NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16324, 23 September 1918, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The successful advance by General Allenby's forces in Palestine is prol>ably the biggest operation that has taken place duriilg the campaign, as regards the number of prisoners and guns captured, and the amount of booty taken, while the ground gained is aiso very considerable, and is appreciable step towards Damascus, wilich wo may assupio will be General Allenby's objective in the near future The advance has not yet ended, and ■before it comes to a close, the main Tui kish force, which is in an extremely awkward position, may bo compelled to surrender. The value of the victory lies not only in tho area of oountry from which the Turks have been driven, and tho losses inflicted on th«n, but in the fact that if they have any idea of offering any sort of.resistance to tho further advance of the British they will be compelled to withdraw troops from other fronts, possibly from Mesopotamia, or Trans-Caucasia. It was suggested some two months ago at tho time when some German divisions rashly tried to seize the British forces' water supply, and were badly hammered, that General Allenby intended to push on far as the railway lino which runs from Haifa, on the coast, eastward along the edge of the Plain of Esdraelon, across the Jordan by the southern end of Lake Tiberias, to the railway that runs from Damascus to the Hedjaz. The British line which stretched from a point on tho coast north of Jaffa, to tho east of the Jordan, north-east of Jericho, has now j been advanced apparently to the edge of this plain, which makes a break.in the mountainous country through whicli our troops have lately had to move. Damascus is now almost within striking distance, and as the weather is now growing cool, conditions are more favourable for a push northward than they have been since March. The attack by German divisions re--1 ferred to above, led, as was mentioned briefly at the time, to strained relations between {he Turkish and German troops. The latter expected that in the assault on the British positions they would be assisted by two Turkish 1 divisions. The Turks, according to Mr Maasev, the correspondent with the Palestine forces, made no attempt fco carry out the plan, and the Germans bitterly complained that they had been left in tho lurch. The Turks declared that this German plan of operations was never approved by them. They also alleged that the Germans told them that the Australians and New Zea landers were all sick, or resting in Jerusalem; whereas those who ran up againsE our defences found- them manned by Australians and New Zealanders, "who stood like rocks against a. heavy artillery bombardment and a subsequent vigorous infantry assault, which added to the high honours won by these men in this war.'' The .Turks were said to be completely disillusioned. Allenby's force is a little microcosm of the Empir?, including as it does London troops, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, and Sikhs. No mention is madj of Americans taking part in the operations, of which we are just hearing, but it is understood that the British Jewish Legion, which is Eart of the British Army in Palestine, as now, or is shortly to have, the assistance of some 50,000 American Jews. That number were said some little time ago to be in Egypt on their way to Palestine, the statement being made on the authority of the Chief of,the British recruiting office in the United States. They had asserted that though grateful for British efforts to rescue their ancient land from' the Turk, they did not want Palestine as a gift from England—they wanted to fight for it themselves, a very laudable desire, which the British and American Governments have given the Jews .fullest opportunity to put into practice.