Evening star., 1916-01-02

German troops is diverted into Syria
the bulk of its supplies will come all
the way from Germany. Austria Hungary
and the Balkans But the railway line
always will insure the means of trans
portation.
1t has been conjectured that the kaiser
may have a political motive in making
Syria the basis of German military
operations aside from any drive at Egypt
This is reported to be to make himself
recognized, along with the Mohammedan
sultan, as the protector of the Christian
sects in Palestine. II is the Turkish
troops on guard in Jerusalem which still
prevent the members of the Christian
sects from numbering one another in their
disputes over the right to possess the
Holy Sepulcher.
During his famous visit eight or nine
years ago, when his itinerary was ar
ranged by an English tourist agency, tho
kaiser gave utterance to so many things
that no one understood exactly what his
motives were. except that he did not
relish the ascendency OF England, France
and Russia in Syria to the practical ex-
clusion of Germany. He was said TO have
commented with some asperity on the
Jealousies of one another shown by the
Christian sects, but more especially on
the unwillingness of the English to recog-
nize German religious bodies in Jerusa-
lem and the rest of Palestine.
s.
1t was during this visit that the incident
Of the bleeding finger was alleged TO have
occurred. Notwithstanding that gen.
tleman who was in the kaiser's entour-
age. and who had the opportunity to see
what was going on. told me of the Incl
dent as If he were an eyewitness. have
always been slleptical. and wondered
whether this was not one of the many
myths that have been woven around the
kaiser's personality.
The incident in question was the kaiser
cutting his finger slightly and, as the
blood dripped away, holding il up and
saying:
MY last drop of English blood"
As tile story was told in Jerusalem.
Cairo and afterward London. it was
very vivid. Since the present war
began the bleeding finger has been
attributed to the crown prince. Not
unlikely it also has been attributed
to the kaiser himself as happening at.
liars would not now carry it so far
back as eight or nine years ago in
Jerusalem.
This depression, however, does not
alter the feeling which the kaiser en-
tertained before the war that England
was largely responsible for the lack of
recognition given to Germany in the
there under Turkish asquiescence, the
kaiser is apt to be tenacious in MAIN
tanning them as means of maintain
ing Germany's moral influence in Pal
estine when the final settlement comes.
This is aside from any immediate mill
itary purposes
The attitude of Turkey under the
circumstances following the opening of
the route of communication from Ber-
lin to Constantinople. and thus from
Berlin to Damascus and Palestine, is
unknown to the outside world. But
Turkey has every reason to want the
military operations against Suez and
Egypt to be something more than q
demonstration or a maneuver.
Not even the oriental mind, with all
its convolutions, could grasp the fun
damentals of the British policy which
recognized Turkey as suzerain of
Egypt, and then calmly proceeded to
consider Egypt as an Independent
power when necessary to offset Tur-
key. and as a British dependency when
necessary to repress the aspirations
for complete independence both OF
Turkey and of Great Britain This
anomalous situation to Egypt
proper, of course, was ended when at
the outset of the war England pro-
claimed Egypt in name, as it had
been in fact, British protectorate.
Turkey had not then entered the war
as an ally of the central powers. Be-
ing now an ally, and having this
Egyptian grievance comparatively
fresh, she may insist that any German
military occupation of Syria be as a
base for real military operations
against Suez and Egypt. and Ger
many's interests may coincide with
TURKEYS