Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-21
TURKISH PAPERS
THINK BRITISH
RULE IS ENDED
Ottoman Victory on Banks of
TigriS Taken as Omen That
Johnnie Bull viii Have TO
Get Out Of the East,
tA.socIated Press Correspondence,

C0nstantnople, Dec. 1.-THE Con-
stantinople press refers to the reverse
If The Eritsh at Ctesiphon, near Bag
dad as an omen that British rule in
the east is endangered. No military
success of the central power group in
the east or west, II l. argued, could
have produced the effect upon the
eastern mind that was produced by
the ottoman victc ~ on the banks of
tho Tigris. The 81 itish. 1t is believed.
reckoned that the capture of Bagdad
would he of no small importance in
supporting the prestige Of their flag
IN the east. and the failure to reach
thc city. which Is sacred TO all Mos
lens. has, of course, had the con-
trary effect
Ctesiphon, which is several hundred
miles up the Tigris from the Persian
enlf where the British expedition be-
gan operations more than year ago.
il famous for the number of decisive
battles that have been fought there
and the Turk not wholly immune
from superstition, thus regards the
recent British defeat as all the more
significant According to Ottoman
sources of information the British
losses in this battle were seventeen
colonels 20S other officers. and 5000
men killed, and at least as large a
number of wounded. General Town
send, the British commander, himself,
is said to have been severely wounded.
Much war material and several river
craft and transport barges were also
captured by the Turks.
Four days ago. when the news of
the battle of Ctesiphon reached Con-
stantinopie. the city was decorated
4 !,
fore. For once the Turk emerged
from his lethargic stated and celebrat-
ed on an elaborate scale
Intention of MOhammed.
1t had been Mohammed's Intention,
six centuries ago to take the White
Palace" of Ctesiphon, but he did not
live long enough to lead his Arab |
hordes against this Persian strong |
hold. The undertaking was left to
the scconhd caliph, Omar, whose COM |
mander-in-chief Saud, defeated the !
pcrsians under Rustem at Selencia, on |
the right bank of the Tigris river so
decisively that Il few months later
Emperor Jesdegerds, last of the Sassa
hide kings of Persia. also lost Ctesi- |
phon. the twin-c city across the raging |
and wide stream. Thus fell MAIDEN, |
as the Arabs fifty called Seleucia and /
Ctesiphon--the Twin City So far
Madein had been distinctly Persian in /
every aspect. The Moslem faith now
replaced the mixture of fire worship !
and Zoroastrism.
Seleucia and Ctesiphon, under the
persians had been the jewels of the
Tigrs valley. materially and intellec-
nally. The fertile soil of the district
yielded crops in profuson, and in the
city carpet-weavers, gold and silver
smiths and armorers were thriving in
prosperity. Though Persian in rolis- |
ion, the people were under the influ-
ence Of the later schools of Greek
philosophy and one of the last groups |
in which this high development of
thought was forcibly supplanted by |
the east-iron dogma Of early Semitic i
creed
Saud, as he stood on the place /,
where Il few hours before had been
the throne of the Sassanides, turned /
his face in the direction of Mecca and
cited a verse from the Koran which !
for many centuries was not without
meaning to Seleucia and Ctesiphon;
"How many gardens have they left, !
And springs and crops;
How many palace of pleasure
Serving their delight.
(God) gave them to another people,
And neither earth nor heaven
weeps."
The booty which the Moslem con-
querors of the twin cities took was
once of the greatest of all antiquity.
About 10000 Arab warriors took part
in the assault upon Ctesiphon. The
share Of each in currency, precious
metals and jewels. was worth 1900
silver drachmas, after fifth of the
loot had been set aside for the ealiph
and his treasury, and another fifth for
the widows and orphans of the sol
dlers who had fallen in the cam"
paien
Before the Arabs left Cteslphon
they set the white Palace afire,
after removing every object Of value,
among them the largest silk carpet on
record The carpet was about 900