The Wanganui Herald. (Published Daily.) FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1917. PALESTINE'S FUTURE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15130, 26 January 1917, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. (Published Daily.) FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1917. PALESTINE'S FUTURE.

A Cairo cable to-day mentions a matter of not a little significance, seeing that it is bound up with the future of Palestine. The message states that 390 miles of railway have been constructed by the British in connection with the Sinai operations, and there is an important trade prospect after the war. A few weeks ago Mr Lovat Fraser, the wellknown writer on Eastern subjects, expressed the opinion that part of the British operations would include the taking of Jerusalem, though he ridiculed the idea of the linking up in the heart of Asia Minor of the British forces in Sinai with the Russians. That an advance upon and the capture of Jerusalem would be fraught with great consequences admits of no doubt; and in view of the fact that the British have been building railways in Sinai at the rate of a mile to a mile and a half a day, and that Jerusalem is only about 100 miles distant from the advanced British posts, such an advance . if deemed * desirable, does not present any very great difficulties. The British have extended the railway alofig the Sinai coast from Egypt to El-Arish, and have captured Rafa, another 30 miles along the Mediterranean coast. Rafa stands exactly where the eastern border of Egypt strikes the sea, and this capture means that in all probability there are now no Turks at all in the Sinai Peninsula. Certainly there is no Turkish stronghold left there. But a little farther east and south of Rafa’ there are Turkish strongholds, and it will be interesting to see whether these also are attacked by our forces. Nearly 60 miles east of El-Arish, or about 35 east by south of Rafa, stands Beersheba, which, is the Turko-Teutons’ advanced, base against Egypt, and connected by rail, except for a couple of very short gaps, with Constantinople and Berlin. Jerusalem, 50 miles distant, is connected with Beer-' sheba by rail, so that all that is required to connect the British by railway with Jerusalem is 50 or 60 miles of rail. Some 30 miles south by east of Rafa is another German station, EllAnja. Rafa and El-Anja represent the two ends of the base of a triangle, of which Beersheba would be the apex. Rafa and El-Anja are in the nature of outposts from the advanced base of Beersheba. But though the attack on Rafa followed naturally upon the taking of El-Arish, partly because it was advisable to clear the country right up to the Egyptian frontier, and partly because it would have been foolish, under the circumstances, to leave an enemy stronghold within less than 30 miles, it does not by any means follow that a further advance will be made to Beersheba. Beersheba is not much farther from Rafa than Rafa from El-Arish, but it is inland, so that there could be no co-operation from the sea, as there was in the taking of El-Arish, and probably also in the taking of Rafa. Moreover, as the enemy’s advanced base and railhead, Beersheba would be sure to be much more "Strongly defended than flie smaller and less important posts that are now ours.