Evening star., 1915-11-21

they already see Turkish armies ad-
Vanc1ng toward Egypt 1t is to mum
tion and equip these armies that they
have crushed poor Serbia and hacked
chance has brought them on this new
road; it has been prepared through
long years.
Germany's Place In the Sun.
If the threat suffices, If Great Britain
consents to make peace before Ger
many strikes. then the terms of peace
are clear. To Austria is to go the
hegemony of the Balkans, to Ger
many the right to reorganize the Tur-
kish empire. This means that Turkey
will become German colony. Asia
Minor a teutonic India; Syria. the
Arabian coast of the Red sea. Meso-
potamia and Persian gulf ports German
outpoStS in the east
But this peace will be but a truce.
1t will be but pause until Germany
is ready for the second spring. The
second spring will carry her into
Egypt. for England is the permanent
foe. Suez will become a German wa
terway. In the same fashion from the
Persian gulf Teuton-Turk armies Will
take the road of Alexander and pene-
trate into India, which will rise In re-
bellion, and out of the chaos will
British imperial power, it will vanish
in the ashes of a second defeat, more
complete than the first.
This is the German scheme, colossal,
cha llenging the imagination, but re-
Vealed in such solid substances as the
Basdad railroad, realized in no small
part now that the railroad from the
Spree to the Golden Horn, no more to
the Taurus mountains, is already open
to the Germans, and Turkey has taken
the kaiSer'S shilling.
Germany of the Future.
In all this it must be recognized that
Germany is thinking both of the fu-
ture and the present. In the future
she sees the great colonial empire
founded upon German power and des-
tined to restore prosperity and wealth
to the regions in which Rome, Persia
and the Byzantine empire ruled. In
the present she sees a direct and in
viting road leading to a vital part of
the British empire; she sees a chance,
the only chance, of victorious peace"
leaders always feared: that British
immunity from attack and Brit
ish wealth and persistence would
serve to hold together a coalition
against the kaiser wholly comparable
to that which destroyed Napoleon. She
wounded and if war of exhaustion
continues Germany may be totally de-
feated, and, in any event, only Eng
land will or can emerge from the con-
| filct a gamer.
What are the chances of success for
Germany in her third offensive? What
basis of hope is there for the kaiser
that he may win the victorious peace
in Egypt that escaped him in France
and Russia? The chances are plain.
threat. although this is remote pos
sibility. Turkish armies may reach
SueZ. and. passing the canal. break into
the Nile valley. The thing is as pos
sible as was the taking of Paris and
the elimination of Russia.
Yet it is well to recall the difficulties
in the way. They are many and Sc
rious. First of all, the Bagdad railway
world knows, the tunnel under the
Taurus mountains is as yet unf1n-
ished. There is long and difficult
gap between the two sections of the
railroad. 1t is possible to cross this
gap; armies can pass it as they have
before, even though it is closed for
days by the SHOWS of winter, and win
ter has already begun in these noun
tains. But what about the munition-
ing of the great army that. must be
sent?
The Sinai Desert.
And after the Taurus mountains there
is the Sinai desert, waterless ex-
panse of desert a hundred miles wide,
across which armies must be trans
ported, although a railroad can be con-
structed in their rear as they advance.
Then from the Bosporus to Suez by
rail and road is at least 1,200 miles,
served in part-in greater partly
the railroad. but it is a single track
line. A British attack in the Gulf of
Alexandretta or from Jaffa might cut
the line behind the Turks, imperiling
their very existence.
Again, while Germany is equipping
and transporting this huge army that
will be required England has it within
her power to send to Egypt huge
masses of troops. She has nearly
million in England, and her colonies
Will respond to a new call; India can
Europe. All the British and French
troops IN the near east can be drawn
down into Egypt. This army can be
supplied by ships without limit
From Alexandria and Cairo railroads
run to the canal, and in the canal
monitors and old battleships can be
used effectively. Behind the British
will lie the fertile land of Egypt: ali
drawn for hundreds of miles, for Syria,
the Holy Land and Arabia lack ali
resources to feed and supply any con-
siderable army
Italy Must Help.
such an invasion must enlist Italian
aid. Turkish success in Egypt would
mean the loss of Tripoli; it would
mean that Germany and Austria would
ind naval bases facing the Italian
coast; they might take Derna, Tripoli
City: they might take Tobruk: thew
might flow over into Tunis and take
Bizerta Italy's position in the Medi-
terranean would be fataNy compro-
missed if Germany secured d hold upon
the African coast
Accordingly, nothing is more certain
than that from out her great resources
in men Italy would send huge rein
forcements to Egypt, drawing on Bri-
tain and France for financial support
w hat Italy has not yet consented to
do in the Balkans she would have to do
in Africa, where her own existence
would be at stake. Italy, too. would
be vastly closer and easier base for
armies in Egypt than Constantinople
can prove for the Turks.
Furthermore, it must be recalled that
Turkish man power is not unlimited |
The Turks have fought two losing
wars in recent years, and in the first |
Ralkap war Snffarad fayrih1o 1o,en.