By attacking Russia Turkey at once becomes involved in war
with Britain, France, Serbia, Montenegro, and Japan. Her naval stroke will of course be followed at once by land attacks. Her troops in Asia Minor are said to be massed upon the Russo-Armenian frontier and will invade Russia. Another body will no doubt attempt the invasion of Egypt either by the El-Arish route, the route which Napoleon chose when he invaded Turkey from Egypt, or more probably from the Pilgrimage railway which runs from Turkey into Arabia and the Holy Places. We should not be surprised, indeed, to hear very soon of a raid upon the Arabian end of the Suez Canal. Ample precautions, however, have been already taken to meet such a raid, and there need be little fear of the result. At the same time, the Turks will of course do everything they can to raise an insurrection in Egypt, and will be supported there with plenty of German money and German help and advice. In this expectation, however, serious preparations have been made, and we do not in the least fear a serious rising. No doubt there are many Egyptians who do not like us, but when they realize, as the more intelligent do already, that their destiny if we are beaten will not be independence, but the German jackboot, they will, we venture to think, do nothing active to bring about a result so unpleasant. Egypt at present is very rich, and her people would far rather exploit her riches for themselves, as they can under British rule, than give themselves up either to Turkish pillage or the payment of German levies.
