THE TURKISH DEFEAT ON THE CANAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2380, 9 February 1915, Page 5

THE TURKISH DEFEAT ON THE CANAL

STATEMENTS BY PRISONERS ENEMY NOW IN FULL RETREAT London, February 7. The Press Bureau states that Turkish officers taken prisoners at Toussoun say that a division subdivided at Katab el Khiel, four hours' march from the Canal, in order to' attack different points. Six hundred took part in the attack on Toussoun. When they reached the Canal they encountered a hot and wellaimed- fire, from which there were many casualties. They were then surrounded. Commandant Aris Bey was wounded, and was carried off the field. The second in command was also wounded and made prisoner. Another officer states that his subdivision marched all night and commenced tho action a& dawn. The first line recoiled. _ Half a company of the second line launched and entered a boat, which was riddled and sank, only one officer and one man survived, and they surrendered to the Indians. Nine German officers were included in the prisoners. The latter are chiefly Syrians and Arabs, who are dead beat and exhausted owing to the defective victualling. ' ■ The "Daily Chronicle's" Rom« correspondent states that the fighting in, Egypt- has caused a notable change in the attitude of war correspondents in Egypt, who were hitherto.alarmists regarding tho situation. NO FURTHER FIGHTING REPORTED. , , , Cairo, February 8. Official. — There has b'een no further fighting near the Canal. Besides the Arabs, a number of Anatolian Turkish soldiers are deserting and. surrendering to the British. The" are lery despondent over the failure of their attack on. the Canal. Some stated that they attempted to rejoin their regiments, but ns the.v saw German, and Turkish officers shooting the runaways, they decided that it would be safer to return to the British' lines. "During the recent fighting none of the enemy reached the left bank of the Canal, except some prisoners and four soldiers, the search for whom is proceeding. • "Ismailia was not damaged, none of the enemy's shells reaching the town." 1 ' THE ENEMY'S MARCH ACROSS THE DESERT 'ADVANCE TROOPS IN FULL RETREAT. mi i • ... Cairo, February 8. The .enemy's arrangements foT travelling across the Desert were good They marched well, covering the distance from Beersheba to the Canal (about 180 miles) in ten days. _ Their chaplains were instructed to warn the soldiers that "victory or Paradise" awaited tlhem in Egypt, and ''death or Hell" if they retreated. The t Syrian troops advanced bravely in the face of a firo from a warship, a shell from which wiped out a party cf officers. The latest news indicates that the enemy's advanced guard is in full retreat. END OF THE HODIEDA INCIDENT. (Rec. February 8,10.35 p.m.) The Turks at Hodieda have handed over the British consul Consulate. The consul has since embarked on a British cruiser _ [The British consul at Hodieda, jn the Red Sea, .sought refuge in the Italian Consulate, but the Turks, violating Italy's neutrality, raided the Consulate and made the British consul prisoner. Italy immediately protested, and delivered a peremptory ultimatum.] CRUISER BRESLAU AND A FORTRESS. (Rec. February 8, 10.50 p.m.) „ , • , , Petrograd, February 8. The cruiser Breslau, after exchanging shots with the fortress at Batum (in the Black Sea), retired.