Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-24
TURKS ARE SMASHED;
MUST GIVE UP WAR
British Army's Triumph in Pales-
tine Has Been of Tremendous
Value, Says Expert.

Washington. ID. c., Sept. pa noted
military expert presents the war situation
last night as follows:
Not less important than interesting is
the news concerning the British opera
tions in Palestine This theatre had
been inactive for some time. IL was as
If the German offensive which began
in March either dampencd the spirits of
the British t,r activities elsewhere or
drew from thc'r near eastern armies to
such an extent that 1t was impossible
To continue the work which had prog
resscd satisfactorily up to that time.
Now, however. that the danger of any
German offensive Is over, never TO occur
again, the British arc free to operate
on any front where it appears there
would be material advantage in so do
ing
ELIMINATION or TURKEY.
'"The successes of the last few days
certainly have justified in full measure
the British judgment in continuing their
forces in what would on the surface APP
pear To be but subsidiary fields. As "a
matter of fact the British have had but
one purpose in the combined Mesopo-
tamlan-Palcstine operations. the elm
ination of Turkey from the war It was
that these two operations were in full
swing that they were IN reality ono and
the same thing. While the Mcsopotamian
forces were struggling westward past
Bagdad. the Palestine army WAS push
ing northward with the purpose of
reaching Aleppo and cutting the Turk
ish line of communications, thus forcing
the retreat or surrender Of the Mesopo-
tamian army.
This was a bold scheme, involving
great distances and much hard fighting
but the direction of the two attacks
forced the conclusion. There was only
the alternative Of the impossible mill
tarv situation created bv two offcnsiveS
In the same general theatre against the
same enemy, but unconnectcd. unrelated
and disjointcd This, of course, IS n
military ahsurdity
WHOLE ARMIES DESTROYED.
General Allcnhy has not merely taken
territory, he has DESTROYED armies, which
Is the practical purpose Of all wars. His
plan was simple, II was exactly that
followed in tho Mcsopotamian campaigns
IL was IN essence a sign to go behind
the Turks and either cut or threaten their
lines of communication and thus capture
their army or force q retreat. Accordingly,
operating from Jatfa as a base, he threw
large force Of cavalry northward
parallel to the coast until they were far
To the north and had captured Nazareth.
directly in tho rear of the main Turkish
army.
This force then turned To the south
cast and cut the railroad in the Turkish
rear, which road runs from Jerusalem
20 Nazareth. This eliminated completely
one Of tho only two lines Of retreat the
Turks had available " the same time
the Arabian forces operating on the
east bank Of the Jordan River. swung
around TO the northwest and covered the
fordS of the jordan. cutting at the same
time the Hcdjaz Railroad as we'll rs the
road TO Hippo. Thus every avenue or
retreat was closed and the entire Turk
ish army trapped All OF It's supplies
likewise were cut away and must event
uallv fall into British hands Up 10 the
present moment more than 25.0N prison
ers have been taken, but a great mum
hcr had still 10 he enumerated.
BRITISH VICTORY DECISIVE.
The British victory Is clear cut and
decisive II the entire Turkish army Is
not DESTROYED before the end Of this
feature of tho campaign occurs. its use
fuln~sS as 4 military force has al least
been temporarily destroyed, and the
Turks are not very far from being forced
behind the wall of the Tourus Noun
tains. giving up Aleppo. and with II all
means Of communicating with the east
Il II looking 10 tins form OF strategy
for . DdY1g tho war SlIr,D1SiDoy hat tho