PALESTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1917, Page 5

PALESTINE.

BRITISH GREAT ADVANCE. NOW 21 JULES WEST OJ JERUSALEM. Times Service. Received Nov. 17, 12.5 a.r«. fieneral Allenby is now 21 miles west pi Jerusalem. BIC AREA SEIZED. RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF TURKS. London, Nov. 15. Mr Massey, telegraphing on Tuesday, says that General Allenhy to-day moved northward and secured control of a big [area of the world's most ancient battlefield. A large Turkish force was fighting a desperate rearguard action northward of Wady Sukereia from near the dunes on the coast to the Beitjubrin Road round Burketh, which the Scottish captured. ' Colonial and British cavalry to-day secured a light grasp on some of the northern outposts in the land of the Philistines. They, with the infantry, occupied Yadneh, the Jamnia of Joshua's time.

Tlie pursuit of the Turks relentlessly continues, and we are almost within sight of Bamler, the former Turkish Ticadqimrters. Beyond Eamleh is Lydit, a spot reputed to contain the remains of St. George. We are only seven miles from Ramleh.

A Turkish communique dated November 10 states: "The enemy did not attack." The fact is the Turks themselves «ix times fruitlessly attacked the Scottish troops northward of Wady Rosy. Their failure caused them to abandon Askalon and other places. We took a thousand prisoners, and over 20 guns. RAILWAY COMMUNICATION CUT.

Renter's correspondent at headquarters in Palestine reports: On Wednesday we captured tho junction station where the Beersheba railway joins the Jaffa-Jerusalem line, cutting off the enemy's railway communications with Jerusalem. Hia last hope of holding us at the Wady Sureir has gone. He may still put up a certain amount of local fighting but organised resistance on a large scale is unlikely. Within a fortnight of the inception of the offensive, the enemy army consisting of nine divisions, has been driven out of strongly fortified and apparently impregnable positions, chivvied across country suffering enormous losses, and hiß moral is broken. DARING YEOMANRY CHARGE.

A feature of yesterday's fighting was the brilliant charge by the Yeomanry on the enemy's entrenched positons above Mughair.' They charged straight across the upland, and were received with heavy fire from rifles, machine-gung, and field pieces, but cut right through the Turks, Rabring right and left. When the enemy found themselves cut off they threw down their arms.

After the Scottish infantry's bout at ■Burkah, 400 dead Turks were counted at one position Alone. The aviators are doing excellent work bombing the railways. Five German machines, three spare engines, and othsr material were destroyed when wo bombed the aerodrome at Anakelmenshiye. It is believed they were new machines which had recently arrived. The population behind the lines are joyously resuming their usual occupations, including sowing the crops, and are [doing a roaring trade with our men in [oranges and other commodities.

MR. BALFOUR'S PROMISE

AN AUTONOMOUS JEWISH STATE. Ottawa, Nov. 15. Mr. Desola, head of the Canadian Zionists, announces that Mr. Balfour, when in Ottawa, agreed on behalf of Britain to create Palestine an autonomous Jewish State under the protection of the Allies. A FURTHER ADVANCE. \ London, Nor. 15. Palestine, official: General Allenby reports: The infantry and mounted men continue to advance. We now hold the railway near Neanes and Mansurah, including the junction oi the BeershebaDamascus railway with the line to Jerusalem. 1 We inflicted heftvr losses on Tuesday and buried 400 at Katrah alone. We took 1500 prisoners.