The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1916-01-29
Of THE
WORLD IS SCENE
OF WARS WRATH
Campaign in Mesopotamia Dlf-
fers From Every Other 0per-
alton in Old World.
CRUEL, TREACHERoUS PEOPLE
British OFFICIAL Report Tells of Events
Before the Reversal at Cteslphon
-Kut Is Captured After Fierce
Battle Across Level Plain.

LOndOn.-T1e OmC1a1 press OuTcAu
has Just given out a picturesque &C
count of the campaign for Bagdad by
Sir Mark Sykes He describes the
victory Of Kut and deals with events
before the British reverse at Ctesi-
phon, further up the T1grls. ne
says:
The campaign in Mesopotamia diff
fers beyond all words from every oth]
er operation taking place in the world
in this year of war. 1t may be called
the Cinderella of campaigns, for in'
deed, If past history and modern en-
gineers tell a tale to be believed, the
swamps and wastes of Irak will be
changed within the life Of the present
generation into something as differ
ent from themselves as were the mice
and pumpkin of the fairy story.
The lawless and ignorant tribesmen
of Persia are being urged and organ
lied to plunder Bushire, Bander Alb
bas and Jask by erstwhile CONNER
cial travellers; the half-witted Persian
fanatic is deliberately encouraged to
assassinate British and Russian cons
sular officials in the provincial cap1
Itals. To meet and check this policy
Great Britain must needs detach
small bodies of troops at Charbar.
Jask and Bushire. In each Of these
places a small handful of Indian
troops under a few British officers
give, peace and security to traders,
foreigners and Persians alike.
Inland the tribesmen roam in an
archy; on the shore peaceful con
merce is protected from their 4
slaught by these little bands of n
lies. $40 --.'
On the southern side Of the gull a
Muscat and Bahreiu again we find SIN
liar isolated groups, in each ] blac,
holding in check those forces o. dis
order and violence which the en- smy',
agents seek to provoke, but N The
Arabian shore the star Of Germ laaS is
on the wane, the Arab sailt sr fdas
| know that on the sea "Alleme .nf' ara
no more These Arabs, who ruise az
far afield as Zanzibar and End their
way to Malabar across the open sea
without sextant or masters certificate.
have learned that the flag Of Germany
cannot be shown upon the waters Of
| the earth so long as war lasts, andl
the word has gone through the Ara
bian coasts that he who would trGda5
abroad must be the friend of the In@
gliz, who spoiled the slave trade In
years gone by and lately stayed the
| traffic in arms.
crusi T..,.1 81 -
A winding river which is restlesa
IN its bed, capricicus in it's fall, un.
Certain in its rise, and sown with
shifting shoals and sands is the sole
means of communication between
Bagdad and the sea; it is the newt.
able line of supply, advance or retreat
for Turks and British. On either
hand stretches limitless plain, show
ing horizon as level as the sea
save for here and there a mound of
ancient ruin, a bare ridge or faint
undulation. This unending plain.
however, must not be imagined to be
Of completely easy passage, for it's
faint depressions are swamps Of un-
known shape with bays and inlets,
while at right angles to the river
banks run dried canals and cuttings
with hard ridges on either hand.
AS for the population, it is base,
semi-momadic Arab, cruel, treacher-
Gus, and rascally as the town influence
can make it, yet predatory with primi-
tive Bedawi instinct.
To these people, Turkish corrup-
ton, smugglers and years war have
brought wealth of arms and muni-
tons; without any cohesion or policy
they are neither for British nor Turk:
on the day of battle they haunt the
outskirts of the fight, plunder the
wounded and stragglers impartialIy,
harass the retreat of the defeated side,
hoist white flags over their tents and
make professions of answering fidel-
ity to whoever seems to be in the
ascendant.
Before the occupation of Kut mat
ters were thus: astride the river stood
the Turks; on the left bank three
sWamps were linked by chains of en-
trenchments traced with every device
known to the science of the Teutonfc:
engineer; on the right bank the posi-
ton was continued with equal care.
and preparation, and so conforming it.
self in relation to the bends in the
river as to oblige an enemy endeavor-
ng to turn it from the landwa-d side.
% make detour which coufi not be
,ompassed unobserved ~ the space
of one dark night. In this position
vas firmly established a force of Turks
numerically superior, well armed.
'lentifully supplied and supported by
greater number Of field guns than
hose against them.
Seven miles in rear OF this prepared,
losition lay the town of Kut; midway
,etWeen Kut and the entrenchments