The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, MAY 1, 1916. THE ROAD TO BAGDAD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 22, 1 May 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. MONDAY, MAY 1, 1916. THE ROAD TO BAGDAD.

The surrender of Kut-el-Amara and the considerable force of British and Indian troops under General Townshend, is a sad page in the history of this war, which, but for some collossfil departmental blunders, should nevei have-been written, but it is not uise at this stage to endeavour to east the blame for the misfortune; there will be time enough for that later on. Jhe fact remains, however, that after live months of heroic fighting a large effective force has had ‘to surrender solely because they had no supplies. It may bo asked why we ever entered upon the campaign, and the answer i s that one of the most important strategical points with a direct influence on the future of the British Empire is the region bordering on the Persian Gulf, particularly Mesopotamia and Arabia. Inderestimating the enemy’s strength and the. enormous difficulties in the way, a British force was despatched, the principal purpose of the campaign being the occupation of southern and central Mesopotamia up to and including the cities of Bagdad and Kerhela, a region roughly corresponding to what might be called ancient Babylonia proper. A brilliant officer, attached to General Towushend’s column, and who had spent some years previously in studying this country, wrote in November last: “There is little, doubt that the advance to Bagdad will he a light all the way. The most difficult country will lie that between here and about fifty miles north of where the Tigris and Euphrates come together. Most of this area is marshy all the year, and practically all of it will bo under water from the spring floods by the time we are ready to get into it. An endless network of ‘canals’ and backwater channels make it practically impossible to advance on foot even across much of the overflow country, and one of the main reasons for our long halt in Basra has been the training

of our men in the use of various native craft which will have to figure in our transport. Luckily, the Turks will be . under the same handicap as ourselves I in this region, and our superior artillery and organisation arc sure to give I us the. ‘edge.’ The real fighting is going to come when wc emerge froiti j the level alluvial plains of central : Mesopotamia. Here the enemy will

have the Bagdad railway at his hack, and without doubt, u pid-ty compete little system of •Uei , iuuu-iaad« i-gut railways to keep liim in munitions food. I’pon the gum. and mama jus which the Germans are able to send through to Bagdad will depend the character of tile stand the 1 urk js going to make in Babylonia.” That, apparently has proved to be exactly the position, and while the enemy gained ample supplies iu the manner this officer predicted, the British transpoit broke down, and disaster came upon us. Can it be retrieved? that is now the question for us. •.