BRITISH FORCES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16431, 27 January 1919, Page 8

BRITISH FORCES.

PRESENT DISPOSITION. (By Cabie. —l'rtss Association— Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cab*o Association.) '(Received January *2Gth, 0.0 p.m.) LOXI>Q2\, January "23. The Australian Press Association understands that the following i 6 the disposition of the British forces outside France: — Three divisions are in Italy, but are being reduced by demobilisation. There is also a battalion at Fiume, and another in the Northern Tyrol. Three divisions are in the Balkans, including one in the Dobrudja, garrisoning the zone between the Bulgars and the Roumanians. Another division is in the vicinity of Constantinople, while a battalion is stationed at Scutari. Troops have been sent to Caucasia to keep open the communications with the Indian troops in Transcaspia. There is a large number of German and Austrian prisoners in Transcaspia, who still do not believe that the Central Powers have boon defeated, and who say that German submarines in the Caspian Sea recently drowned 30,000 British troops. The Turks also remain truculent, and do not appear to realise their country's defeat. They continue the old oppressions, and are exterminating the Armenians. Thr«> divisions of British troops are at Alexandria, awaiting shipment home, and another division is at Cairo. Three divisions are in Palestine and Syria, largely Indian, besides four mounted divisions, of which two are Australian about to bo repatriated. We have five infantry divisions and one cavalry division in Mesopotamia. These aro necessary to preserve the civilisation introduced during the war which is remarkable, including as does the making of a modern port of Basra, the construction of hundreds of miles of railways .and improvements to the irrigation system and the navigation or the rivers. It is hoped a considerable portion of the British will bo withdrawn from Mesopotamia before the hot weather sets in, if ships are available. ■ There are other small forces in Persia, Siberia, and Northern Russia, and of seventy thousand garrisoning India it is hoped to bring forty thousand home i before the summor.