Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-23
HOLY LAND FREED
OF TERRIBLE TURK
Not Possible for the Sultan 70
Send Reinforcements and Re
trieVe Lost Territory.

London. Sept % The complciencss
of General Allcnbvs victory has exceeded
all expectations II appeared Saturday
that the whole Turkish force 10 tho vest
Of tho Jordan was IN jeopardy Today
virtually the whole of that force is destroy
ed
The war can show few examples of so
swift and 50 clear victory n rnoans
the delivery of the entire Holy Land from
Turkish bondagc. for It IS hardly POS
slble for the.encmy 70 dispatch reinforce
fnen's capable If making anv stand With
IN fhe borders of what Is commonly
known an Postine
VIII STIR cOvsTA vrr~opLv.
80 cnds. says the Daily Ncws. the
long projected invasion of Egypt N dis
aster, which viii have the profoundes'
reactions at ConstantinopIc
information concerning the dramatic
advanee NJ the British sent by 4 special
correspondent NJ General Allenhy's head
quarters servrs ~ confirm The complete
ness of the surprise and the magnitude ~
the sIcccss attained IIe says
The victory is much moro important
than the number ~ prisoners ~ present
reported Indicates. for the Turk has had
a smashing blow and is retiring INTO the
hills as fast ~ his weary lcRv will per
init The British are pressing him with
splendid energy delivering overpowrrinR
blows m every attempt m resist
IT he situation ls most promising II is
certain that General Allcnhy will nov
deliver another portion of Palestine
frnrn the dominion of the Turks, as we'll
rs ln7ict on tho enemy a severe defeat
SURPRISE WAS COMPLETE.
Preparations for the hattIe entaIled
good deal of marching. The troops we're
always moved hy night and remained hid
den IN the orange and olive groves n the
daytime The British mastery of the ar
prevented cnemv observers from seeing
any change IN the dispositions and the
movements ~ large columns
Troops of all arms were thus conceal
ed skIlfullv in a country where the march
ing Of men 1898 huge columns Of dust.
and the Turk too, possessed. positions
that commanded a wide range But he
remained mvstified. which is the finest
tribute that could be gwen 70 the work Of
the British staff
''The infantry opened a way for the
cavalry to pass through, and then there
was a wonderful spectacle Of long columns
0f British yeomanry and Australian light
horse and picturesque Indian cavalry
moving over wide expanse Of country
throughout the coastal sector Of the
plain OF Sharon 70 get 10 the enemy rear.
HEATHEN IN COLLAPSE.
4 War Office statement graphically de-
scrlbes the drive Of the British forces.
1t says
BY ) 0 clock p. n september 20 me
enemy resistance had collapsed everv-
where save on the Turkish left n the
Jordan valley
Our left wing, having swung around 70
the east. had reached the line Of Bidieh.
Baka and Nlessudleh Junction. and Was
aStride the rail anu roads corverglng at
Nabulus.
Our right wing advancing through
difficult country against considerable re-
sistance. had reached the line of Kahn
Jlblet one and a quarter miles northeast
Of El-Mughelar, and Es-Sawieh and was
facing north astude the Jerlsalem-Nab-
ulus road
On the north. our cavaly, traversine
the field Of Armageddon, had occupied
Nazareth, Afule and Beisan and were
collecting the disorganlzed masses %
enemy troops and transports Is they ar
rived from the south. All avenues Of e,.
cape open 70 the enemy, except the gords
across the Jordan between Beisa and
Jisr- d-Dameer. were thus closed
East Of the Jordan Arab forces of The
King of Hedjaz had effected numerous
demolltions on the railways radiatlng
from Deraa, several important bridges
including one in the lurmak valley, hav-
ing been DESTROYED