The sun., 1918-10-20

and the conquest Of Egypt; conquest of
Persia; economic, not military, subjuga-
ton Of Russia, and finally, with access to
the Persian Gulf obtained, the conquest
through Persia of Afghanistan, of India.
"Another possible route for attack upon
India followed the Caspian and proceeded
eastward through central Asia. So long
as Afghanistan remained a stanch and
friendly buffer this path could not cross
its frontiers, but must be further north,
through Turkestan."
Effectually Blocked and Quickly.
Wouldn't that have been very rough
going, for several reasonsf" Col. Milne
was asked.
ut might. However, it was effectually
blocked in ample season. l can't give you
Details He smiled. "You will be safe
if you simply state that it was blocked.
"Of course as the war stands to-day no
one expects that Germany will again be
able to undertake such expeditions.
"Now as to Mesopotamia. Please look
at the map for a moment Any overland
campaign from the north in the direction
of the Persian Gulf is restricted by the
desert to following the Euphrates or the
Tigris River system, or else coming down
by an easterly course under the Persian
hills. Our forces in Mesopotamia, ex-
tended northward from Basra like three
widespread fingers, now close these three
routes and hold the territory between
them. The Mesopotanian pathway to the
East no longer exists for the enemy.
II fnd," Col. Milne observed, "that
most Americans have the sketchiest no
tons of Mesopotamia, especially Of the
distances involved in our operations. 1t is
natural that they should have, being so
far away. In the first place, Bombay, our
starting point and base, is nearly 1000
miles from Basra by straight line, and
considerably further by the steamship
route through the strait and the Persian
Gulf.
First Front 700 Miles From Fighting.
"At Basra to-day you are technically at
the front, but you're 700 miles from the
firing line. Incidentally, our force up the
Euphrates, which is our nearest one to
Palestine, is 600 miles as an army must
move from Gen. Allenby's force, although
the distance across the desert is far
shorter. This is sometimes forgotten when
people with map before them are fgur-
ing the likelihood Of the former force
joining the latter.
81 don't think there can be the least
doubt in any ones mind after Thyssen's
pamphlet that the actual German designs
were those l have summarized. That they
are and have been known to Washington
seems plain from President Wilson's
Buffalo speech Of November Is, 1917.
"What I am attempting is to make the
facts equally plain to the American peo-
pie, so that when peace comes to be dis
cussed no popular Misrepresentation in the
United States can lead to a sentiment in
favor of any disposition of Mesopotamia
that might leave the region open to future
German Turkish influence.
"The point now" said Col. Milne, "is
not IN the question OF just what shall be
done with Mesopotamia for the future;
the point is to insure it that the Turks
and through them the Germans shall not
have it or have any opening for intrigue
there. That stone has been pulled out Of
the German arch. It must never be avail
able to another German arch POTTER
Thyssen's Pamphlet Revealed Plan.
The pamphlet referred to is one written
and published by August Thyssen, ST., the
Rhenish Westphalian coal, iron and steel
baron. knowledge of the pamphlet leaked
out of Germany last January and the text
of it has been procured, although the Ger
man Government tried to suppress it and
fined the author. Thyssen complained
that the Government had blackmailed him
for o billion for war loan, threatening
loss of his big War Office contracts He