File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎19v] (36/450)

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The Internal CoNDiTiON or Turkey.
The letter from Manchester given in Part III of this report is most interesting : it
indicates what an Ottoman subject estimates the condition of Turkey to be, reading
between the lines of his censored letters. This estimate coincides exactly wdth what
other information goes to show, namely, that Turkey is nearing the end of her
resources. Turkey will doubtless hold out to the end, and the moral of her army will
be the last thing to give way, but it is quite possible that she may collapse even though
she may not surrender.
India and the Haj Pilgrimage.
On p. 2 will be found a reference to the Indian pilgrimage to Mecca. It is
regrettable that, after all the trouble and expense that the .British Government was put
to in making the pilgrims comfortable, this event should have been completely
ignored by the press in India. In Egypt, and in Tunis, Algeria, and Morocco, the
success of the pilgrimage was given great prominence in the native press ; it is suggested
that even now some steps might be taken by the Indian Government to make capital
out of the affair. When the Sherif rebelled we were overwhelmed with alarums and
excursions of a literary kind, both native and British ; when pious Moslems are enabled
to accomplish their duties, silence is our reward.
Armenian Massacres.
On p. 6 will be found an item regarding the arming of the Turkish civil population
of Mersina ; this is the usual prelude to a massacre.
British Prisoners in Turkish Hands.
On p. 5 an agent’s report gives a painful glimpse of what our prisoners of war
suffer in Turkey. The Turks would only laugh at retaliation. There is.not much hope
of remedy of this state of affairs until we have re-established our moral ascendency
in the field ; the chivalrous qualities of the Turks are generally enhanced when they
think there is a possibility of defeat and retribution.
M. S.