The Washington herald., 1916-02-13
Germans Push Railway to Egypt and Dig Wells
In Desert for Turk Army Which Will Attempt
To Cut Suez Canal In Campaign Next Spring
Host 100000 Gathers Palestine Under Won Krese Forn opeE
an Expedition No Bluff Experts Say Because Teuton Victory Would Cripple
Britain and Loss would Be Borne by Trks-Wasag Too Great
for Attack Main Fronts

III dlldCh also lOllO"cu lHS Ncn-
trail route, the different sections
the canal, and making simultaneous
attacks at three places, But only
l2,O00 men, practically without artil-
lery, took part in the first expedi-
tion, which was really a blum intend
ed to hold large numbers of British
troops on the canal and prevent their
use in other theaters of war. The big
guns and the great bulk of the army
of Egypt must follow the railway, and
with many times the number of British
soldiers to defeat as a year ago, the
German generals are not likely to send
few thousand men to destruction at
Suez and Kantara, where they could
not be supported with artillery.
The main attack must come against
the region of Tussum, just south of
1smailia, where the German railway
will approach. II is supposed that an
attempt will be made to carry the
railway across part of the twenty
hve miles of drifting sand to the east
of the canal by laying down corduroy
roads. and II this proves practicable
the guns may be brought forward by
this means. If the Germans can push
on over the first fifteen miles of drift
sand from the pool of Err Rlgm, they
will reach, less than ten miles from
the canal. the wen of Habeita.
British Likely to Await Foe.
During this discussion OF the ways and
means of the Turkish advance this uues-
tion has doubtless presented itself: What
Will the British be doing while all this
Is going on? 1t is, unfortunately, not
possible to discuss the possible means OF
defense with the same freedom per-
mitted in analyzing the attack The rea-
1FFNz HWFk -, Q-NW WEEn.
the invaders without serious opposition
to push their railway forward to the
vicinity of the canal are these: The $50
miles of Egyptian territory which may
be yielded up to the east of the canal is
all desert, uninhabited and politically
worthless.
By remaining on the defensive some
where near the canal the defenders
force the Turks to conquer the unprece-
dented diticulties of transport. II the
British pushed forward into the desert to
meet the enemy. they, too, would have
to lay down desert railway. and in the
event of defeat in the desert this road
would be captured by the enemy. The
task of constructing a railway over the
drift sand from the canal eastward would
be harder than anything Herr Meissner
has to face. And. finally. by remaining
near the canal the full value of that OBJ
Of the guns OF warships are obtained.
Gen. Sir Archibald Murray, chief OF the
imperial general stafr Until relieved by
Gen. Sir Willian Robertson and given
mis- present post, is commander-in-chief {
OF the British forces in Egypt. a post
second to none in any theater OF war in
Importance at present. There are those
in London who assert positively that be-
fore the onslaught OF Turks and Teutons
a r~nN F1at he
Will arrive In Cairo to take the reins
Egypt Thoroughly Grrrisoned.
Naturally, no intimations can be made
concerning the size Of the British army
in Egypt, or its composition. Certain Of
fetal announcements by the war office,
however, give an indication that the army
there is not a small one. and the Cologne
Gazette recently declared that go, 900
British troops were already waiting the
attack.
In the boot OF the Gallipon peninsula
in August was the Eighth army corps,
consisting of the Twenty-nInth division
OF immortal fame, the East Lancashire
Territorial division. the Scottish Lowland
Territorial division and the Naval dfvi-
sion. The French expeditionary corps of
Zouaves and native African troops was
also at Gallipoli. At. Anzac, was the
prised OF two Australian divisions and
one Australian and New Zealand divi-
sion: at unhabby Suvla. was the Ninth
corps, made up finally of the Tenth,
Eleventh, and Thirteenth divisions of the
new armies, the Fffty-thlrd and Fifty
fourth Territorial divisions, and the Sec
ond Mounted division.
All troops mentioned have left Gal
hpoh. The Indian corps in Flanders was
FaRant1Nr fra nc fa1 %
of war" There is a British army at
Saloniki, and included in it is the Tenth
Irish division, brought from Suvla, which
has been officially congratulated for its
fighting against the Bulgars at Lake
Dairan. The, units mentioned have all
been located in published dispatches in
the places named; and, without going
any further, it may be hazarded without
indiscretion that all the divisions men,
toned are defending British interests
somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Floating Forts Guard Canal.
A remarkable description recently ap-
peared in the German press of the naval
defenses of the canal. Two sister ships
of the Queen Elizabeth, this account said,
are being used as floating forts. The
ships mentioned are the Malaga, pre-
sented to Britain by the Federated Ma
supposed to carry each eight 15-inch
guns, but the German account states
that, in addition, two 17-inch guns have
been mounted on tn IN. 1t is said that
berths have been cut for them in the
side of the canal, so that they will not
interfere with traffic. an6 that barricades
Of timber and sandbags have been built
on the ships, witfA embrasures for their
guns, SO that they combine the strength
Of a land fort with the advantage of
being able, in case of necessity, to with
draw
The great guns of these ships, If the
story was true, would be able to sweep
the desert for some twelve miles to the
east of the canal I give the story
without comment simply for what 1t is
worth, adding nothing that has not ap-
peared In the Teutonic press.
There is a disposition In some quarters
to doubt that the Turks really intend to
attack Egypt. The admitted concentra-
ton of troops. the collection of stores
and guns and the building of the railway
are explained as a huge blum intended
to hold up a great British army along
the canal and keep it from doing mis-
chief elsewhere-for instance, at Saloniki
or in Thrace or Asia Minor.