large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_06_aaronsohn_64kb_30
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English
6798
The ideas of the common soldiers on this subject were amusing. Some of them declared that the Canal was to be filled up by the sandbags which had been prepared in great quantities. THE IDEAS OF THE COMMON SOLDIERS ON THIS SUBJECT WERE AMUSING SOME OF THEM DECLARED THAT THE CANAL WAS TO BE FILLED UP BY THE SAND BAGS WHICH HAD BEEN PREPARED IN GREAT QUANTITIES
a slender young Prussian with no back to his head, braceleted and monocled--rose and announced, in the decisive tones that go with a certain stage of intoxication: "What we ought to do is to hand over the organization of this campaign to Thomas Cook & Sons!" However, the German officers were by no means all incompetents. They realized (I soon found out) that they had little hope of bringing a big army through the Egyptian desert and making a successful campaign there. Their object was to immobilize a great force of British troops around the Canal, to keep the Mohammedan population in Palestine impressed with Turkish power, and to stir up religious unrest among the natives in Egypt. It must be admitted that in the first two of these purposes they have been successful. The Turks were less far-sighted. They believed firmly that they were going to sweep the English off the face of the earth and enter Cairo in triumph, and preparations for the march on Suez went on with feverish enthusiasm. WHEN ONE OF THEM A SLENDER YOUNG PRUSSIAN WITH NO BACK TO HIS HEAD BRACELETED AND MONARCHLED ROSE AND ANNOUNCED IN THE DECISIVE TONES THAT GO WITH A CERTAIN STAGE OF INTOXICATION WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO IS TO HAND OVER THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS CAMPAIGN TO THOMAS COOK AND SONS HOWEVER THE GERMAN OFFICERS WERE BY NO MEANS ALL INCOMPETENCE THEY REALIZED I SOON FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAD LITTLE HOPE OF BRINGING A BIG ARMY THROUGH THE EGYPTIAN DESERT AND MAKING A SUCCESSFUL CAMP IN THERE THEIR OBJECT WAS TO IMMOBILIZE A GREAT FORCE OF BRITISH TROOPS AROUND THE CANAL TO KEEP THE MOHAMMEDAN POPULATION IN PALESTINE IMPRESSED WITH TURKISH POWER AND TO STIR UP RELIGIOUS UNREST AMONG THE NATIVES IN EGYPT IT MUST BE ADMITTED THAT IN THE FIRST TWO OF THESE PURPOSES THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL THE TURKS WERE LESS FAR SIGHTED THEY BELIEVED FIRMLY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SWEEP THE ENGLISH OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH AND ENTER CAIRO IN TRIUMPH AND PREPARATION FOR THE MARCH ON SUEZ WENT ON WITH FEVERISH ENTHUSIASM
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