October 16, 1915. 
LAND A IS' D WATER 
troops) received the surrender of the Turkish garrison 
ere he was supported by more than thirty men. There 
was no fighting, each Turkish detachment drifting in 
across the plains from Ahwaz being secured as it 
arrived. But this prompt occupation of Amara, impor- 
tant though it was (in so far as it blocked the road from 
Bagdad to Ahwaz), did not effect a complete command 
of all the waterways between Bagdad and Basra. It 
held the Tigris route, but did not cover that by which 
the enemy had massed troops at Nasariyeh following 
the Shatt-al-Hai southward from Kut-al-Amara. It was 
necessary in the first instance to hold the Euphrates at 
the point of junction between that river and the Shatt-al- 
Hai, near Xasariyeh. This was secured by an am- 
phibious expedition from Kurna which must have been 
almost unique. Between wading and boat navigation 
Nasariyeh was reached at last, and the enemy forces 
there collected were dispersed after some fighting. It 
would be difficult to say of this expedition whether the 
honours of success should be claimed by the Navy or 
the Army, but I understand that the Naval contingent 
arrived first. Still there remained in front of our long-suf- 
fering Army the all-important position of Kut-al-Amara, 
which was at least one hundred and fifty miles further 
up the Tigris from Amara. The movement forward from 
Amara in the intense heat of late summer (somewhat 
modified then by dry winds and comparatively cool 
nights) was effected without serious opposition. 
Bends and Twists. 
The tactical problems presented were those due to 
the extension of marshes close up to the river, the extra- 
ordinary bends and twists in the river itself, and an oc- 
casional obstacle such as a canal that might be one 
hundred yards across and thirty feet deep. The general 
nature of the problem is shown in Sketch II. There 
were obvious opportunities for strong opposition. The 
general action at Kut was fought on September 28, and 
ended in the defeat and dispersal of the Turkish troops, 
who fled to Bagdad. Kut is a permanent town of some 
6,000 inhabitants, mostly engaged in trade. The posi- 
tion taken up by the enemy was seven miles east of Kut, 
astride the river, and extending about six miles from 
the left bank. General Delamain (almost, if not quite, 
the only General remaining who has fought continuously 
with the expedition from its commencement) again had 
the honour of leading the way with his own (the i6th) 
and another brigade. The Turkish position was 
strongly entrenched and wired, but we have the satis- 
faction of knowing that our troops in Mesopotamia now 
find no Turkish position too strong for them, and the 
occupation of Kut-al-Amara, which completes the 
security of Basra^ was effected with comparatively little 
loss. 
From Kut to Bagdad the road is open and dry. The 
distance by river is said to be over two hundred miles. 
By road it is, perhaps, half that length. The victory of 
Kut cannot fail to produce a great effect at Bagdad, and 
it is quite possible that the occupation of that most 
historic city — the Arabic capital of the Moslem Empire, 
and by many Turks regarded as the Mecca of their faith 
—could be effected by a rapid forward movement with 
comparatively little opposition. The weather is improv- 
ing, the health and spirit of the troops is excellent, and 
in Sir John Nixon we may perchance find a worthy 
successor to the immortal Roberts. But this leads us to; 
a consideration of the military position of Bagdad, its 
geographical relation to Constantinople, the religious 
influences that have been brought to bear on this cam- 
paign and in India (which have already been most 
important in their effects), and a variety of other matters 
which demand too much space for this article. 
T. II. HOLDICII. 
RECLAIMED LAND FOR SOLDIERS. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Sir, — The Crown is prima facie entitled to every part 
of the foreshore of this realm between the ordinary high- 
water mark and the low-water mark. This ownership extends 
with a few exceptions, to all our rivers in so far as they 
consist of tidal navigable waters. In England alone there 
are thousands of acres of waste lands of virgin and highly 
fertile soil which would grow the finest corn, and which, with 
an expenditure of labour and capital which would he in- 
significant to tlie profits obtainable, might be reclaimed for 
the benefit of our soldiers. As examples, I would mention 
the Rivers Deben and Aide in Suffolk and the River Teign 
in Devonshire. The mouth of each of these rivers consists 
of a very narrow passage, and the high banks on either side 
consist of the finest shingle for concrete construction. The 
sources of the Rivers Deben and Aide are, I believe, within 
twenty miles of the coast, and but for the tidal ways would 
constitute very little more than ditches, and yet they alone 
are the primary cause of thousands of acres of valuable land 
lying waste and unproductive. 
I would suggest that schemes should be formulated now 
by the Government for the damming of the sea out of some 
of such rivers and the construction of a lock through and 
a roadway over the dam. 
In view of the millions of our best who have answered the 
call of their country, it seems probable that, after the war, it 
may be some time before many of them fall into their previous 
occupations and also that many will in the meantime develop 
a preference for an open-air life. 
The works I have mentioned would act as a stop-gap 
until the affairs of life settle down again and produce capital 
for distribution amongst our men, whose earning powers 
could be utilised at once for their own benefit. These waste 
lands produce nothing at the present time, and the least a 
grateful nation can do is to devise a scheme whereby our 
men can reap the entire benefit of the profits resulting from 
their labour in reclaiming them. In order that these profits 
might be distributed as soon as possible, the Government 
could purchase the land.s as and when reclaimed at a value 
to be ascertained by arbitration, and each man could receive 
his share of the profits in proportion to the amount of labour 
he had put in. Regular wages would, of course, be paid 
Vifhile the works were proceeding and would form part of the 
cost of the works to be deducted before the net profits are 
ascertained. 
If you would be kind enough to publish this suggestion 
I feel it might lead to di.scussion, and perhaps the powers 
that be might move in the matter in good time. 
Yours truly, 
Ealing, E. A. COLLINS. 
The American points of view on the war seem to diffex 
very widely under the influence of dollars, humanitarian in- 
stincts, and racial and political bias. In America and Otr' 
many (T. Fisher Uuwin, Ss. net) Mr. J. W. White presents . 
a refreshingly sane account of the German misrepresentations 
of facts. It is an exposure of German mendacity in th» 
States, and its allegations are based on irrefutable evidence. 
In America it ranks as a great contribution to a vital ques- 
tion; in this country it might well rank as a text-book foj 
patriotic citizens. 
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