File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎101r] (210/834)

— 57
SITUATION OF THE SHERIFI A.N REVOLT.
Five months ago—at the beginning of October, 1917—the
situation of the Arab Revolt was summarized in Arab Bulletin,
No. 65. The Northern army, under Emir Feisal, then held the
line Akaba—Gueira—Fiji ( Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Musa). The beginning of
March, 1918, finds the left wing of that army thrown north
across Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. el-Hasa from a base at Tafila, while a flying column
has occupied Mezra, the port of Kerak on the Dead Sea. J his
statement indicates an advance of about fifty miles to Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. el-
Hasa (or seventy miles to Mezra), the intervening country
including Shobek, the Hishe forest with its valuable wood supply,
and Tafila with its cornlands. Feisal’s centre has been pushed
forward about thirty miles from Gueira to Ain el-Beida, and is
now watching Maan station from a distance of less than six
miles and Maan town from about four miles. Feisal himself has
definitely left Akaba and now has his headquarters at Gueira,
with an advanced headquarters at Tafila. His right wmg has
been extended south to Abu Sawana, some twenty-fiye miles
north-west of Mudowara station, and is operating against the
sixty miles of railway between the hitter station and Maan.
All these moves amount to considerable progress and they have
brought the Sherifian arms for the first time into settle
agricultural districts of Syria proper with good prospect of
further advance shortly : for Kerak is known to be, upon the
whole, disaffected to the Turks, and only weakly held by a ore
of indifferent morale. Its capture will rob the enemy of a
valuable grain district and ensure practicable communication
across the Dead Sea with the right wmg of our forces m
Palestine, even should touch not have been established previously
hv land round the head of that sea.
' The Southern army has not made so marked wi adv^
one nart of it under Emir Ali, havm S done practically nothing
fn the interval except throw forward its left wing towards the
iZl oT smah enemy pofs The rest of this force has been
content with watching the outposts of
west and witli occasional, and rather futile, .util e ) 1 ■
The other part of the Southern army, Emir Abdullah s force,
& s A rti «
be encamped some six irnles^^^ ^ m railes _ it has
effected at one time or another, during the period under review
a desultory series of demolitions, winch ’ at ^ ^ '‘^Gteverely
larger scale than formerly, and appear to have taxed se ,
•r f pnpmv’s supply of spare rails, at least that of bolt ,
if not the enemy^ PI • . pq by w i n ter rams, inter-