THE IRREPRESSIBLE PRESS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2520, 22 July 1915, Page 6

THE IRREPRESSIBLE PRESS

THE "DARDANELLES DRIVELLER"

COMIC PUBLICATIONS AT GALLIPOLI

(By. Malcolm Ross, Official Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces.)

ml „ , • J ime 2Jho Britisher, in whatever part of the world ho may bo, must have his own nowspaper press.' Scarcely had tho New Zealand troopships left Wellington Harbour when. "Tho Tahiti Times" and other journals began to appear. Somo cranky old hand-pre.ss and type of a more or less nondescript and dilapidated character were pressed into the and in the narrow confines of his cabin tho editor, > printer, and publisher—three single gentlemen rolled ■into one—in making a- supreme effort to maintain his equilibrium during rough weather, would find himself grabbing an inked roller or making "pi" out of his latest leading article. Some of these troopship newspapers were illustrated, and well illustrated. It is, howevor, a far cry from Wellington Harbour to the Dardanelles, and in such stirring times as tho present one would think that our men would not bother about printing newspapers for themselves. Yet the Gallipoli Peninsula has its own newspaper press. Under the fire of the Turkish shrapnel and high explosive'shells at least three newspapers aro published in the vicinity of Gab,a Tepo and Capo Helles. One of these is in French—"Traduit a l'usago des troupes francaises par ordre du General commandant en chef le Corps Expeditionaire Mediterranean." It is a, small one-page double-column sheet, and concerns itself mainly with tho news of tho day from Paris. Extracts from the "Driveller." The English newspapers are a little more ambitious, and, it may be added, a little moro humorous, not to say frivolous. The Englishman can no moro curb his sense of humour amid the grim-realities of war than ho can fail to drive homo a bayonet charge against the enemy. And so it happens that wa 'have the _ "Dardanelles Driveller" (price ono drink), making its appearance on May 17, 1915. It has the usual Births and Deaths notice; for instance: BIRTH. On 10tli May, at Gladstone Villa, the wife of John' Jones, of twin sons. DEATH; On 10th May, 1 at Gladstone Villa, Jolm . Jones. Then there is a Theatrical Notice: "V Theatre; twice daily. 'Annie from Asia,' a screaming farce." This, however, requires explanation. At regular periods, once a day, a Turkish gun used to hurl two shells right across the Peninsula from the Asiatic s'hore. Theso shells made a lot of noise, but seldom did any damage, and. "Annio from Asia" became known as a screaming farce. They fell over a beach marked on the map as "V." Another beach is known as "Y" Beach. It was a very tough proposition for tho 29th Division, as may bo judged from the following pcem:

"Y" Beach tho Scottish Borderer cried, While panting up tho steep hillside, "Y" Beach! To call this thing a beach is stiff, It's nothing but a —- cliff.

Why beach? In a previous article I referred to Anzac Beach, -which tho Australian and Nc-w Zealand Army Corps took and held in the face of tremendous odds, and to the coining of the name out of tho initial letters of .the corps. Apropos, the fol-i lowing advertisement from tho "Dar- ! dandles Driveller" is worthy of a wider circulation:— Anzac! 'Ansae 1 ! 'Anzac! I ! The Great Stickfast! Liman von Sanders writes'.—"lts glutinous powers exceeded all my expectations."

_Enver Pasha writes:—"Tho bottle you kindly sent me suffices all my needs. I do NOT want any more. I find a little goes a long way."

No Army Should be Without it! Try it To-day. Anzac! Anzac.' !

. There a new song advertised:— "Itchy Ivoo." To anyone who has been in a campaign—especially in tho East— the advertisement conveys a little world of- meaning. The Turkish Press. Tho "Dardanelles Driveller" no doubt fulfils its mission. The "Peninsula Press'' adopts a «more serious style, and, incidentally, it gives some interesting extracts from a Turkish newspaper, "The Tanine," seized in a cap'tured trench. In these one can see the crooked hand of the German diplomatist. For instance, it is reported that our troops have been driven into tho sea! and that the beach near Sedd-el-Bahr has been purged of their presence. Tho following paragraph, translated from tho Turkish, will interest and no doubt amuse New Zealanders: —"The enemy having suffered a complete defeat, cannot make any fresh attempt. He can neither bring up fresh troops nor try to accomplish anything with his demoralised soldiers. 111 a word, another similar decisive defeat will close the question of the Straits for good. Tho Greeks will congratulate themselves on having escaped this disaster.; Information is still lacking as to the composition of tho enemy's forces; but it appears, from indications Teceived from Europe, that they must consist chiefly of black men from Africa and Australia. Thus the. Straits, for the first timo in history, have had to endure an attack by cannibals."

This was written presumably before the Turks asked for an armistice to bury between '1000 and 5000 dead in front of tho Australian-New Zealand trencfhes. The Tanine, however, seems to have changed its tune a few days later. "Tho obstinate British," it says, "have not admitted their defeat in spite of tho blows they, liavo received. They have come on In this we recognise some of the peculiarities which have been noted by the Germans in Flanders. Tho British, when fighting, show an. astonishing persistence and obstinacy which are peculiar to them. In the most desperate situations they will nob _ allow that they arc beaten, and persist to the end. This useless obstinacy has usually caused them such terrible losses in Flanders, that the English newspapers from time to time utter complaints. As for tho present useless persistance, it is not for us to complain of it. Tho more obstinate they are the worse blows they will receive, and that will assure the final result."

In its first leading article "The Driveller" editor anticipates his critics by Riving certain reasons why ho should ho allowed to remain alive. • He says the literary supplement will bo on a level never yet attained in Sedd-el-Bahr, and that the poetry will bo such as can only be inspired by the Aegean of the Plain of. Troy. One 'paragraph announces the reason the Turks had no rearguards during the retreat from , Sedd-cl-Bahr was becauso tlicv could not trust them I

There is also as a matter of course a printing press at work at General Headquarters'. In the issue of General Routine Orders by General Sir lan Hamilton appears the following'ln order to mark the good work done by tho ist/6th Battalion Gurkha ltifles in capturing the bluff on the coast west of Ivrithia, the General Commanding has ordered that this bluff will in future be known as 'Gurkha Bluff.'" Other imnics mo constantly appearing on the map in connection Wltiv tliesy, ogt&-