The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-02
Momentous Events During the Next
Few Weeks Likely to Have lmpor.
tant Effect on Wars Outcome

they were driven back. But they hAv>
profited by the experience. and II ma,
be taken for granted that the hmpend-
ing invasion Of Egypt from the Hol,
Land will he Of q far moro importan.
nature.
II IL said that II will be under N.
joint command Of the German Fisiu
Marshal Won Mackensen and OF
Djcmal Pasha, the most fanatic and
Anglophobe of all the members Of IN,
present Ottoman Government. Eve,
since last winter Dtemal has been haro
at work preparing for this invasion
making his headquarters at Aleppo and
converting Jerusalem into a gres.
training camp. the entire Mount Of
Olives being cut up by rife trenches
in every direction. 1t Is said too thu,
he has been engaged In building a
double track line of railroad from
Maan. on the Damascus main line 20
Medina, across the Intervening desert.
toward the Suez Canal, constructing a
the same time IA pipe line for the con.
~eyancc of water.
Such "A railroad presents no en-
cheering difficulties whatsoever. and
SO far as we know has encountered no
obstruction on the part of tho Anglo.
Egyptian Government For the English
have not dreamt Of attempting 70 de-
fend the real eastern frontier line Of
Egypt. extending from Rata, on the
Mediterranean coast. to the head Of the
Gulf OF Akaba, on the Red Sea- They
have been content to rely upon the
protection which they ooneider to b
afforded by the desert Of Filth. lyine
to the north of the Sinai peninsula
All their defences In that dtreotou
are situated between fifteen ana
twenty miles east OF tho 6ue1 OnAl
where they propose to mako thsaf
stand, supported by tho guns Of ehs
warships OF Great Britain and hu
allies stationed along tho Sues Canal.
The navel force includes several
French and Italian men-of-wAr, and
1t 10 even reported that a powerful
, Japanese squadron has arrived a
Suez to TAX part In the operations.
The Medina-D Damascus railroad rms
northward TO A.eppo, between which
and the raiIhead of the line running
from the shores Of the Bospor,a
through Asia Minor TO Adana and IN
the direction OF Aleppo there was
until last spring a break Of only about
sixty miles, involving some tunneang
of the Taurus range. 1t Is said that
this portion Of the line Is now CON-
pleted and that there is uninterrupted
communicated 10y rail from Scutar. I.
on the shore Of the Bosporus, JUS,
opposite Constantinople, right through
via Damascus to the junction at MaaI,
TO the north of Medina, namely, tho
junction whence DJemal Pasha u eaid
10 have constructed his double track
line westward across the desert 10 the
SueZ Cannl.
The Invading force ~ his disposal
has been variously estimated az from
800 900 e 500. 600 men. ulino<t entirely
otiiCered hv Germans and comprising
n considerable number OF picked Ger
man regiments. Against these Eng
laHd can put into the field about 300 .
600 men. supplemented by about So
200 Egyptians and S~udanese. who nay
N may not remain loyal.
When one recalls the relative faci.,iy
with which Napoleon at the close Of
! the eighteenth century marched hts
p arms Of 1900 men twice across me
! El-Tih desert from Egypt TO Paleetine
T and back again, cach trip occupying
= '''NL llItf utSS, Win HElllIUS tt 49,
+ close, 1t does not seem that this desert
: should present !nsuperuble difficulties
: u a German-Turkish army with rail-
road lines, motors, water pipe i!neN
and every other conceivable arttfce OF
the twentieth century at it, d'eposa
{ Al eyes. therefore, will he directed
D during tho next few weeks upon that
! land - the Mic winch sH"e the DAYS
. OF tn" Iharaohs. thousands of year,
e ago. has furnished so much history e
I | the world.