File 3300/1916 Pt 1 'Aden News Letters:- (June 1916-Dec. 1916)' [‎404v] (188/348)

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I iM
P S ,—"We have paid your messenger dollars 40, being the amount of his road
expenses. This amount excludes that you paid him on his way to us. We have
also paid him dollars 10, being the amount of the feeding expenses of the horse
pending its arrival to you.
(Sd.) ALI SAID,
Brigad ier-General.
War News.
Lahej. —The forces of the Russians have retreated in every direction. They
are quite unable to safeguard their territories. The Sublime Government have
reoccupied most of their lost countries in the past, and so the Russians have
become in a very strained state.
Both the English and the French have attempted to attack f< dar ” of the
Caliphate in the Straits of the Dardanelles. They have made combined attacks
for 10 months but they have returned with disappointment and shamefulness.
They fled away with disgrace after the loss of their steamers and the murder of the
best of their troops. They have left innumerable quantities of war materials, etc.,
behind them.
The Bulgarians on being convinced of the defeat of these two Powers,’
declared war against them and the Russians. Their (Bulgarian’s) object was to get
an opportunity against the Servians and the Montenegrins. They have accord
ingly attacked them duly supported by the Germans. They reduced the
Servians to complete ruination. They (Servians) became vestiges after having
once been in existence.
The German Government occupied all the dominions of the Belgians and also
most of the seaports on the North-West of France. They have entered into the
latter’s internal territories, thus the French Government is shortly expected to fall.
The English Government has become in a perplexed state on account of
the revolutions arisen in all their colonies. They are beating about the bush.
They have suffered great damages on account of the suspension of trade and the
sinking of their vessels.
War is raging in the Suez Canal. We shall shortly give you the good tidings
of the passage of our forces to Egypt.
Our armies are now encamping at the gates of Aden. They are laying a
strong siege on it. Everything that is besieged is sure to be occupied (at the end).
Our victorious armies at Baghdad and Basra have expelled the enemy to the
seacoast after taking 20,000 prisoners and more and killing thousands. Fighting
is going on both in the Persian soil and its seashores.
The Afghan Government are prepared to wage war both on the Russian and
English Governments.
The cost of foodstuffs in Aemen is moderate. Supplies continue to come.
\\ ireless telegrams from Lahej to the sacred city of Mecca are being exchanged.
There are deep rains thanks to God. Our enemies are anxious for peace but we
are insisting on the prolongation of the war for the sake of the restoration of all the
territories belonging to Islam, such as Aden, Hadramaut, Muscat, etc., and in
order to rehe\ e them from the hands of the infidels. We shall never accept peace,
but after gaining a general and complete honour for Islam.
Ottoman armies numbering about 30,000 have already come from Constanti
nople via Hedjaz together with all their requirements, war materials, etc. From
the continuous news reaching us, we learn that the English are being defeated in
every direction. They will, by the grace of God, give us all our demands and our
words (influence) will have to be carried into effect in India, which will be attached
to the Great Caliph.
Dated 6th Shaban 1334.
Dated 7th June 1916.
(Sd.) ALI SAEED BEY,
Commandant of the Ottoman Armies*
at Lahej ajbd Amir Al Lew a.