ON THE HILLS OF GALLIPOLI.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1920, Page 3

ON THE HILLS OF GALLIPOLI.

ASHMEAD BAItLETT’S COMMENTS. GENERAL lAN HAMILTON’S DIARY. (United Service Telegrams). (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 14. Ashmead Bartlett, interviewed said; “lan Hamilton’s diary threw no light on the Gallipoli campaign, but a flood of illumination on the character of the commander.. The diary was an. effort to throw the blame on the j late Lord Kitchener, other leaders and the quality of reinforcing forces. He dei dared* the main responsibility for the French troops -failure was Hamilton’s own faulty disposition In every fight and his uttor inability to appreciate the true strategical position. Hamilton’s operation consisted of placing division after division on the contracted benches, nnd inviting advances over unknown ground to storm positions, the like oF which was novel faced in modern warfare. He (frittered away an army in a series of badly conceived abortive attacks from first landing, which never hnd the smallest, chance of success. The lack of confidence in the higher, commands produced deplorable demoralisation in August, 1915. Only the old traditions of the old discipline held the remnant together. He denied Hamilton’s veiled accusation that he supplied Keith Mur. dot'll with information. Murdoch collected information first hand only. On the day of his departure Murdoch begged him to write something and allow the truth to become known to responsible authorities in England. Despite Hamilton’s efforts to conceal it, after consideration, he wrote to the Prime Minister a letter, which was taken from Murdoch at Marseilles. Bartlett added: Murdoch may have been technically guilty of showing an uncensored report, but was any patriotic man to allow technielity to stand in the way of saving thousands of his countrymen from a miserable end and Empire from a grave of disaster. He himself was accused of a similar offence, and were he placed in the same position "he would not hesitato to act in i the same manner again.*