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JOY IN DAMASCUS
BRITISH TROOPS ENTER
THE CITY MAKES HOLIDAY.
CAIRO, October 4.
-Mr. -Massey, writing from Damascus on
October 1," stares: General Allenby's
triumphant march northward into
Syria early this morning drove the
Turks completely out of possession
of Damascus. "There is now not a
Turkish soldier in the city, and not a Turkish
official doing duty. " The appearance
of an Australian mounted division north-west
of the city at noon yesterday set
the seal on the doom of the Turkish Government
in a place on which the Arabs centre
their eyes. To-day the city is enveloped
by British, Australian, and Indian troops,
and the Arab army of the King of Hedjaz
has marched in "The few Turks who got
away are scattered and demoralised. Fully
12,000 Germans and Turks have been
made prisoners, in and about
the city, and a number of guns
have been captured. The roads are a
shambles where the enemy resisted. He
transport was smashed and most of the
material left behind was destroyed by
the Germans, though some valuable transport,
including a complete park of cavalry
limbers, was not touched. The prisoners
captured since September 19 are probably
over 60,000. General Allenby has crushed
out of existence the Turkish Fourth,
Seventh, and Eighth armies. It is impossible
that a triumph could be more
complete. Our casualties have been very
slight. The Entente cause has been nobly
served by the British Palestine army.
A Hearty Welcome.
The British are entering this wonderful
city to-day. Who did not have his emo-
tions stirred by the enthusiastic greetings
of the population must have been without
a spark of national pride. Having passed
up country with the cavalry and seen some
of the Circassian villages quite lukewarm
and unconcerned about our victorious advance
against the Turks I was under the
impression that Damascus would display
the usual Arab calmness of demeanor, and
accept our appearance as "Kismet." While
appreciating the prospect of a change from
bad to good government. I thought they
would receive us with their customary
immobile features, giving no outward or
visible sign of their inward feelings. I
rode into the town in an armored car when
the road was deemed unsafe, owing to
snipers in those luscious gardens surround-
ing this fascinating and truly Oriental city,
and was amazed at the heartiness of the
welcome accorded to the British uniform.
Damascus is far from taking our victory
as an ordinary incident of life. The population
threw off their stolid exterior and
received us with ecstatic joy. They closed
their shops and made holiday, put on festival
dress, and acclaimed the day as the
greatest in Damascus' 4,000 years' history.
British Freedom Hailed.
Only a few British officers have yet entered
the city, but each has been received
with the same whole-hearted fervor. Here,
at least, they have seen what the British
name stands for. At Jerusalem the Brig
tish army was welcomed by all sects and
creeds with deep feelings of thankfulness,
but their condition, _ rendered pitiable
through slow starvation, prevented the
welcome being so demonstrative, though
equally sincere, as to-day's. When a soldier
appeared in the Damascus streets he
was surrounded by an excited and delighted
throng. Crowds gathered to hear
the news. When I told the English-speaking
ing people, of whom there are many, of the
latest victory on the Western front and the
Bulgarian armistice, their enthusiasm was
remarkable, but they were more keenly
interested in the tremendous stride of
General Allenby's army through Palestine
and Syria, and our enormous captures of
prisoners and war material, of which they
had no conception. It meant everything
to them to have the Park finished. They
said, "You are settling our long accounts
with them " The thoroughness with
which it has been done gave them the impression
that our army was composed of
supermen. With eyes not used to complete
and orderly equipment they admired the
soldierly turnout of our men. who had
fought and ridden hard for 150 miles, and
acclaimed them as their deliverers. They
looked upon this army as the saviours of
the down-trodden peoples in this part of
the East. This amazing tribute to Britain
and British freedom lasted all day. At
nightfall the population gave an exhibition
of fireworks with captured Verey lights.
Even the street that the Bible declared
was called Straight was illuminated from
end to end.
Arab Festivities.
The opportunities for rejoicing: were increased
by the arrival of the Arab army
that operated on the right flank of our
cavalry during the march from Derna.
These troops arrived in Damascus at six
o'clock this morning, the north-western
outskirts having been occupied by the Atis
tralian mounted division last night. Soon
after daybreak the Arab army entered the
city and the streets became alive with pic
tnresqnely-clothed Arabs on Hunt steeds,
almost over-burdened with elaborately ap-
pointed saddlery. The Arab horsemen and
cavalry dashed about the streets proclaim-
ing the victory. They made a great stir
and continually fired their rifles. The case
lasted until midnight, when the inhabitants,
tired out but happy, allowed the city
to become normally calm.
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