The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-03
READY TO ABANDON
INVASION OF EGYPT
German General Staff Report
ed to BE Unwilling TO Run
Great Risk.
MANY TURKS DESERVING
speeial Cable D.spatcA 10 Tnr sly.

Special cable DeSpdtcA 10 THE STU.
LoNpoN, Feb. 1.-The Turkish inva-
sion Of Egypt is likely to he abandoned
al any time. according to well founded
dispatches coming from Berlin.
Although there are 10000 Turks in
:he army Of invasion. commanded BY
German officers, and although the expe-
diton Is German in conception and en-
cheering, the German officers have re-
ported that II would be better TO abandon
IL now than to carry It out at huge ex-
pense. in the face of such vast dtficul-
ties that failure to overcome any one of
them might cause total failure to the
expedition.
The sentiment OF the German Cen
eral stan that what might be gained is
not worth the huge risk seems to be
growing, and well informed persons in
Berlin arc beginning TO understand that
as soon as German public opinion can he
brought 20 Il point where il viii be recon
ciled to an abandonment Of the expedi-
ton the project will be dropped.
Hundreds Of Turkish soldiers have de-
serted from the force. The Mohamme-
dams do not take kindly to German mill
,ary methods and dispatches from Cairo
state that deserters are arriving there
in constantly Increasing numbers.
One group reported that a German of1-
Ger ordered wounded Turkish soldier TO
climb "A telegraph pole and cut the wires
The Turk was indignant and told the
officer that II was not the work of sol
dior TO climb telegraph poles. There
upon the officer drew his sword and cut
of one of the Turks hands. This Incl
dent and others similar to II are rapidly
diminishing the size OF the Turkish
army Of invasion.
Complain of Poor Food.
Other Cairo dispatches say that the
desertcrs complain Of the food ana as
sert that not enough water Is furnished
them. These doser;ers, all of whom are
prisoners Of war. describe the hard
ships of the march from Jerusalem by
way Of Bcersheba and El-Arish. They
were made TO walk many miles each
day in the dry heat. with scanty sup
plies OF food and water. Bcdouins sod
food to those who had money, but
charged high prices for IL, and the
Turks preferred to eat comfortably as
prisoners of war. with little work to do,
| rather than spend for insufficient food
all the money they earned by arduous
( labore
Bearing upon tho same situation the
( London Dolly MATHS Copenhagen cor
respondent sends this despatch:
81 learn from trustworthy sources in
Berlin that the latest reports to the
! German General STAFF regarding the
| situation IN Palestine arc most DIS
| couraging, They state that II Is impos-
/ sible 10 think that the Turkish army
| in Egypt can make n serious advance.
German officers say that even If no
military operations are undertaken Il
; will be impossible to maintain the foot
I ing of the army. Discipline will Ger.
/ tainly disappear and they fear that the
! troops will Indulge In pllaging and
massacres
Germany 10 Prepare Public.
Berlin has not yet fallen into line
with the scheme. earring that a bad i'm
pre- sson will he made on Germany, hut
/ there Is lit, doLb, that when the pub
/ lie is sufficiently IreLared the plan will
| he adoJted and some plausible excuse
will be found for abandoning the in
,aaion OF Egypt. Enver Pasha is re-
( Earded In Berlin as a nonentity."
II vas only a week ago that the Ger
man plan 10 march on the Suez Canal
got well under way. A tremendous
amount Of money and energy had been
expended on the plan and a full set
of German officers had been provided
for the Turkish army OF 10000 men.
The invading plan provided for three
lines of march-the first to proceed
along the shore. the second about twelve
miles inland and the third still further
south. on account of the shortage OF
water Mlsner Pasha, the German offi-
Ger commanding the Engineer Corps
kept constructing a light railway line
which kept pace with the advancing
troops and along which water and other
supplies could be transported.
British defenders at the canal and In
Egypt prepared as strong forces ms
they could TO meet the Invaders and a
number of British armen have beer
doing scouting work, There was "A small
engagement last Wednesday between ar
advance force of Turks who were dis
covered at I'll Kantara, only Ave miles
from the canal. The fighting was at Ions
distance and the only British casualties
were four wounded.