NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15222, 9 March 1915, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The presence of a. large force of Turks, -estimated at about 12,000, in south-west Persia, was revealed last Wednesday by an Anglo-Indian recon-naissance-in-forcc, which was despatched from Ahwaz. and met the enemy at Ghadu. On the same day a cavalry reconnaissanco in the direction of Kakaila, about twenty-five miles northwest of Basra, had a sharp encounter with tho enemy's horsemen, who woro ambushed by infantry and driven off with heavy losses. Ahwaz is on tho east bank of tho Karun river, fifty miles south of Shuster, and seventy miles north-east of Mohamrah. which, is on a short canal connecting the Karun and the Shatt-el-Arab at a point forty miles from the head of tho Persian Gulf. Basra, which was occupied by Anglo-Indian forces in November, is o"n the Shatt-el-Arab, twenty-fivo miles west by north of Mohamrah. Tho navigation "of tho Karun is impeded at Ahj waz, 117 miles from its mouth, by rapids, both below and abovo which, steamers ply as far as Shustor, . which is at the head,of navigation. Tho British -sphere of influence in Persia is .confined to the eastern portion of the country, and the Russian ephero to tho north. Tho country round Ahwaz and Shuster is therefore in the neutral zono, but tho presence of tho Anglo-Indian troops is necessary for the protection of tho extensive oilfields.

Last year tko British Government acquired" an interest of £2,200,000 in tho «haro capital of tho Anglo-Persian Oil Company, tho development of whose wells in Persia will provide a very largo portion of tho oil-fuel supplies ot tho Itoval Navy. In his statement, uirtho House of Commons on June 1/th, 1914, tho First Lord of the Admiralty said: —"It apnears that the northern field in the neighbourhood of Shuster will alone "be sufficient to meet the Admiralty's requirements for a long period, but besides that field wo obtain control for nearly fifty years of tho oil potentialities oi , a petroliferous area about half a million square miles in extent, or nearly as: big.as Frauco and Germany put together, lho oozings of oil to tho surface aro apparent over tho whole of that region, and they abound not only oyor tho neutral, "but over tho British zone. Some of them are not inland, but close to tho sea, and others are closo to tho Indian border." Another important series of oil-wells controlled by the company is at Kasri Shirin, 250 mi es north-west of Shuster, and 100 miles north-east of Bagdad. It is probable that the Turkish troops encountered last "week in the vicinity of Ahwaz formed part of tho army corps stationed at Bagdad, and in the surrounding province, or they may have been recruited from tho turbulent Muntaftlc Arab tribes.

An extraordinary feature of the operations in the Dardanelles -was the attack by means of indirect fire by tho battleship Queen Elizabeth, upon the defences of the Narrows. We are told that the Queen Elizabeth, was supported by tho luittle-cruiser Invincible and the 'battleship Prince George. Tho actual position from which the Queen Elizabeth made her attack -was not indicated in the Admiralty statement, but it appears that the great ship was stationed, not in the Dardanelles, but in the Gulf of Saros, on the other side of theGallipoli Peninsula. She was probably eight or nine miles or moro away from the Dardanelles, and her huge loin guns hurled their 20001b shells over the hills of tho peninsula so that j>hey plunged down with terrific force on to the forts of Chanak, on the Asiatic shore of tho strait. While- the 12in guns of tho warships in the Dardanelles were directing a terrific firo upon the forts at Kilid Bahr and Chanak, the huere Join kholls from the invisible Queen Elizabeth came screaming out of the sky over tho hills, finding; their mark in the forte situated behind the points, and therefore screened from the direct fire of the ships in the strait.

A good idea of the position'may bo gained from n local illustration. If Lyttelton Harbour be taken to represent the Dardanelles —which is actually sis timns the length of our harbour, and narrower at the Ghanak "narrows"—Pegasus liay will represent the Gulf of Sarcs. and the ran go of hills from the Zigzag to Godley Head the Peninsula of Gallipoli. Fort .Tervois, except that it is barely lour miles, instead of fifteen or sixteen, from the Heads, may be regarded «R the Chanak defences" and the Qureu Elizabeth, making her attack !>v indirect fi.ro. would be stationed in Pegasus Bay. somewhere off New Brighton.

Mid would r.«? hurling JiPr shells over the hills between tho harbt.ur and Sumrer and Taylor's Mistake. The oilier ships attacking the forts hv direct firo in tho channel, acted as observing stations for tho Queen Elizabeth, and wero tlius able to signal—by wireless — the results of her shooting and corrections of range -vvhile- waplnnes doubt, less su'pp-lied corrections for "line. -. The intervenini hills, whose height is well under 1000 feet, presentednnto t obstacle once the range and position of the target was obtained —t) shells from tho guns of the Queen Elizabeth iiriasi at a range of ten miles, would r«e to a height'of over 13.000 feet, to that they would pass over the summit of Mount Cook at long range. Tho Queen Elizabeth did good work, for.

we are told that slio iired 29 rounds with "satislactory results.' , the magazine iv one fort* armed with tho best and heaviest guns, being blown u]>, and other forts uaaiagod.

A message from New York states that Customs officials have inspected the Vaterland and George AVashington.

which are preparing to sail. Where they are clearing for, and what ports they expect to make wo an. , not told, but presumably their intention would bo to reach Germany, braving the risks of capture by hritish or French cruisers, or of being sunk by German submarines—lor we have been told by

the Germans tTiat it is not always possible to avoid mistakes in. naval warfare. Tho report, however, must be accepted with considerable resciTo. Several months ago it was reported from New York that the German liners lying in that port were "straining at thoii- leashes." and were preparing to

Joav<> the harbour and make a "'dash across tho Atlantic ,, in the hope of reaching Germany. The only German

steamer which left Now York was the Daoia. which was '"sold" and placed

iindor tho American flag. Slio was captured and do?larr-d '"good y>ri;-.(v' and this most assuredly will be tho fate of any Gorman steamer if she- leaves tho shelter of neutral New York. It may he that the llambursi-AmeriUa lino and the. Norddeutsc'hor-Lloyd. baulked of any chance of "selling" or temporarily transferring their ships to* American owners, and staggering to bank-

nip toy under th<» enormous load of maintenance of their idle fleets, may be considering tno desperate chances of eet-

tins the Yaterhmd a"nd some of their other shins back u> the. Fatherland. Tliev mar even think tbat if those

ship« wore seized as prizes of war. they would h n well rid of tlieni and their up-

keep bills, especially as tho wa; - allows no signs of an early ending.