Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-25

Copyrfoht, 1913, bD Neto York Times Co.
London, May rs.
While we ares waiting for develop
merits In the west there is time to turn
q cur eyes to the east II would be
pEontlens to reopen the story of our
drst ventures and early failures in
Mesopotamia. Present interest cen.
<ers in what we are doing there now.
Speaking In the House of Lords on
April ?. Lord Curzon said: I'VE are
an eastern as well as western
power. and the pillars of our domin.
ions are planted at Delhi and Cairo
y no less than in these islands. We
we're drawn into the Mesopotamia
y campaign by the necessity of imperial
B defense." -- . ...
That means that we are defending
y india at Bagdad. The Germans have
suffered no more grievous ilrusion in
: this war than the one which arose
from their belief that the empire was
y q rotten tree, the branches of which
would fall at the first storm They
4 Hooked particularly to South Africa
Egypt and India for troubles which
7 fffOtdtn ee'oSt 81 ave tIIfDdETaSStnPnt
( and. In fact, they expected to and
prepared to assist the outbreak of
y open revolution in all three. The
Z splendid and unswerving loyalty of
our dominions ana dependencies
brought these hopes to nothing as
4 much as have the successes of orr
arms in the more distant theatres of
war.
Still Anxious About India
Het as regards the enemv's at
tempts on India we have had and
X still have our anXieties. Before Gen.
erai Mauac entered Basdad and bv
Jolning hands with the Russians estah.
4 Ilshed an effective barrier against the
enemy's attempts to penetrate further
east, German agents and bands under
& German leadership had entered Persia
freely, reached the frontiers of India
and even penetrated Afghanistan
whence they were turned back bv our
loyal friend. the Ameer
With the collapse of Russia the bar
rier established on the frontier Of Persia
broke down and the road to Turkish
and German ambitions was again omen.
What have we been doing to meet this
Sfnenace7
N Maude's policy after he entered Rap
dad was to use his central position 70
strike out right. left and center at the
enemy. as he got his chance. In a coun-
tkry in great part desert, the enemy's
Hines of advance are limited to water
ways which converge on Bagdad the
.Diaia coming down from the northeast
and the Persian frontier, the Tigris from
aMosul and the north. and the Euphrates
from the direction of AIeppo and the
northwest. with lines of railways run
ming up each of these river valleys from
Bagdad, we have been able TO strike
swiftly and successfully against the
enemy. who, without railways and with
deserts to traverse, cannot readily
transfer his forces from one river line
10 another
II Is told of Forrest, the Confederate
4cavalry leader in the American Civil
fyRar. that he was asked by a lady for
and replied "Ma'am, | got there first
with the most men,"
Maude Improves Communications
That is exactly what has been hap
pening in Mesopotamia. Our early
troubles arose mainly because we had
no railways and could not obtain suf
sfcient river steamers Our communiCa
.dcns were. in fact, bad Now we have
adequate railways and an ample river
Meet. Our communications are good,
.much better than the enemy's. and we
3eef there first with the most men.
II will be remembered that early in
The year General Marshall struck with
\ MS left on the Euphrates and occupied
Hit and completely annihilated it, cap
.turing more than 5000 prisoners. our
\ pursuit carried us to Ana, nearly 200
X miles northwest of Bagdad, and enabled
( us to destroy all the considerable prepa-
<r1tions which the enemy had made for
fsn attack upon us by the Euphrates line
Z Now 1t appears General Marshall has
lfrawn in his forces to Hit. as the Turks
shave reported that they have occupied
" TBaghdadie. 1t is clearly no part of his
plan to weaken his power Of getting
ftnere first by extending his advance be-
( yond what his communications can sus-
ltain. Having cleared the Euphrates. of
4 the enemy's advanced bases. just as Cen
4 erai Maude cleared the Turkish base at
Tekrit, on the Tigris. General Marshall
lis free from any anxiety as to his left
land has turned his attention to his right
( where Is the gap left by the withdrawal
7 OF the Russians. BY a series of rapid
and successful blows, which resulted in
+ the capture of more than 1900 prisoners
s and twelve guns he has virtually ami
Mated the Second Turkish Division,
which was On. the Persian frontier.
TO the northeast of Bagdad we have
occupied Kifri. with It's valuable coal
+ and have pressed on through KirkuK TO
4 The lesser Zab, at point where the road
I to Mosul crosses that river, some eighty
4 miles southeast of the latter town. We
NOV learn that our cavalry has ad-
yanced UP the Tigrls te the rapids of
Fattah. 100 miles north of Bagdad, and
about fifteen miles below the junction
ef the Tigris and the lesser zab.
+ Wide Circle Around BaEdad
We have by these successes cleared a
Sutder circle around Bagdad Before at
1ackins us in force, the enemy, being
without railways, must re-establish the
+'11vance depots we have destroyed and
@G|l< them up with necessary food stores
&ud Munitions, a slow and toilsome busi-
<4et when he depends upon river-borne
#ore important for our immediate
n poses. these successes will certainly
144e an effect In Persia. where wayereFs
lH>x wee have begun to doubt whether
fhe toIlspse OF Russia has not brought
Y @1{t II as great menace TO our posi-
<|1n IN the East as II has to tina. In the
Htt weather. which is now setting In,
{o<1Hs as effective bar 70 active military
or<fetions az the winter mud in Flan-
1P<& and neither the Turk nor tfe Ger
1&e ii<es Il any more than our own
Z 1st1 II. therefore, viii not be surprt.-
1|E 70 we do not hear much from this
~ The world for some time 10 come