Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-16
TURKS REGARD REVERSE
At CTEs|PHON AS OMEN
Constantinople Press Sees In II Signs
That British Rulc in Fast
Is Endangered.
GREAT CELEBRATION is HELD
No Other Military Success Could
Produce Such Effect on Minds OF
People as Ottoman Victory ON
Banks of the TiSris.

cDNSTANTlNOI'I.E. January l5.--Thc
t"nstantinoplc press refers To the re-
verse OF tho british at CtcSiphon. near
Eagdad, rs AN omen that British rule
i'll the east is endangered. NO military
success Of the central power group IN
the east on west ~ is argued, could
hav. produced the effect upon the east
"ru mind that was produced by the
Ottoman victory on tho banks Of the
Tigrs. The british. it is believed.
rcckon.d that the capture Of savdad
would he Of no small Importance in
supporting the prestige of their flag
in the east, and the failure To reach
tho city. which is sacred to all Mos
lcma has, of course. had the contrary
effect.
Ctcsiphon, which IS several hundred
miles up the Ttrris from the Persian
Gulf. where the p,itish expedition be
gan operations more than year ago.
is famous for til" number Of decisive
battles that have been fought there
and the Turk, not wholly immune from
i superstition, thus regards the recent
british defeat as all the more sign!n-
cant. According to Ottoman sources Of
Information. the British losses In this
battle were seventeen colonies. 200
other officers and 5000 mon killed. and
At least ~ large II number wounded.
General Townsheud. the British com
mander. himself IS said to have been
severely wounded. Much war material
and several river craft and transport
bargcs werc also captured b. tho Turks
When the news or the battle of
Ctes!phon reached Constantinople. the
city was decorated with flags and bunt-
Ing ms never before. For once tho Turk
emerged fully from hts lcthargic state
md celebrated on an elaborate scale.
UNDERTAKING IS LEFT
TO SECOND CALIPII
II had been Mohammeds intention
six centuries ago. TO take the White
Palace" OF Ctcsiphon. but n" did not
live long enough 10 lead his Arab hordcs
against this Persian stronghold The
undertaking was left 70 the second
caliph. Omar whose commandcr-!n-
chief. Saud. defeated the Pcrsians. un-
der Rustem. At Scieuc!a. on the right
bank Of the T'iErs River. decisivcly
that few months later Emperor
JcsdcScrds, last o. tho Sa ssanide Kings
of Persia. also lost ctcsiphon. the twin
ci,y across the raging ana wide stream
Thus fell "Nadrin.' rs the Arabs fifty
called Sclcucia and Ctesiphou--thc
Twin City" So far Made!n had been
distinctly Persian IN every respect.
III" Mos!om fajth now replace the
mixture. OF fire Worship and DO
goas'Iism.
ScleucIa and Ctesiphon, under the
Persians. had been tho jewels OF the
Tlgpis Valley, materially ANA Intellect
uallv. Tn" fertile Soil II the district
yielded crops in profusion. and In the
city carpc, w.avers, gold and silver
smiths ard aimor"ry were thriving IN
prosperity. Though Persian In re
iieiuu. the people were under the in
nu"ucc OF tho later schools Of Greek
philosophy, and one or tho last groups
Ia which this high Development OF
thought was torcihly supplantcd by tho
castiron dogma Of early I.cinctic creed
Saud ~ lie stood on the place where
n few hours before had been the throne
~ tho Sassantdes. turned his face in
tho direction OF Mecca and cited :.
vercs from the Koran. which for many
centuries was not without meaning to
Sclcucla and ctesiphon:
"liow many gardens have they left
And springs and crops;
How many n place ~ pleasure
Serving their delight
] tGod) gave them TO another people.
ind neither Earth nor Heaven wceps."
noOTY ONE OF GREATEST
Of ALI. ANTIQUITY
The booty which the Moslcin CON
oucrors or the twin cities took was one
Of TIA. greatest Of All antiquity. About
60 600 Arab warriors took part In the
assault upon Cteslrhon. The share OF
cach in currency, precious metals and
Jewels was worth 1000 silver drach
mas, after NTH OF the loot had been