DARDANELLES AND MESOPOTAMIA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2835, 28 July 1916, Page 5

DARDANELLES AND MESOPOTAMIA

COMMISSIONS ANNOUNCED ■ STATEMENT BY MR, ASQUITH By Assoeiation-Oopyiifht (Heuter's Telegram.) s London, July 26. The personnel of the Commissions to inquire into tho Mesopotamia and Dardanelles campaigns was announced in the House- ot Commons by Mr. Asquith, as i follow:— Mesopotamia Ccoi;mission: Lord Georgo Hamilton (chairmau), Lord Donou\'hmorc, Lord Hugh Cecil, Sir A. "Williamson, M.P. (Liberal), Mr. J. Hodge, M.P. (Labour). ' Dardanelles Commission: Lord Cromer .(chairman), 'Mr. Andrew lfisher (High Commissioner for Australia), Sir Thos. Mackenzie (High Commissioner for Now Zealand), Sir' Ji". Cawley, M.IV (Liberal), Mr. J. A. Clyde, M.P. (Unionist), and Mr. Stephen Gwynn, M.P. (Nationalist). Mr. Asquith said that it was necessary in choosing; the Mosopotamian and Dardanelles Commissioners that they should if possible be persons not only unconnected directly or indirectly, in the sense of responsibility, with tho matters to 1» inquired into, out should also ho free from bias or tho party viewpoint. The names given were merely a suggestion; tho Government was willing to accept any proposal.for strengthening or amplifying tho composition of tho Commission. • Sir Henry Dalziel said he thought that a younger, man than Lord Cromer should be chairman. Ho also objected to the inclusion of Lord Georgo Hamilton, becauso he was in receipt of a Government pension. "Wo do not want Government hacks on these committees," -he said. He asked whether the Commissions were empowered to inquire into the initiation of the Dardanelles operations and v the advance on Bagdad. Mr. Asquith said that he desired that, the term of reference should be /as wide as possible. Ho did not object to including, the initiation of .the operations, although he thought that an inquiry into the conduct of the operations would include their initiation. In replying to questions as to why there were no naval 'or military members, Mr. Asquith said that the Government considered it was "better that the Commissions should be entirely free from naval and military men. BILL BEAD '-A SECOND TIME. London, July 27. In the House of Commons, Mr, Austen Chamberlain, in reply to a question, said that Mr. Fisher and Sir Thomas Mackenzie had not been appointed as representatives of their respective Governments, but accepted tho positions with the knowledge and assent of their Governments. The Bill was read a second time.