THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17099, 23 February 1916, Page 6

THE CAMPAIGNS.

A BRIEF Cairo communique, reporting an air raid on a Turkish depot east of the Suez Canal, may be the first hint of Sfce long-expected Turkish advance. We have had many rumours on the subject, but little reliable information has been jpublished, and absolutely no official indication has been given whether another attack on the canal is to be anticipated or not. The reports through neutral channels concerning the state of the enemy's preparations are curi.ously contradictory. Some little time ago it was confidently declared that, 'except for the tunnel work in the Tau,ras range, railway communication had been established between tlio Bosphorns and Beorsheba. but since then there have been other reports, the latest and most, explicit to the effect that construction work in Palestine had to be suspended through lack of material and that a vast army of labourers had been mobilised to improve the roads. We are told, however, that a groat army has been in training at Damascus for a year past, that an abundance of munitions is assured with' the opening of the Serbian railways, and that huge stores have already been gathered at Beershebn ; while another report states that, the German transport officers have been busily experimenting with motor transport in the desert. None of this information has official warrant, and to-day's announcement of the air raid is almost the only item of official news we have had to show that there are armed Turks anywhere in the region. Bir Hassana is out in the central desert area, eighty miles from Suez and thirty-five north of Nakhl. It is not on any of the regular caravan routes, but is an oasis used by the Arabs, and it was mentioned a year ago as one of the sites where facilities existed for water storage. The news from r ranee is concerned mainly with air raids, but there has been another important German artillery and infantry attack, in which gas was freely used. Tin's timo the thrust was delivered on the Lihons sector, south of the Somm'e'. The movement was effectively mot and stopped. The other fronts are quiet. There is news at last from the Tigris; indicating that lieneral Aylmer is still halting, pending the arrival of reinforcements. .Evidently the Turks arc opposing his advance in unexpected strength.