New-York tribune., 1918-09-23
Military Comment
By William l.. Mcpherson
Copyright. 1918. New Yora Tribune Inc,

thrice avenged 1t was
avenged for the first time
when General Maude's army took
Bagdad and drove' the Turks far
up the Tigris River toward Mosul.
1t was avenged the second time
when the British entered Jerusalem,
ending for good and all centuries
long Moslem occupation of the Holy
City of Christendom 1t has been
avenged a third time by the virtual
destruction Of the Turkish army
barring the Allied road TO Damas-
Gus.
Reports from Palestine received
yesterday disclosed the full extent
of the disaster which the Turks
have just suffered. Some of the best
divisions at the disposal Of the Con-
stantinople dictatorship have been
fighting OH the JordansDamascus
front. They were able, with slight
German stiffening. to hold the Brit
lsh in check along the Jordan last
spring, before the season of mill
tary inaction set in. But as the re-
suit of brilliant surprise attack on
their line to the seacoast above
Jaffa and of a remarkably rapid en-
veloping movement around their
broken right wing these divisions
have now been nearly destroyed as
a fighting force. General A!lenby
reports the capture Of $4,000 pris-
oners and 1870 guns, with large
stores of war material The line of
retreat Of the Turkish left wing
toward Damascus has been cut in
part. Palestine has been practically
cleared Of the enemy.
The Turkish army held north
ard-south line up and down the east
side Of the Jordan River, covering
the railroad from Damascus to Ara
hls. At point nearly opposite
Jaffa the line turned west at right
angle to the Mediterranean. During
the inactive season General Allenby
carefully prepared for a breaking
through operation directed at the
Turkish positions near the coast.
Last week he sprang his surprise
The Turkish right wing was
crushed. Above Jaffa a breach was
made through which British troops
mostly Australians and East Ind
ians~-pushed north on the first day
/ for nearly twenty miles. Cavalry
( continued the pursuit forty miles
further and then turned east tow
ard the Sea of Galilee They passed
teyond the railroad running east
from Haifa connecting beyond the
Jordan with the Damascus arabian
line), seized Nazareth and extend
cd their positions across to The
southern end of the Sea of Galilee.
Then they turned south aud fell on
TIE rear Of the Turkish forces retir-
ing north from the direction Of
Nabulus.
The British centre had been push
, ing north on both sides Of the Jeru-
alem-Nabulus road, thus closing
the lower Jaw Of Allenbys trap
/ The only chance Of escape left &c
the Turks was to stampede for ll,c
fords OF tho Jordan. south Of the
Sea of Galilee. Northeast of GaIlee
however, a force OF Are bs, coming
up from one of the independent
Arabian kingdoms recognized last
year by the Allies, had struck at the
railroads about Derat, the junction
of the Haifa line with the Damascus
/ line. So the Turkish left wing be.
yond the Jordan, northeast of Jeru
salem, and the refugees from the
right wing are still threatened witt
severance Of their communications
with Damascus.
This important strategic point
the key to Syria, is now practically
undefended. General Allenby ought
to be able either to beat the Turks
to it or to enter it following closel,
at their heels. When Damascus fall:
the two British armies in Turkey il
Asia can be linked up. Aleppo is
their common ultimate objective
sAnd the Turks seem now to have
no forces in Syria or in Mesopo
tam'a equal to stopping a British
drive to the borders of Asia Minor
In its desire to ape Germany il
gathering in the spols Of the Rus