ON THE BAGDAD RAILWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1508, 10 February 1916, Page 4

ON THE BAGDAD RAILWAY.

BRITISH FORCE TOO LATE. SUEZ THE ENEMY’S OBJECTIVE. In the course of an article written after a tour of Hie enemy countries of the Near East, the Daily Mail’s spy says the most dangerous part of his work was when travelling on the Baghdad railway, in pursuance of the Daily Mail’s instructions to discover German plans iu the Near and Middle East. “I was able to speak German llucntly,” bo says, “and that enabled me to mingle with whole tribes of Germans en route to Asia Minor. The German military plans are three —first. Baghdad, Persia, and India; second, the Caucasus; and third Egypt and the Suez Canal, A German said to me. Tf the British and Eranch only knew, the Germans cun best be attacked at Nieuport, in Belgium, and at Mulhausen, in Aisa ce. But owing to inferior stall work and lack of munitions, (hey do not attack.' TURKS WERE FRIGHTENED.

“A Turk told me: ‘The English were again too late at Baghdad. e were frightened when v.c heard they were coming. Ultr delences were bad, and we bad only a Jew guns, but our spies told us that General Towiisbend’s force was small, and we took courage, and cheeked him until reinforced. Now, thanks to Allah, they will never reueli [lie Holy City. Tho relict force will tic too late.’

■‘The Turks wi.-h to get (lie Suez (.'anal. Turkish sentiment, combined with the German hatred of England, desires an immediate advance on Uie Canal. Englishmen think this is bluff. My opinion is that imJess there arc great combined elforts on the western front, and in the Caucasus, the Turco-Germans may achieve tbeir objects. The determining t actors arc the British naval pressure and a greater activity on the western and eastern mints. "Whatever may be Uie result of the war, the Germans are getting such a hold in the Near East that, it will be dupes.-tble to drive them out. ”1 travelled by tho Baghdad railway from the palatial German Ilaiza Pasha station, widen is the starting place of all the great German adventures rn the East. The station was spotlessly clean. The timetables were printed m German. No food was available, the only refreshments obtainable being an unlimited supply of German beer, produced at a local German brewery. TYPICAL GERMANS. “Titc passengers typified the German invasion ot the East. Iw o Hamburg merchants, who were going tu bung back Persian products, wore specially anxious about copper. Their conversation indicated a liumburgian tury against England. Among liio other jiub&eiijjer.'i were luthuiii couihuhcial travellers, Uernian engineers, German military men, and German servants. It was a remarkable demonstration of panGevniamsm. “Everywhere on the railroad there was a general atmosphere of activity. The long trams were full of new railway and telegraph material, Jmes, small bridges, and mwv locomotives. Plodding Prussians prodded their Turkish slaves into unprecedented activity, and it is impossible to think, as the Turkish authorities behove, that they will ever shake off the yoke. ”J saw a huge quantity of light rolling stock, .yml was assured that it was for the construction of light desert railways to convoy the Turks and Germans’to the Suez Canal. 1 was also informed that the combined Turku-German army at Aleppo numbered 80,000, amt that General von der Goltz, was at Baghdad, with a young staff. CdnHajitinopJe says that the old man is merely a figure-head, but he was extremely jiopular. At Konia I thought it advisable to run no further risks, and so I returned to Constantinople. I saw SOO French prisoners at Konia. They were totally neglected, hud little food, and were dying like flies. The sanitary conditions were indescribable.”