Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-04-23

labors of the ancients, the hostile des-
ert being backed by the canal, which
has rightly been described as "the
most formidable military obstacle
ever constructed by man." Invading
foes must accomplish the toll of the
desert march, they must arrive in
some sort of fitness" attack carefully
prepared positions, succeed in break
ing the defensive and cross the canal
before they can rely on getting food
and water.
There is probably no newer method
of dealing with the problems of sup
ply on such a campaign than those
employed by Alexander, Napoleon or
1brahim Pasha. The more adaptable
and the better acclimatized to the pc
culiar conditions are the forces in use
the more simple does the problem be-
come. To move bands of Bedouin to
and fro across such country would be
emily asking them to live their every
day lives. No doubt many of the
troops being employed by the Turks
on the present venture are quite at
home in such surroundings, can live
hard and travel hard, but there can
not be very great number of them.
Numbers, it should be noted, have an
abnormal influence in the East where
bluff plays such a large part in life.
The Arab, in his own intertribal wars.
depends largely upon giving an exag-
gerated idea of his numbers and
strength. The issue of a desert en-
gagement is often decided without a
blow being struck, those in the minor
ity giving in without resistance to
those in the majority.
1t seems doubtful that the true des-
ert warriors-the Bedouin-are being
employed in any large extent Had
the big tribes of Arabia been in per-
feet sympathy with the Turks they
might have constituted a formidable
array. But the children of Ishmael
have not changed; they are still as
unstable as water" Even of those
who have been Communicated, with
their camels, large numbers have de-
serted and disappeared into the heart
of the wilderness. So the great re-
serve of desert soldiery remains dis
used. The successful issue of a des-
ert campaign depends upon a phenom-
email ability to tackle the problems of
supply and of transport The organi-
cation of these must be perfect in de-
tail and absolutely reliable in action.
In the old days, although military op-
erations took much longer to come to
head than they do now, when the
antagonists actually joined battle, the
result was quickly decided. The deci-
sive battles of the world have gener.
ally been decided between dawn and
dusk. This is especially the case in
Arab tactics. Sudden attack and swift
retreat is the secret of desert warfare,
be recalled that in all former conflicts
on the Egypto-Turkish frontier the
issue has not long hung in the bal
ance. Alexander entered Egypt week
after he left GAIA, a distance of 100
miles. Napoleon only spent six and
half days on the road between his
base at Katieh and his arrival before
GAIA. The advance guard of the Turks
in 1900, under Taher Pasha, left El
Arish on April Q and actually took
Salahieh, on the farther side of the
present canal, before the 18th Of the
month. But in that case, it is true
there was no serious opposition to
their advance. Swift and decisive ac
ton is evidently the maxim of that
particular military undertaking; by
the mercy of Allah the prevalent creed
of the present-day invaders is that
haste is of the devil" 1t is certain