A small British column reconnoitring in the Mesopotamian desert south
of Hillah on July 24th was roughly handled by the insurgent tribesmen. Mr. Churchill stated in the House on Thursday week that three companies of the 2nd Maneheaters sustained a loss of two officers and ten men killed, four officers and twenty-two men wounded, and two officers and two hundred and five men missing. The column inall lost 366 men, a field-gun and twelve Lewis guns. The War Office is assured that the prisoners, British and Indian, are being well treated by the Arabs. It may be presumed that the great heat °COG Iliesopo-, lamian summer. which foiled General Maude in his attempt to advance up the Euphrates in the summer of 1917, was the real cause of this unpleasant incident. Even the Turks abstained from serious operations at this season of the year..
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