DEFENCE OF EGYPT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2333, 15 December 1914, Page 7

DEFENCE OF EGYPT

THE FRONTIER DESCRIBED ■ SINAI PENINSULA Now that the New Zealanders and 'Australians are in Egypt special interest attaches to the following description of the frontier country, which appeared in the London "Morning Post" of November 4: — The Red Sea at its northern end branohes out into two arms—the Gulf of Suez/ running north-westwards to the Suez _ Canal, and the Gulf of. Akabah, running in a north-easterly direction and dividing the Sinai Peninsula, which is under Egyptian administration, from •Asiatic Turkey. This Gulf of Akabah is about a hundred miles in length, but only twelve miles in width. It is bounded by-stoop mountains,, -rising in places up to a height of 2000 ft., and the sterile country, on either hand, inhabited chiefly 'by wandering Arabs, offers few inducements even to Arab dhows to brave its stormy waters, in which the currents are .both'strong and treacherous.

At the head of the Gulf of Akabah is the Turkish military post of that name. The depression occupied by the waters of the gulf is continued on land in a north-north-easterly direction along tho Wade El Arabah to the Dead Sea. The dividing line between the territories under Egyptian and Turkish administration, however, strikes off from Akabah in a north-north-westerly direction, and runs for about 120 miles in a' more or less straight line, roughly parallel with the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal, ias far as Rafeh, in-the south-east corner of the Mediterranean. It is the frontier which is said ,to have been Mossed by a party of Turkish Beduinß at the instanceof the Turkish Government. Between this frontier and Egypt proper, as that term is commonly understood by the average individual, extends a quadrangular tract of mountainous,- and country, which is the scene of the present invasion. The distance hetween the land frontier, on the one hand, and the line of the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Suez, on tho tother, averages about 120 miles. ,

A Boundary Dispute. ' As a matter of fact, the Mediterranean coastal region, forming the northern part of the' territory in question, is. stricply part of Egypt proper, while the Sinai Peninsula, terming the southern portion, though not in Egypt proper, has, been recognised by the Turkish Government as being ' definitely under Egyptian administration. This is one of .the diplomatic distinctions which have , not much practical significance at ordinary times, but it came into considerable prominence in 1906, when the fron-tier-was the subject of a serious'dispute between the British and Turkish Governments. The Turks suddenly occupied the well a'tTabah, at the head of the Gulf t-f "Akabah, three or four mile's on the Egyptian side of the frontier; as it had been understood up to that time. Not only did repeated prov testations fail to induce the Turks to withdraw their garrison, but boundary pillars and Egyptian telegraph posts at the Mediterranean end of the frontier ,were removed, and. not until an ultimatum had been delivered by the British Government did the Porte give [way. Later in the year the frontier was delimited for the-first time by ;a Turco-Egyptian Boundary Commission. The work then accomplished was "really in the nature of an exploration, some of the country,; traversed, by the 'frontier having never before been visited by Europeans, still less properly mapped. The northern, half of the frontier region is less arid than the southern half. The rainfall even permits of crops being, grown in Borne districts',: while the permanent supplies of .iwater are amply sufficient for the flocks 'and herds'owned by the nomad Arabs. Caravan Routes. The country as a whole, however, is, is already Btated, sterile and wild. The total population of a territory perhaps three-quarters the size of Scotland, numbers only about 30,000. "The scenery of Sinai," as desoribed by one traveller, l "is characterised by savage grandeur land magnificence; sometimes tor days iyou may journey through defiles of lofty precipitous limestone or granite cliffs, at other parts stretches of'bare plains may intervene, with occasional agglomerations of fantastioallyjphaped rocks. large portion of the 'peninsula consists of great glistening granite peaks, some of them reaching fclose.uppn 10,000 feet in height, and In.infinite variety of colours are seen' ■tunidst its strange solitary wadys."

There is an old caravan route through the Mediterranean coastal •region from Rafeh to Kantara, on the Suez Canal, and another from Suez itself .through the Sinai country to Akabah. This latter route, in times gone "by, was much used by pilgrims passing from Egypt to Mecca. Indeed, it was for the purpose of regulating this traffio and protecting the pilgrims against marauding bands that the Egyptian Government was originally allowed to take over the administration of' the peninsula. The chief centre for the exercise of control over the country is midway along the pilgrim route, at Naki. where there is a strong fortress in which large'supplies of water can be accumulated by means of reservoirs. Tb«j tide of pilgrim traffib now flows along other lines, but after the trouble iwith Turkey in 1906 it was reported that n regular garrison would be maintained at Nakl by the Egyptian Government, that modern artillery "would be mounted in the fort, and that tbo magazine would always be kept well stocked with ammunition. El Arisn, not far from Rafeh, was also occupied in some force, and was made a wireless telegraphic station. Little has been heard about this detached corner .of Egypt in the last few yoars, but there can be no doubt that Lord Kitchener has foreseen and adopted measures to deal with the situation which has now arisen.