THE WAR IN TRIPOLI.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 24 June 1912, Page 3

THE WAR IN TRIPOLI.

AN OUTSIDER'S VIEWS

Mr G. F. Abbott, who has been with the Turkish headquarters in the Tripolitan Hinterland since December last, recently returned to London. In an interview with Keuter's representative, Mr Abbot said: "I have spend about four months with, the main Turkish, and Arab forces in the desert round the town of Tripoli with a view to writing a book o>i the war. When my workTis published the world will hear a good many things it will find hard to believe. The Italians, as I discovered since I returned to Europe, have succeeded in creating an entirely false impression as to the real situation. Had they followed up their occupation of the town of Tripoli by a vigorous advance along the coast and into the interior, I have no doubt that they would have been able to possess themselves within a month of all the territory as far south as the Djebal Mountains. The Turks had lost their prestige among the natives by evacuating the capital. The Arab recruits had deserted them en masse. The Arab population was ready to submit to the invader without striking a blow. Unfortunately for themselves, however, the Italians missed the psychological moment. As is clear from their subsequent behavior, they had come to Tripoli prepared to annex and not to conquer, and they wasted their time in changing the status of the country on paper instead of occupying it with garrisons. Their blunder gave the Turks and the Arab patriots time t» rally. Fervid appeals were made to the population to rise in defence of their country and faith, and the population responded with admirable spirit. From the material point of view, also, the position of the Turks has been steadily improving, and that of the Italians as steadily deteriorating, since the beginning of the war. At first the Turks had neither money nor provision —a piece of bread or a handful of stale dates was about all they could find to eat, and a packet of 20 cigarettes that normally cost 2d had" to be bought for 2s. Gradually contributions from all over the Mohammedan world began to come in, and caravans of all sorts began to cross the frontier. Even volunteers from Tunis, Algeria, and . the desert beyond Chadames came to join us, shouting "Allah yansur es Sultan!" ("God save the Sultan.") "Besides help from outside, this year's rains, after four years of drought, have been of immense benefit to the fighting Arabs. Had the Italians advanced during the winter, when the climatic conditions were in their favor, and when, owing to the calls of agriculture, most of the Arab volunteers were obliged to stay at home, they might conceivably have done something. The fact that they have not quitted their fortified trenches has not only made advance now impossible, but has induced the Arabs to believe that the Italians are lacking in courage. As to finance, the war costs Italy several million francs a clay (a million francs equals £40,000). It costs Turkey about £30,00 a month —and most of that is raised by private contributions."