The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1916-02-05
Campaign in Mesopotamia Dit
fers From Every Other Oper-
alton in Old World.
CRUEL, TREACHER0US PEOPLE
British Official Report Tells Of Events
Before the Reversal at Ctesiphon
-kut Is Captured After Fierce
Battle Across Level Plain.

London.-The otficia press bureau
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 Tigris. He
says:
The campaign in Mesopotamia diff
fers beyond all words from every 9th
-er operation taking place In the world
in this year of war. 1t may be called
the Cinderella of campaigns, for in
deed, IL past history and modern en-
gineers tell q 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 plumber Bushire. Bander Alb
has and Jask by erstwhile CONNER
cial travellers; the half-witted Persian
fanatic Is deliberately encouraged to
assassinate British and Russian con-
sular officials In the provincial cap
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 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 COM
merce Is protected from their on
slaught by these little bands of ex-
lies.
On the southern side of the gulf at
Muscat and Bahrein again we find SIM
liar isolated groups, In each place
holding in check those forces of dis
order and violence which the enemy's
agents seek to provoke, but on the
Arabian shore the star of Germany is
on the wane, the Arab sailor folk
know that on the sea "Allemani" are
no more. These Arabs, who cruise as
far afleld as Zanzibar and find 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, and
the word has gone through the Ara
bian coasts that he who would trade
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.
Cruel. Treacherous People.
A winding river which is restless
in its bed. capricious in its 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 a horizon as level as the sea
save for here and there a mound.
AS for the population. it is base
semi-momadic Arab. cruel. treacher
GUS, and rascally as the town influence
can make 1t. yet predatory with print
tive Bedawi instinct.
To these people. Turkish corrup
ton. smugglers and years war have
brought wealth of arms and mum
lions: without any cohesion or policy
they are neither for British nor Turk;