of influence" English ana Rms.
During this time the Germans wsrs
no cs he sq Brush eS n ne s
Ottoman empire. Affecting to see noth-
ing. the Germans were actively pushing
the construction Of their Bagdad rail-
way.
Such was the situation when the
actual war commenced. Just how Eng
land inaugurated military operations
In the Ttgris and Euphrates valleys 10
q secret of the British war off1ce. Al
we have seen. the first announcement
was made in July. 1t is q part of the
condition in Mesopotamia to make
apparent the relations of the tribes Of
this country to the central governments
OF Teheran or Constantinople.
The local chiefs for a fact constitute
for these nomad peoples the real aus
thority. Teheran and Constantinopie are
mere phantoms of authority. These To-
cal chiefs are always ready to ofHer
their services. civil or military. on the
following tariff basis: A laborer de-
mands 10 cents per day. an armed foot
soldier. 20 cents, an armed cavalryman,
80 cents; munitions are furnished by
the employer. The chief receives the
on the tenth day. The men refuse to
work or fight the fifth and tenth days
II they are not paid. These details are
indispensable to be known, and woe to
the chief who undertakes to lead his
men without regard to this custom
These people are more or less well
armed, usually with the Martini rife,
model 1874. but the provision of mu-
nitions is generally bad or insufficient
Arms are really the only thing these
ration. The horses are sufficient, but
VIGOROUSLY inferior to those found
north of Bagdad toward Kherkouk and
Mossoul: cavaliers and foot soldiers
light as a rule deployed.
The people. are nominally shepherds.
and live on the product Of their herds
and cultivate the soil only for bare ne
cessities. They are quick to resent
trespass upon their customs and are al
ways ready to fire upon the fiscal
agents of government Governments
attach to nomads but small interest,
and the chiefs Of government often ex-
press the hope that they might go and
hang themselves elsewhere"
The foregoing notes of the character
OF the nomads are necessary in order
to understand the value of the auxil-
iaries which attach themselves to the
one or the other Of the combatants. The
Observation-Disclosures troops Of the
three arms debarked at Bassorah in
July. and. aided by the guns of their
little fleet, attacked and defeated the
four 'tabors'' or Ottoman battalions
that opposed them.
These troops are clothed in cottonade,
their heldpfeces are old and ineffective
and their munitions defective. The Brit
ish commander decided that there was
no reason to augment his troops. Be-
sides, he proceeded to treat with the
chiefs for auxiliaries on the basis of the
tar'ff heretofore mentioned.
The order of the British march was
admirable and conformable to the
measures which a perfect knowledge
Of the country dictated: nat-bottomed
boats with lighters attached were pre-
pared at Bassorah. and these served
admirably for the transportation Of the
troops, which were thus saved from
the fatigue Of d'fflcult marches; the
nomad contingent followed or preceded
along the banks, according to the
character Of the country. Kournah. at the
junction of the Tigris and the Eu-
pirates. was bombarded and captured.
The march, or rather the navigation,
up the river was resumed, and the Eu-
pirates was traversed and a landing
was effected on the right bank Of the
Tigris-