COMPLETE ROUT.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1919, Page 5

COMPLETE ROUT.

THE PALESTINE DEBACLE. The staggering completeness of the Turco-German debacle in Palestine and Syria is shown to the German public in an eye-witness' story published in the Vossische Zeitung. of Berlin. The writer attacks G-enerjal Liman von Sanders, the German commander in the Turkish field of operations, for his "incredible incapacity and negligence." The German general's entire concern, he declares, was for the safetv of the pencral's daughters, who were at a seaside resort. He likewise confirms the British reports of the general's flight, which the -British official statement worded: "The enemy com-mander-in-chief fled far in the rear of his troops. How the British break-through on September ISth, west of the Jordan. is described Ivy the writer. The whole of the General Headquarters staff was raptured in their beds on September 20th. and a complete rout followed. Two Gwmnn detachments, the writer declares, made a last gallant effort In stem the tide, 'hut when this resistance broke down the remnants of the nrniv fled, completely demoralised, to Aleppo. The account reaids: "All the armv saved was four guns, the commander-in-chief, his daughters, and the ktter's baggage.''