SIR lAN HAMILTON'S CRITICS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2667, 12 January 1916, Page 5

SIR lAN HAMILTON'S CRITICS

A TILT BY MR. ASHMEAD BARTLETT PERTINENT QUESTIONS

By Telegraph—Press Aseociatton—Oopyright Nev/ York, January 10. Mr. Ashmead Bartlott, interviewed regarding Sir lan Hamilton's report, said ho thought it was a« great mistake to publish it at this stage. While lie would have preferred to read Sir lan Hamilton's story unabridged, he went on to comment upon the reports published in America. He declared that the operation had failed because it was an operation which should never have been undertaken under such conditions in such country. It was sheer nonsense to represent that the strategic plan almost succeeded. The troops at Anzac suffered twelve thousand casualties without attaining their objective. A few Ghurkas reached the summit of Chunuk Bair and Koja Chemin Tepe, which were only a lower slope leading to Sari Bair. The losses were so terrible that even supposing that the troops had reached tho top it would have been utterly impossible for them to maintain themselves. "Why," ho said, "were unskilled troops employed at the first Suvla Bay landing, when the heroic 29tli Division, which was unhesitatingly sacrificed later on,, could have been utilised? Why wore 2500 men of the Ist Australian Division sent to their doom in an effort to acquire the apparently useless position of Lone Pine? Why were thousands thrown away on other posts which were disassociated from_ the main operations? 'If the objective was to get' astride of Koja Chemin Tepe, why was tho. weight of the attack not thrown against that point? Why was there no control from headquarters at Suvla Bay? How could General Stopford get his men forward if they were split up and lost in broken country, without water or telephone communication, and harassed by enemy snipers? Apart from all other considerations, it has not been sufficiently established that even the taking' of the Anafarta Hills and Koja Chemin Tepe would have forced the Narrows .or cleared the road to Constantinople.' "Sir lan Hamilton states that in the middle of August _ the _ Turks had 110,000 bayonets against his 55,000. He claims that if Lord Kitchener had sent 50,000 more men he would have brought the campaign «£o a successful cci.clusion. As a matter of fact, all that could have been done would have been to bring those 50,000 men to a conclusion." "TIMES" ON THE EVACUATION. LAURELS FOR THE DOMINIONS. (Rec. January 11, 5.5 p.m.) \ London, January 11. Tho "Times," commenting on the evacuation of Gallipoli, says: "Neither operation was possible to any but the boldest and steadiest of troops. There was nothing to bo gained by remaining at HeHes after tho withdrawal from Anzac and Suvla, and the effect of these operations on the general military position can only be good. The splendid troops who have added to the proudest glories of the army and have reaped for the Dominions their first laurels of a European war, are now available for service elsewhere. There cannot be a service moro splendid than they have performed, and we trust very ttiwh that it will biiim them Victorian which they so richly deserved) but were -Wad, ia Gallinolii

DISPATCH NOT TO BE DEBATED YET. (Roc. aJnuary H, 10.15 p.m.) London, January 11. Speaking in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister (Mr. Asquith) 'said that it was not considered desirable to discuss Sir lan Hamilton's report at present.