LEAVE TO SUE SIR IAN HAMILTON

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2669, 14 January 1916, Page 5

LEAVE TO SUE SIR IAN HAMILTON

SUVLA BAY GENERAI/S REQUEST

B.v Telegraph—'Pros* ApeoMation—OopttlrM ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.)

London, January 12. Major-General Stopford lias asked tho War Office for leave to sue Sir lan Hamilton for defamation of character. [According to Sir Tail Hamilton s report 011 the Anzac and Suvla Bay operations, the failure at the latter place was (hie to Major-General Stopford, who was in command at Suvla Bay, being overborne bv his divisional commanders. Ho urged tliem to push in so as to forestall the Turks at Chocolate Hills. but the divisional commanders believed themselves unable to move owing to their men being exhausted by the lighting ou August 7. Their objections prevailed. Sir lan Hamilton's report continues: "He StopTord) told them ho did not ivisli them to make frontal attacks on entrenched positions, but desired them to turn any trenches possible. This instruction was the root of our failure to mako use of the priceless daylight hours on August 8. Driving power was required, even a certain nilhlcssncss, to brush aside the pleas for respite for tho tired troops. The one fatal error was that inertia prevailed. I went to Silvia when I found the battle going wrong, and ordered my General reserve to Suvla, hoping to pliable Stopford to secure commanding around at the bay. Final)." 1 appointed Mnior-Ciensrnl De Lisle in Stopfavu s jjiaie."]