The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-04-23


strategical problems that a
desert frontier is the one
SN most easy TO defend and
+: :: +: :: &: :: +: Is: +: !: :: : !: s. :
invader to tackle, but for
imDracticability they do not compare
with even narrow zone of barren
land, where food and water are non
existent and where bad ground makes
transport either labOriJus or alto
sether impossible Battledelds, like
the sites OF capitals, are not made by
man, but are the outcome of geoeraph-
iyal position. The chief lines OF com
munication Of the world, and conse-
luently the warpaths of uaUous are,
in ike manner, determined by the lie
or the land and its physical features.
So long. for instance, as Egypt and
Palestine are not under one rule, and
SO long as there is a likelihood or
recurrence of hostility between the
powers that control these two coun.
tries, the desert barrier that separates
hem will be the scene of conflict. Be
Ing a narrow neck of land joining two
continents and being the only land
link between two of the most fertile
regions OF the earth. il has always
been, and Will always be, an important
line Of communication. For the same
reason it must retain its significance
from military standpoint It chances
that the link between Egypt and Asia
is cursed by the blight Of aridity. But
the same providence that caused this
area to be useless TO man provided the
more favored region of the Nile val
ley with an inimitable protection from
envious foes. A hundred miles of
waste is a better guard against inva-
sion than any other natural feature: it
Is far less costly than modern fortin-
cations and probably more effective.
Yet, in spite Of natures bulwarks, this
area has probably been the scene of
more hostility than any other desert
In the world. Inexorably, as it were.
the silent wilderness has been dis.
turbed by successive waves Of migra-
tory hOrdes and by the continual pass.
Ing Of military expeditions. There is |
no rest for this land; it seems to at
tract tragedy
The desert, Egypts ancient barrier |
against intruding foes, has proved to |
be a formidable breakwater on to !
which many an enemy has hurled him
self Their efforts have been met
with varying success. Although it has
proved of 40 avail against determined
and systematic attacks, it has caused
hostile advance on Egypt to he
looked upon as a big undertaking. It
would be foolish TO treat such an oh
stacle lightly, but with sufficient initi-
alive its difficulties can be success
IIlly surmOunted. 1t is noteworthy
shat desert frontiers to fertile lands
also probably entail the responsibility
Of wild tribes to be kept at bay. The
wilderness that tringed ancient China
was a barrier against distant foes, but
the nomad5 actually inhabiting that
desert we're the source of so much
danger that they might be considered
The direct cause for the building of the
Great Wall In the same way the
early inhabitants Of the Nile valley did
not consider natures battlements sufH.
cient to repel the wild nomadlc tribes
that constantly swept in from arid
Arabia to raid them. So they supple,
mented this barrier by lines Of for.
which ran from the Medi-
aerranean to the Gulf of Suez. Now
adays still more effective barrier has
8upplanted the crude, though colossal