File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎27r] (62/834)

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but lie remains absolutely debarred from Teima or Hail. His
relations with the Turks continue strained, and special convoys
of supplies are no longer sent to him. He has to get what he
can from the ordinary stores of the 58th Div. at Medain Salih.
The enemy has used the recent respite from railway raids
to push considerable fresh supplies to Medina. The Military
Commissaire Greneral himself has gone down the line from
Damascus to Tebuk and Medain Salih and concerted measures
for a more reliable train service, proposing even that Cardiff coal,
of which he says Germany sends Turkey 400 tons daily, should
be supplied to Maan. The Medina aeroplane which recently
bombed the Arabs, inflicting three fatal casualties, is reported
crashed near Bir Nasif and removed to its base a wreck with
petrol-tank pierced by rifle fire. There is such a shortage of
benzine now in Syria, that none is to be sent down the line for
some months to come and we are unlikely to hear much more of
enemy planes in Hejaz. The ration strength of the H.E.F. is \
stated to be at this moment, in round figures, 14,000 with 100
guns, forty-one of these being machine guns. It has 13,424
rifles, and 3,515 transport animals. The rolling stock available
on the railway for its use is computed at twenty locomotives and
400 trucks. In view of the possible fall of Jerusalem, the
question of evacuating Medina and the L. of C. is causing grave
concern to the Turkish Higher Command.
Sherif Zeid with 1,500 followers has arrived at Akaba, from
which all quarantine restrictions have been removed till further
orders.
[Late News .—Sherif Abdullah’s parties were operating on
the railway, between Stabl Antar and Bowat, on November
10 - 12 , but" we have no detailed report of their achievements.
About the affair near Dhat el-Haj on November 9, we have
received further information which indicates that the Arabs
made some captures. It is proposed to reinforce 2 nd Composite
Force at once by bringing up Camel Corps from Medina and
Mule M.I. from el-Ala, both to march by road.]
MESOPOTAMIA.
The Diwaniyah Episode.
The following account of an episode, which has hitherto
remainded obscure, reaches us from the Chief Political Officer,
Baghdad, and, though the events, which it relates^ belong to
military operations somewhat outside the sphere of this Bulletin,
we publish it here for its singular interest as an illustration of
racial character.