Evening star., 1918-02-24


British forces in Palestine, continues
his steady ad-
Gen. Allenby Scores vance toward
Again in Palestine. narthsas. @ o, st anu
er having captured Jerusalem. This
famous British general after a period
of organization following the capture
of the Holy city once more is striking
forward with a firmness which has
even surprised the war Office in Lon
don. During the past week he ad-
vanced more than twelve miles on the
northeast section of the front in the
direction of Jericho, which point he
now holds.
Gen. Allenby's successes spell the
doom of the Turk in these regions, and
1t is proba BILE the British leader intends
to conduct a systematic campaign to
rid the whole of Palestine of the enemy.
Ihat he has good, prospect of succeed
ing is indicated by the weak character
of defense offered by the Turks otto
man forces have been dispersed in
every direction and every time the
British commander has moved forwa rd
ms gains have not been reckoned by
nuhdreds OF yards. but by miles At
tne present rate of progress he will rid
Palestine of the hated Turk before the
summer has passed. though it cannot
be expected that his offensive endea yors
VIII be without let-up. for it is abso-
iuteiy necessary that breathing spell
be taken from time to time in order to
perfect communication routes and or
ganize positions. "
IN connection with the campaiens
AGAINST the Turk in Palestine interest
again shifts to the regions immediate-
~ TO the west of Persia and to Meson-.
tamia. where the Turk once more is
showing ms teeth in alarming fashion.
armenia Al mem again must bear the brunt
strumentality of Trotzky and Lee
nine in Petrograd the Russian forces
are being Withdrawn from the eau
casus large portion of them being
demoblized. All the brilliant achieve
ments of the Grand Duke Nicholas in
thls region are being nulled by the
anarachistic fanatics in Petrograd. Not
only is Russian military luster being
dimmed. but a greater crime is being
perpetrated. through the lack Of wis.
dom of the bolshevik leaders in Pc
trograd.
The downtrodden and oppressed Ar
menians are being left to the scimiter,
the bayonet, the torch and the rack.
Ihese peoples, two million of whom
already have been killed during the
progress of the war. again are being
laid low by the fendish prosecutions
any quarter. The systematic attempts
at extinction of all natives pursued bv
the Turks in Armenia before the Rus
sian occupation are being renewed
with the excuse that the Armenians are
oHerlng resistance to the Turks and
threatening Turkish and Kurdish citi-
zens loyal to ConStantinople. The Turk
1Sh excuses for these barbaric excesses
are not half so plausible as those offered
by the equally barharic Hun when he
plunged the sword deep into the body
of Belgium.
There continues to be expressed some
anxiety for British and Indian forces
operating in MeSopotamia. The British
must conquer the Turk alone in this
region if he is to be conquered There
is no Question of the fighting qualities
of the British, but there is a question of
just how many Turkish troops can be
mustered aeainst the British With the
Caucasus rid of the Russian armies the
Turks can concentrate their attention
on the British in Mesopotamia and
Palestine. 1t is more likely. however,
that the Turks will concentrate against
the British in Mesopotamia, for the rea-
son that more is to be gained by the
Turks and Germans in this region than
elsewhere.
If the British are driven cut nothing
will remain to nrevent unlimited Ger
man and Turkish activities in the
whole of the near east and the pe~il
of Germanic proDa-anda in the regions
come acute. Germany believes that more
can be gained AGAINST Great Britain
in this region than in anv other alrar-
ter. AS Constantinople is taking orders
from Perlin it~is more than likely a
strenuous attempt will be made to re-
/ move all barriers apainst the spread
of Germanic doctrines