But what has happened? They were attacked in Palestine and Mesopotamia
and two Turkish armies were destroyed. If we had remained in Egypt and
defended Egypt by remaining there on the canal and allowing the Turks to
hold us with a small force while they were putting the whole of their
force in Mesopotamia and menacing our position in India by that means,
the Turks could now have been assisting the Germans in the west as they
did in the east.
What is happening now? German battalions at this moment have been sent
to assist the Turks instead of the Turks sending divisions to help the
Germans. The Germans now have sent battalions to help the Turks in
Palestine. After all, if you have a great empire you must defend it.
There was a great empire which withdrew its legions from the outlying
provinces of the empire to defend its heart against the Goths and those
legions never went back. The British Empire has not been reduced to that
plight yet. We can defend ourselves successfully in France, and we can
also hold our empire against any one who assails it in any part of the
world at the same time.
May I, before I leave this topic, say how much gratitude we owe to India
for the magnificent way in which she has come to the aid of the empire
in this emergency?
It is not the fact that we have got three British divisions in Egypt and
Palestine and one in Mesopotamia that has enabled us to hold our own,
but it is the fact that we have had these splendid troops from India.
Many of them volunteered since the war, and they have been more than a
match for their Turkish adversaries on many a stricken field.