Tombstone epitaph., 1915-04-25

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 Ibrahim 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 only 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. I Numbers, it should be noted. have an abnormal influence in the East, where i bluff plays such a large part in life. 1 The Arab, in his own intertribal wars, depends largely upon giving an exag. | gerated idea of his numbers and strength. The issue of 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.
 | It 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 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 |
 used. The successful issue of a des ert campaign depends upon phenom
 enal ability to tackle the problems oi supply and of transport. The organi
 ration 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 tc | ,Ir l., I- 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 ir
 Arab tactics Sudden attack and swif,
 retreat is the secret of desert warfare
 for there Is no time to waste. It may
 be recalled that in all former conflicts
 on the Egypto-Turkish frontier ths
 issue has not long hung in the bal
 ance. Alexander entered Egypt a weel
 after he left Gaza, distance of 12t
 miles. Napoleon only spent six ana
 A half days on the road between hi:
 base at Katieh and his arrival before Gaza. The advance guard of the Turks
 in 1900. under Taher Pashe, left E. Arish on April 2 and actually tool
 Salahieh. on the farther side Of tn,
 present canal, before the 18th Sf tho
 month. But in that case. it is true there was no serious opposition tt their advance. Swift and decisive ac ton is evidently the maxim of tha
 particuIar military undertaking; b! . the mercy of Allah the prevalent creed of the present-day invaders is tha , ab.s,a is of the devil" It Is certail