The North Otago Times FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1917. THE CAMPAIGN IN PALESTINE.

North Otago Times, 20 July 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1917. THE CAMPAIGN IN PALESTINE.

Although it is only too evident that the Anglo-Colonial operations in Palestine hajyc become more like the trench warfare of the Western Front■ : tlian t'lio opeii'canipaigning which characterised the earlier advance across the .sands of Sinai, it is equally demonstrable that all the talk of a British defeat at Gaza, was an absurd libel. The latest news from the Palestine war theatre is the statement by Mr W. T. iMasscy, the Times correspondent [with the Anglo-Colonial forces. Mr Massey says that our army occupies a series of crescent portion-; from the sea tb"Bcerslieba.' Doth

sides are deeply entrenched and wired- in. The British continue, the policy of giving the Turks no rest, and the British night raids are invariably successful, The British front is excellently organised, and the troops are well fed, watered and supplied with munitions, despite the difficulties of transport. It should be remembered, of course, that the Turks hold exceedingly strong positions, with one flank on the sea and the other resting on the waterless and almost impassable country in the desert, while their excellent artillery served by Austrian gunners fully occupies the attention of the British gunners. The British are up against a stiff proposition. The weather, of course, is quite unpropitious just now, being midsummer and distressingly sultry. It is now admitted that there can be no doubt thai but for the fog the-whole Gaza position with its garrison would, "have:..fallen into 'British hands-at the first onslaught on April 17th last. As At; was the British captured 900 -prisoners, including MtisaKiasim Pasha the commander of the 53rd .Division, the whole of his staff, and inflicted besides some thousands of .casualties.' "-Our troops seized' another fifteen miles of territory, and covered-the construction of the '('ijilway for a further considerable stage. The Wadi Ghuzzce was now the main forward.position of ;the British, while companies of infantry were established in a number of commanding positions above -and beyond it. For % next three weeks there, was intense preparation on both sides. v After enduring all the sand storms of Sinai the British army had entered a region of olives and almonds, of apricots, oranges, a;id ■■pomegranates,,and their ai'd'our rose each hour.' Then before daylight on April 17th the infnutry movoa out I again, the mounted men as before

I far out to the rights and the artilleiy bciihid us roaring louder and [lender as the'ttay advanced. Soutliwest of' Gaza, and along the ridge running out «to Beersheba, the big gunspounded the maze pf.trenches, a French warship and •Jmoiiit'ors lending effective assistance on the flank. Then tlictorrjjorials moved forward again, silently and steadily, and with"pcrr feci, co-ordination. It was'au action a position so strong. thai tfiiec in ancient times' it defied a b'escighig ( army ioi\; twciiey-onc

'jjears [''yet lithe; accompanied; by v two J-tants, '''ad-: advanced from;ndg6- to: ,fidga, while lite mounted hien pl*oteeting tlie.Briiish flaiik—iwpeHals, colonials;, and, men from tile 1 Camel, Corpse-showed the utmost contempt for the murderous shell-fire for which they proved so tempting a target. The Australian and New .Zealand horse-holders were spotted in a.wadi and immediately, came under a terrific httliof'shrap : nel ... Yet they coolly moved their horses Up and down, ignoring the Austrian gunners where they could not entirely elude them. Next night the British dug in. Tliey had. not captured Gimi, but kid advanced to within tIOOO yards of the city, olid had inflicted infinitely heavier casualties than they had suffered. By digging.in they established contact all along the line, and pinned the enemy to his positions. Within, twehty-four hours the Anglo-Colonial troops were as much at home on the GazaBcersheeba line as if no Turk at all were trying to eject them. Thefc they have remained. \ The fog robbed them N of their objective—.the city of Gaza. But vigorous preparations are being made to meet all contingencies. General Allenby, who has served with'sucli distinction in the Western war theatre, is now in command of the operations, and he can be relied -upon to meet the'strongly, reinforced Turks and keep them busy until improved and more favourable climatic conditions permit a forward movement.