THE DESERT RAILWAY IN EGYPT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3040, 29 March 1917, Page 5

THE DESERT RAILWAY IN EGYPT

"SOME. EXTRAORDINARY WORK. , '. ,The "Petit Parisien" devotes a long artiole to the great work accomplished'' by -the Britioh troops in Egypt. "The! success at Rafa," says the 'Tetit' Parisien," "has mado. havoc of. any; direct menace.to the Suez Canal by . the Turks. Since the outbreak"of hos- ■ tilities with Turkey • the English Have ■ quite well understood the prime 'im-:-portance of protecting the sea rente V linking up India and 'Australia , .witliL England, arid their interest; in the! matter of defence became all ■■; the) greater owing to the fact that tie in-' .ternal politics of Egypt gave rise to car-. tain apprehensions, ■ ■ '■ .: :i] ■•■;; ' ■ "Lord Kitchener's visit led to thsorganisation of the defences on a reaJ»l Iy remarkable basis. The problem wasa difficult one, for it was ossehiaal ,$»/■ ensure the rapid transport _of rein-: forcements to all menaced rjointsj bnt. the steps taken were admirably con-, ceived and carried oufc. ; The organ- 1: isation of the railway has been suoh as' to permit of easy troop movements, while the, British have accomplisheo;: { some extraordinary work in order to! ensure tho supply of drinking water, to.' the soldiers. . '' ':..:'.

"The enemy attacks have not h'een renewed, but the British General Staff;; is giving the Turks no respite, and Iβ Blqwly but surely pushing forward the railway into the desert. Eaohfresh advance ■ of, the railway. ;; means a fresh blow against; the. Snt'v. .' ten's troops, and when one passes along., tho banks of the oaual, and sees the English, Scottish, Australian, Indian, and Sudanese troops, one gains an impression of the most absolute security."