TURCO-EGYPTIAN DISPUTE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10659, 12 May 1906, Page 6 (Supplement)

TURCO-EGYPTIAN DISPUTE.

THE TURKISH VERSION.

"The theory of Turkey's African dominion lias, with the exception of the Vilayet of Tripoli, m Barbary," writes a correspondent, "vanished as completely as the Isthmus of Suez. The Turkish version of tlie incident is that the battalion had been ordered to Daba, a post on the Arabian shore of the Gulf of Akabah. but the captain m charge had misunderstood his instructions to reach Tabah, a very plausible excuse, which miglit be accepted m view of the I difficulties of Turkish orthography, were it not swept away by the bare facts of the Turks persisting m their occupation, -'Several theories have naturally sprung up regarding the purport of this frontier incident. One is, and it is an old one, tliat the Turks are wanting to get a better lwld m the Sinaitic Peninsula, m favor of their strategic Hediaa line, so tliat they may one day make a dash on Egypt, arid occupy their lost province. Li further development of this theory it is said that they once sank a Turkish steamer m the Canal m order to see whether and how it would be possible to block up the Canal and prevent a navy from inter, fering with tlie passage of Turkish troops. "Another, that this is a counter move to the opening of Port Soudan,-, which will tend more than ever to make the Red Sea, and, therefore, the Hediaz, come under the Anglo-Egyptian jurisdiction and political influence which, of course, it ithe Sultan's policy and interest to oppose, as he is now doing, with the Hedfaz railway.'

"Thirdly, that this occupation is only a ballon d'essai to divert England's attention from Asia Minor, which has become of interest just how owing to the Mining Law Revision. • ' .

"Lastly, that it is merely an intrigue similar to that practised on Persia, m order to secure 1 some concession or other m compensation for a withdrawal. In any case the smalmess of the number of Turkish troops shows tlve slight pla/u---sibility' of all these versions."