El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-22
Protested Friendship To
England, Then attacked
British Position.
ARMORED MOTORS
INVADE SOLLUM
Chief OF Tribe, With 5000
Men, Later Threatens
Valley OF Nile.

T ONDON, Eng. April 22.-That
strange sect the Senussi order.
whose armed forces have hung
like dark storm cloud on the western
'Nborder of Egypt. seems now to have
been definltely eliminated as danger
70 the allied cause.
The sect which gets its name from
The Senus mountains Of Algeria, was
founded by Mohamed ben Ali, born at
M0stagenem, Algeria, in 1886. He was
lawyer, who taught revolutionary re
igious views. he might be called the
Martin Luther Of Islam.
He taught in many Mohammedan
countries and was driven from place to
place until I'm 1855 he established him
self at Jaghbub. about 100 miles south
vest OF SOllum, in the midst of the
great African desert The sultan OF
Turkey, doubtless glad to so dispose Of
.his trouble maker gave him title to
iaghbub.
Avoid Civilized Races.
The tenetH Of the order are based on
. return TO the original teachings of
hohammed. the prophet. freed from
teresy and innovation. The founder
loined TO this economic methods OF cul-
ovation and colonization and he laid
Town policy which was followed by
his successor, Of avoiding civilized
faces, either Christian or Mussulman.
The founders successor was his sec
snd SON. Sid El Mahdi. who inherited
.he chieftainship in 1859. He was con-
ndered a Mahdi by the Bedouins be-
pause he had blue eyes and one arm
euger than the other and he soon ac-
luired authority over a vast stretch OF
Sahara.
In 1894 the Sultan OF Turkey politely
invited him TO visit Constantinople
rhe invitation was not accepted and in
Iced the Senussi (as the leader OF the
order is known was much disturbed
At the Interest shown in him by the
Turks and there was a rumor that a
kidnapping plot had been Matched on
he Golden Horn.
In 1902 Ahmed el Shereef became the
third Senussi The Sultan continued 20
annoy him but could never threaten or
iajole him into submission.
Prove Aid to Turks.
The Senussi however. assisted Tur-
Key IN fighting the italians in 1911.
nd kept up hostilities after Turkey
niade peace.
when the great war began. the Sen
ASST protested friendshil for the
British. In May. 1915, several Turkish
officers and two Germans reached
Senussi headquarters. Among these
vas Ncury Bey, q brother Of Enver
Bey. dictator Of Turkey
Norry quickly organized an army Of
benussi and ON November 10. 1915.
lree or four hundred men attacked the
British garrison at Sidi el Barani. The
attack was beaten off and the garrison
reinforced. The senussi professed TO
alsalROclate himself from this attack
3n the part OF his followers
Force British 20 withdraw.
on November p. two thousand Arabs
lnder Turkish and German officers.
confronted the British garrison Of 124
men at Sollum, q desert post On No
Fember "a, the British withdrew their
garrisOns at Sollum and Barani to Mat
-uh and Mai. Gen. Wallace led a strong
force 70 that place.
A battle was fought on December II
A. Wadi Sinai, ten miles southwest OF
hatruh and the enemy was dispersed
with loss to the British Of is killed
and II wounded. The Senussi now held
sallum and had about nine thousand
men In all.
Another battle was fought at Umrak-
bum on December IS. on Christmas
9f cavalry around the left flank Of the
5enussi and attacked I'm front at the
same time. The Senussi fled with a
loss Of 2eO killed.
r. Airplanes secuted over vast tracts
of desert sand TO locate the Arabs. On
January 30. the British fought another
battle with $4,000 foes. killing and
themselves.
Attacked by British.
On February 20, a British column
Attacked the enemy Is miles southeast
2f Barani. The Dorsetshire Yeomanry
made q magnificent charge. Jaafar.
he Senussis second I'm command, was
wounded and taken prisoner The
5enussfs losses were severe
Finally Evncuute SOlIum.
The Senussi evacuated Sollum on
March ~. and the armOred motor cars
of the British made a thunderbolt de- u
scent ON the camp % miles west Of
5olium, capturing three guns. nine ma