Peace and Arbitration Societies, to the Hague Tribunal, and to King George. In the course of the month the Italians landed some 25,000 troops in the town. From the first the Italians had been told that they had merely to set foot on shore and all resistance would collapse. The tactics of the Turks in leaving the capital as the invaders entered it, seemed to confirm the accuracy of these forecasts. But the Italians were quickly undeceived. They imagined they were only fighting a few Turkish soldiers. They found, in due course, that they were fighting the whole population, both in Tripoli proper and in Cyrenaica. Strange as it no doubt appeared to the Italians, even Arabs and Berbers object to being slaughtered for no other reason than that the country they inhabit is coveted by another party. The unexpected resistance they met with appears to have given the Italians "nerves." That is the most charitable interpretation which can be placed upon the policy they pursued after the occupation of the town. I do not propose to narrate again in detail the ghastly story of the Tripoli massacres. Those who care to refresh their memories on the subject may be referred to Mr. McCullagh's book, and to the contemporary reports which appeared in the British, Austrian, Italian, French and German Press. But the bare facts may be recalled.
On the outskirts of Tripoli town is a fertile oasis. It goes by the name of the Mechiya and is several square miles in extent. It consists, or rather consisted, of a wide and scattered belt of palm trees, among which nestled many a beautiful Arab home, where the wealthier inhabitants of the town resided, embowered in gardens, luxuriating in myrtles, oleanders, and oranges. The Italian troops, marching through this oasis on October 23, were attacked in front by the Turks and in the rear by a force of Arabs. They lost heavily. There appears to be no doubt that the Arab tribesmen who participated in the fight were not the actual residents of the oasis, but formed part of the Turkish force. It is possible that a few of their countrymen within the oasis assisted them, but this view is not, I believe, now held by Italians who, at a later date, impartially investigated the evidence. Alleging "treachery," the Italian command decreed a "purge" of the oasis. This process lasted several days and was commendably thorough, so thorough, indeed, that the Italian military authorities adopted the most
