Bagdad, one of the oldest cities in the world, the city of romance, was lost to the Turks. The effect of its fall was far-reaching. While it restored British prestige it struck at Turkish pride and deprived Germany of a territory which, on account of the famous railway, played an important part in the Teutonic scheme of expansion. On 19 March General Maude issued a proclamation in Arabic to the people of the Bagdad vilayet, from which the following extracts are taken: g. . . Our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators. . . . For 200 years have the tnerchants of Bagdad and Great Britain traded together in mutual profit and friendship. On the other hand, the Germans and Turks, who have de spoiled you and yours, have for 20 years made Bagdad the centre of power from which to as sail the power of the British and the Allies of the British in Persia and Arabia. . . . But you people of Bagdad are not to qnderstand that it is die wish of the British government to impose upon you alien institutions. . . . 0 people of Bagdad, remember that for twenty six generations you have suffered under strange tyrants who have ever endeavored to set one Arab house against another in order that they might profit by your dissensions. This policy is abhorrent to Great Britain and her Allies, for there can be neither peace nor prosperity where there is enmity and misgovermnent Therefore I am conunanded to invite you . . . to participate in the management of your civil affairs in collaboration with the political rep resentatives of Great Britain who accompany the British Army, so that you may be united with your kinsmen in north, east, south and west m realizing the aspirations of your race.* Anglo-Indian cavalry continued to hunt the Turks from Bagdad along the road to Mosul, while another force was dispatched up the Dia lah, driving the enemy toward Teheran, on the road from the north of which the Russians operating in Persia were pressing another Turk ish force, which latter was now in peril of being caught bertveen the two Allied armies, but the Turkish comirmnder extricated his troops by skilful tactics. On 23 April the Brit ish column operating on the right bank was in Samarra. Between 24-30 April a Turkish counter-attack from Jebel Hamrin near the Per sian frontier ended in disaster ; the Turks were put to flight, pursued by British cavalry. A radius of 80 miles around Bagdad was now dear of die enemy; the city was safe from molestation and the wearied troops were per mitted to rest. By 9 May the railroad was put in order and trains were running regularly over the 70 miles to Samarra, the terminus. The Turks were now obliged to withdraw their secondary force on the Euphrates, the situa tion there being no longer tenable after the fall of Bagdad. Since July 1915 they had been stationed about Samawa, 40 miles above Naga riyeh on the Euphrates, whence they now moved upstream to Ramadie, 28 miles north of Feluja and about 40 miles below Hit. A Brit ish column from Bagdad crossed the interven ing country between the two rivers to Feluja and during July began to push along toward Ramadie. Owing to the excessive heat they postponed operations till September, when, on the 28th, they fell upon Raniadie with dra matic suddennesa, circled die positions and caught the enemy in a trap. After a battle lasting a night and a day the Turkish com mander, Ahmed Bey, surrendered with 145 unwounded officers and over 3,000 men, 23 guns and much other material. A month later a similar event occurred at Tesleft, on the Ti gris, 100 rniles above Bagdad, where the Turks had established a base with a view to retaking Bagdad. This position was suddenly attacked on 2 Nov. 1917, when it was broken up and 2,300 prisoners captured. At the height of his great achievements General Maude died sud denly in Bagdad on 18 November and was suc ceeded by General Marshall.
We return now to the extreme eastern bor der of Egypt, where the Turks had been driven out of the Sinai Peninsula in 'February 1917. From this point the British started out to achieve a task that had been attempted so long ago as the llth, 12th and 13th centuries -- the reconquest of the Holy Land. The des ert railway was being extended to Rafa and in March 1917 General Murray moved against the Turkish stronghold of Gaza, in Palestine. The latter is a country smaller than New Jerst7, contiguous to the Mediterranean, 50 to 60 miles broad and 110 miles long. Geographically it is a part of Syria, from which it has never had a separate existence; except among West ern Christians, its proper name in the East is *Syria* or its Oriental equivalents. The coun
try, approaching it from Egypt, is difficult to traverse, changing from the Sinai desert to stony hills. Not caring to risk his army too far from the coast— being dependent upon sea borne supplies — General Murray decided to direct his main attack against Gaza, and to assist it by a diversion along the Wadi Ghuzze to cover his right flank. The enemy's plans, as it turned out, consisted of standing upon the defensive at Gaza and to throw his chief strength against the British right.
That plan was perfectly sound, for, even if the British did get into Gaza, they would not be able to hold the place should the Turks on the right succeed in cutting between the invaders and their base at Rafa. Something like this actually happened. Murray attacked south of Gaza on 26 March; the Turkish defenses were stormed and the British entered the tovrn, bat the mobile column protecting Murray's right algize the Wadi Ghuzze was hopelessly out red and could not resist the full weight of the enemy thrown against it. Attacked both in flank and rear, the British perforce fell back, akhough they had taken 950 prisoners including the Turkish general in command and the entire staff of a Turkish division. The British casual ties were about 4,000; those of the Turks nearly twice as many. Gaza remained in Turkish hands, and the enemy entrenched in a strong line from Gaza southeastward to Beersheba, about 30 miles. For the British it was a costly failure; yet they had mauled the Turics so severely that they, also, were unable to follow up their semi-victory. Nothing happened for the next three months. Meanwhile, General Murray had been recalled home and at the end of June his successor, Gen. Sir E. H. H. Alleft, arrived in Egypt. If Murray's task was dA cult, that now facing Allenby was much more so, for in the interfin the Turks had constructed six groups of formidable works on their Gaza Beersheba line at parallel distances of 2,0013 yards, provided with excellent kteral comnmni cations. On this front were now assembled some lt30,000 troops with a good sprinklim of German officers, including one general, Kress von Kresserritein, who as colonel had taken part in the two abortive Suez Canal expeditions. The British force was strictly limited by the quanti ties of supplies and water that could be trans ported The Turks, on their side, were well provided with water and railroad communica tions, connecting with Jaffa and Damascus, be sides several light military railways.
Altogether, the prospects were not inviting; but even here, as in most human arrangenients, there was a flaw and General Allenby discovered it There was a gap of about four miles be tween the Beersheba defenses and those of Ruweika, a gap so rugged in conformation and so elevated that any artificial defense appeared superfluous. Instead, therefore, of attacking at the Gaza end of the line, Allenby decided to begin at the Beersheba end, svhere attack was least expected. In case of success in this sector and assuming sufficient speed of movetnent, there was a possibility of outflanking the enemy. It would have to be a surprise attack stealthily prepared. The preparations were matured dur ing July, August and Septensber. Great were brought across Sinai; a British squaTruoins lay off the shore to co-operate in a feint attack on Gaza, while a picked force with six days' supplies was dispatched at night by a wide de tour toward Beersheba. On 31 October all was ready for the grand assault. The bombardment of Gaza began on the 27th and kept up through the 29th; on the 30th the warships joined tn. Meanwhile, the Beersheba force reached its destinatian, stormed the defenses and captured the town. Successive attacks were launched against Gaza on 1 November with tanks on the land side and bombardment from the warships. For a week the struggle raged, and on the 7th the Turks, after a gallant resistance, could hold out no longer and Gaza fell; the same evening British pursuers were nearly 10 miles beyond Gaza. From this stage the Turks were not allowed to rest. On 17 Nov. 1917 Joppa was captured and on 9 December the British were in Jerusalem. The Holy City fell for the 18th time in its long history. Though the Turks had fired from positions close to the city and from the Mount of Olives, no British gun was sighted within a considerable distance from the walls. Bethlehem had been occupied and passed the day before.