Lord Crewe in his reply maintained that the procedure followed
in regard to Kees lost in the secondary areas was precisely the same as that adopted in regard to similar losses at the front in Europe. On the general question of information as to military operations, every objection that had been taken to the publication of accounts had been purely a military objection, and a very similar ride obtained with our allies. As regards the operations in the Persian Gulf and the advance into Mesopotamia, the Government had never been under any illusion as to the possibility that the Turks might bring considerable forces to the scene of operations in the region of Baghdad. For this reason they had strengthened oar position by despatching more troops from India and Egypt. Lord Crewe then read to the House a telegram from Sir John Nixon, the General in command, describing the "amphibious' opera- tions conducted in Mesopotamia, consisting of a naval blockade on a small scale in conjunction with military movements. The enemy's casualties at Stailm were estimated at two thousand five hundred. Lord Crewe added that the force despatched to defend the oilfields was, be hoped, sufficient not only to repel but to defeat and pursue the invading Turks. A large number of Arabs had assisted the Turks at Shaiba, but their co-operation was not universal; it was founded on misapprehension, and might reasonably be expected to slacken as the campaign pmgressed.
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