THE SUVLA BAY MUDDLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2666, 11 January 1916, Page 5

THE SUVLA BAY MUDDLE

LORD SYDENHAM DEFENDS SIR lAN HAMILTON By Telegraph—Press 'Association—Copyright (Rec. January 10, 11.30 p.m.) London, January 10. Lord Sydenham, in a letter, disagrees with "The Times s" view that Sir lan Hamilton, while on the spot at 1 Suvla on August 8, meekly effaced himself at the most critical moment. Lord Sydenham points out that Sir lan Hamilton's function was to give his corps commanders general directions for tlie attack. "When he visited General Stopford, Sir lan Hamilton appeared to have done everything possible to secure that general advance which was plainly and immediately required. The attempt fail- ; ed, because the two divisions were spread out on a front of two miles and j a depth of a mile and a half, while tliey were not sufficiently in hand to undertake a night l attack. Visions of Napo- ; 'eon galloping about and by a few m- , spiring words galvanising the host into activity suggest themselves, hut it was physically impossible in the conditions of August 8. The battle was lost before Sir lan Hamilton landed." Lord Sydenham does not think that . Sir lan Hamilton- can justly bo blamed on tßis occasion, "though his dispatch, i as a whole, must inevitably provoke : criticism of the conduct of this expedi- . tion, which will always be associated ■ with a gallantry never surpassed.".