The Washington herald., 1917-12-10

anu MebOpOIblnlh Email TORN
Turkey and its master ally. Germany.
Anything short of this would mean
that even though Germany Is COM
pletely defeated in Europe. her pre-
tentious Bagdad-to-Berlin scheme
would remain intact to menace the
world, with its everlasting threat
against the Suez Canal, Egypt and
India.
British Alarm Germans.
None have realized this better than
the Germans themselves, who are
thoroughly alarmed over the success
of the British arms.
They have always realized the great
Importance of Palestine in connec-
tion with their own plans for the
military domination of the world, and
German publicists have given O great
deal of attention to the Near East"
question.
The over efficient DR.. Paul Rohr-
bach. writing for the education of the
German mind and In preparation for
the launching of the Mittel Europa
project, pointed out that a direct at
tack upon England. across the North
Sea. was utterly out Of the question.
Another combination, which would
strike England at its most vulner-
able point, was needed. and this COM
bination. he revealed. existed in Ger
many's relations to Turkey. 1t was
to create just these relations that
Wilhelm visited Constantinople and
Jerusalem, that he worshipped at the
shrine of Mohammed. that he played
the role of protector OF Turkey
against all Europe.
England's Vulnerable Point.
England can be attacked and NOR
tally wounded by land from Europe
only in one place-Egypt. The loss OF
Egypt would mean for England not
only the end of her dominion over the
Suez Canal and Of her connections
with India and the Far East but would
mean also the loss of her possessions
in Central and East Africa. The con-
quest of Egypt by a Mohammedan
power, like Turkey, would also i'm
peril England's hold over her 60.0co.-
600 Mohammedan subjects in India,
besides prejudicing her relations with
Afghanistan and Persia"
Here we have the explanation OF
GermRny's interest in Turkey, and
the German-plapned. Turkish-led CAM
paign against the Suez Canal In 1915.
This campaign, led over three routes
across the desert Of the Sinai Penin-
sula, was planned by Col. Kress Won
kressenstein and led by Djemal
Pasha-the same Djemal who later
became the tyrannic governor OF
Palestine.
Victorious at Ismaili. fifteen miles
below the canal, at Kantara, thirty
miles south OF Port Said, the British
failed to realize the opportunity then
presented for the utter rout Of the
Turkish forces.
Rainy Season stops Campaign.
But the early mistakes were quickly
repaired when Gen. Sir Archibald
Murray assumed command of the
British forces, and following Kitch-
ener's tactics. began building O rail-
way along the Mediterranean sea-
coast. In the spring OF this year,
Gen. Murray had advanced to GAIA.
where the ending OF the rainy season
compelled him to halt until fall.
Meanwhile, Gen. Allenby had been
sent from the West front, and his sue
cessful operations have been conduct
ed according to the strategy outlined
by his predecessor.
The next few days ought to develop
whether Gen. Allenby plans to strike
at jerusalem along the line of the
railroad, or to continue his northern
course until he has taken Haifa,
sixty miles beyond Jaffa. Then his
army will march on Jerusalem
through the Plains Of Esdraleon. This
historic plain runs broadly between
Mount Napthalia, in Galllee, and
Mount Ephraim, in samaria, and con-
tinuously from Mount Carmel to the
Jordan, making It the most important
and political military factor in the
history Of Palestine. It has been the
high road OF all the invasions of Jeru-
salem.
Mr.. Bernstein will tell more about
the war in the. Holy Land in The
Herald tomorrow. sag-, ,.s.l : y :