ALLIES AT GALLIPOLI.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16410, 2 January 1919, Page 7

ALLIES AT GALLIPOLI.

TURKS SUBMIT QUIETLY. (By Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright.) (Reuter, via America.) (Received January Ist, 7.35 p.m.) LONDON, Decomber 31. A delayed telegram from Oonstanr tinople states that the British brigades [ landed at Gallipoli on December 13th. j Thore was no display, the Turkish offir cers quietly surrendering. Later the r French occupied the south bank. ' The men suffered from tho sudden r change of climate, tho New Zealanders becoming sick with recurrent malaria 1 and influenza. A few deaths occurred. The cemeteries and graves are overi grown, and all the crosses of identificaj tion have been removed'. Thero have been some violations, but all the areas t can be enclosed with a monument giv--1 ing all the names. Tho general defences havo been enormously strengthened since the evacuation. 5 OUR DUTY AT GALLIPOLI. (feom our own correspondent.) LONDON, November 1. Tho minutes of proceedings of tho » War Conference of 1918, which aro now published as a Blue Book (CkL 9177), show signs of very severe censoring. At the same time they disclose for tho first time several very important expressions of opinion by tho Conference l which were not included —or were inl C «; (^ * n a misleading form —in the official communiques issued each week. For Now Zealand, proßably the most > interesting discussion was that on the ! care of war graves. It was estimated > that tho work of the War Graves Commission could be carried out at an ave- ' rage sum per officer or man buried of * £10. No estimate has been mado of the cost of memorials* to thoso whose graves > have been identified, but it will be less in proportion. , "1 ho estimate does not cover Gallipoli owing to tho impossibility of getting ac- ' cess to the cemeteries there. • Mass ®y <a£ ked whether tho Turkish Government had been approached or any start made in the way of negotiations to enable them to havo access 1 to the land where their dead were buried in Gallipoli. . Goneral Ware replied that every possible _ pressur© had boen put on the Turkish Government, and certain information had been supplied by tho Vatican, but it was not of much valuo. A number of photographs had also been taken. Probably, however, the activities of the Vatican would stop the desecration of tho graves, lie assured Mr Massey that the Commission intended to bring pressuro to bear. General Ware said that a Headstones Committee had been formed —Sir Frederick Konyon, Mr D. S. McColl (koepor of the Wallace Collection), Mr C. J. Holmes (director of the National Gallery), and Mr Macdonald Gill. There was not the labour in the world to carve the badges for the headstonos if each regiment required its own, but experiments were being mado on a proooss which it was hoped would be successful. It was proposed that thore should b 0 a distinctive Dominion or national badge, and possibly a rogimental badge also. EQUALS IN DEATH. The chairman (Mr Walter Long) sn id it had been decided unanimously that there should bo no distinction between the memorials of officers and men. There was a desire on tho part of some people to erect their own private memorials after tho war. This was very natural, but it was felt that all would really wish, whon they came to think it over, that the graves of thoso who had fought and died should be marked without distinction of rank. Tho headstones would vary according to regiments and Dominions, but th© scheme would preclude tho orection of a larger and perhaps more decorative form of headstone. There would bo no distinction between tho general officer and tho private, exoept in regard to the forces to which he belonged. Mr Massey: Would not tho rank of officers bo given? General Ware. It would be stated in the inscription. Mr Hughes: But there would be no distinction of any kind in tho monument? Goneral Ware: Yes. Speaking generally, officers and men of the same regiment will have the samo headstone. There will be no difference. The distinction between regiments will bo chiefly in the badge. Sir Robert Borden expressed pleasure that the principle of equality of treatment of all graves was to be carried out. It was entirely appropriate that among the ranks of the dead there should bo no distinction. Mr Hughos: I feel perfectly sur© that will be received with general satisfaction. All these men have died. No man could do or private —than give up his life for his country. Mr Massey also expressed pleasure. He asked whether it would be possible to accept tho contributions of patriotic and philanthropic peop]-. who would like to use part of their capital for the purpose of taking care of the graves, nr perhaps for specially taking care of graves in some particular cemetery. Goneral Ware said it was docided lost year that the Commission should be given power to receive such bequests. Money could be spent on difforent objects. For instance, arrangements could be made so that people who could not afford to go to France to see the graves after the war might be assisted to go. But it was not intended that private money should be used for the actual work of construction. Mr Massey: My recollection is that we decided that contributions were not to be asked for, but that people who felt inclined might contribute if they ; thought proper. I want to emphasise again the necessity, whenever opnortunity affords, of something being done ; to take better care of the graves of the mon who died at Gallipoli. We have a duty so far as tli e memory of , those mon is concerned —there is no ( Question about that—and T _ regret, i though I am not,finding fault with anyone, that. it has not been found pos- j siblo to do very much in the way of : improving matters in Gallipoli up to j the present. I do hope that when op- ] portunitv offers this matter will not 1 b© lost sight of, and that the Commis- : pion will be successful in making some satisfactory arrangements with resrard 1 to cemeteries and other places where < our men are buried in Gallipoli. i

GALLIPOLI MEDAL. DECISION AT LAST REACHED. (FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, November 15. Although tho Gallipoli Medal had been definitely decided upon and approved bv his Majesty, and the lliObon had' actually been manufactured, an inscrutable delay occurred in its issue. It graduallv leaked out thatthere had been difficulties about the condi particularly with regard 1.0 the treatment of men who were kept on base work in Egypt. Further consultations were held with the War Office, which by this tune had been converted to the view that British soldiers who served in Gallipoli weie equally entitled to the medal with oversea soldiers. The Tesuit of the negotiations was announced by Mr MacPheison in the House of Commons yesterday, when he said: "As has been stated already in the House, the settlement of this matter has been complicated owing to the diversity of the interests involved, and has been delayed by the need for

consultation with the Dominion authorities. lam glad to be able to say that an agreement has been reached which has received the approval of the War Cabinet and his Majesty the King, and which, lam assured, is satisfactory to those principally concerned. In the first place, the 1914 Star will be reserved for its special purposes. A star on the same model and with the same ribbon, but bearing distinctive marks as to date, viz., the years 1914-15, will be given to all officers and other ranks of the ltoyal Navv and Royal Marines, who prior to December 31st, 1915, served in a ship of war at sea. and all officers and other ranks of military and air forces, who served in a theatre of war prior to the same date. In every case the officer or man must have served on duty and with proper authority, and no * officer or man will receive the 1914-15 Star in addition to the 1914 Star. Thus in the same way that those who bore tho first brunt of -the attack in France and Flanders received a spccial mark of recognition by the award of tho 1914 Star, so those from our Dominions and colonies as well as British and Irish troops who first responded to the call of duty and served in a theatro of war will receive special recognition. The House will recollect that it had been originally proposed and sanctioned that tho Governments of Australia and New Zealand should present their troops with a special medal for the operations on the Peninsula. They have now agreed to the new proposal, so that all troops, British and Indian, and those from tho Dominions, who shared the same dangers and hardships shall recoive the same reward. (Cheers.) The date chosen, namely, December 31st, 1915, forms a definite break in the operations, and all concerned have accepted it on tho understanding that it is final. It will interest the House to know that there will be included, in addition to all those who fought on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the Canadian troops who fought at tho second battle of Ypres, the battle of Festubert, and subsequent operations of that year in France and Flanders, all those who fought at the battle of Loos, the troops engaged in the defence of Egypt, the troops who conquered German South-West Africa under the command of General Botha, as well as all who were engaged in other parts of fhe African Continent, tho Australian torce winch captured the Bismarck Archipelago, and those who fought so gallantly under General Townshend at Kut." (Cheers.) It will be seen that the new arrangements puts oversea soldiers under a new disability. Why is the 1914 Star, the conditions of which were decided in a hurry and utterly ill-con-ceived, withheld from, oversea soldiers who had done good service in the Bismarck Archipelago at the same time that the "Old Contemptibles" were campaigning in France? If tho object was to recognise priority of enlistment or even embarkation for oversea, all tlie Empire troops which had sailed by November 22nd should equally share in the award. It is not at all likely that we have yet heard the last of the decoration.