EGYPT.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1915, Page 5

EGYPT.

PREPARATIONS AT JERUSALEM. BADJWIAY* CONSTRUCTION 'PROCEEDING. Rome, Dec. 15. An English misionary reports important preparations in Jerusalem and Jaffa for an expedition to Egypt under the German General Trussemer. A double railway line has been constructed from Damascus to Jerusalem and Gaza, some distance beyond the ancient frontier between Turkey and Egypt to the Isthmus of Suez. A hundred thousand men were in garrison at Jerusalem, which had been transformed into an armed camp ■tod strongly entrenched.

Hie consents has been converted into hospitals With Turkish and German staffs. The inhabitants were ander strict supervision.

Seventy thousand Turks, the remnants of unsuccessful raids on the Canal, were now camped at Gaza. There was a shortage of rifles for the new forces, and a hundred men were training with the same rifle. Only four old guns were available for training the artillery.

MUST RUN NO RISKS. AVOIDANCE OP SUEZ ROUTE NOT fSKT NECESSARY. ■ v Received Dec. 17, i 250 a.m. London, Dec. 16. Commenting on the Dutch liners avoiding the Suez route, the Daily Telegraph says that the Oriefit, P. and 0., and other well-known lines are not making the change from Suez to via the Cape. There is no shortage of coal now, l>ut it is apparent that the Canal Company might not be able shortly to guarantee a eoal supply, A blow aimed at Egypt might cause the Canal to be put in a state of defence, with the inevitable inconvenience to merchant shipping. The Germans boasted that in the event of war they would block the Canal and interrupt our communications. The Telegraph concludes: "In view of the conditions developing we trust that energetic measures will be taken, to prevent the Canal being dapiaged or used for spying. We must run no risks.."