New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-02
On to Bagdad!

The British victory on the Tigris, fol-
lowed by a Turkish flight toward Bagdad,
is one more reminder that the present
is 2 world conflict. 1t should also serve to
call attention again to the fact that the
real struggle is for the Near East, that
while great armies are again contending
on fields so frequently fought over in mod
ern history. the prizes Of the war remain
far removed from the European battle
lines.
British naval power, aided by japanese
and colonial contingents, has closed the
chapter of German expansion in Eastern
Asia and in the Pacific. In Africa French
and British colonial troops have conquered
Togo and are rapidly overcoming the Ger
man resistance in the Kamerun. To the
south, the troops of Botha have wiped out
the great blotch of German color on the
map from the Orange River to Angola.
The sea coast Of German East Africa has
been occupied and the hinterland will be
invaded in due course Of time.
The sole hope for Germany, if she is to
hold "place in the sum-" lies in the East
ern Mediterranean and in the Asiatic en-
pire Of the Turk. There and there alone
she can hope to build a colonial empire
which might rival British India or French
North Africa. or Russian Siberia. From
Berlin TO Bagdad the pathw-y runs clear,
save at the Dardanelles, beyond the reach
of British seafarers, and, if the Straits be
held by Germans, safe here too.
But Petrograd and London are quite as
keenly alive TO this fact as is Berlin. Rus
sian armies are operating east of Arme-
MIA: their objective is Constantinople. Far
more interesting is the progress Of the
British expeditionary army up the Tigris
toward Bagdad. Once this city falls
Mesopotamia is lost TO the Sultan and the
great Berlin Bagdad railroad will end at
a British frontier
India and Egypt alike are being fought
for in the Euphrates Valley and at the
Dardanelles. Syria and Palestine will
Individually be invaded from the sea and
from Suez, when Britain can spare colonial
troops. A slight push east from the Medi-
terranean will cut the Mecca railroad, the
only chain binding to the Sultan the Holy
City of the Moslem world, possession of
which alone gives him his spiritual emf
nence.
Politically Germany has conquered Tur-
key. therefore the fate of Turkey, so far
as France. Russia and Britain are con-
cerned, is sealed. To this alliance Italy is
now Joined. France in Algeria and Tunis,7
Italy in Tripoli, Britain in Egypt would
all feel the weight of German influence
upon the Sultan, if German supremacy in
Islam were established permanently.
Peace after the Mediterranean powers
have crushed Turkey. closed the German
road TO Bagdad, obtained control at Con-
stantinople and reconstructed the Balkan
Alliance with the sea powers supreme there
is possible II may come suddenly and bring
few changes west of the Carpathians and
the Vistula. But first there must be the
destruction Of German influence south Of
the Danube or the colonial future of all
the Mediterranean powers is at stake
When the war is over, if the European
map, save for Turkey is unaltered, if Eu-
rope ends where il began, the plight Of
Germany will still be terrible, if her enc
mics can, as the British did in their
great struggle with France, gain posses
sion Of the w0rld outside Of Eurone
France in North and West Africa, Russia
in Asia, Italy in Tripoli and Asia Minor
will have full opportunity to exploit and