WAR’ SORDID SIDE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1930, Page 4

WAR’ SORDID SIDE

FLETHER R EYELATIONS

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

LONDON, April 2o*

General Sir lan Hamilton has suggested' an inquiry regarding the war mi Hie Western Front. He declared: “It would be .better, for holding together the .Empire,, that there should be a Royal Commission to inquire into the Western Front- rather than that the stones qf; suicides, murders, drunkards, executions and immortality should be unchecked. Then some of the clever writers would go through the mill of puuiic .cross examination.”

Sir lun Hamilton said be was impelled to make these remarks .because the “shockers’’ . now confronted the Empire with a grave danger. England's overseas sisters had been wonderful. They had allowed their husbands and brothers and sons to risk death and wounds for the sake of the Motherland, but they would refuse to do so a third time if they thought that they risked demoralisation as well as disablement.

These remarks were made by Sir lan Hamilton at 1 an Anzac Day Reunion at Australia, House, London, which was arranged by Doctor Mary Booth, and it whs attended by Sir Granville Ryrier<,.( Australian High Connnisioner) and , Lady Ryrie, • and the Agents General and the Australian test, cricket players, - Sir lan. Hamilton conversed with the cricketers, particularly with Oldfield, who is the only ex-digger, in the team. Sir Jan'referred-feelingly to the rag. iug controversy, over the books being written on the War. He said.— “There was no. scope for drink and immorality aF Gallipoli, but only for immortality.” - He said those who ‘ wanted mud-slinging had to go sixty miles to the base! at Mudros, whore as a. civilian wrote home..to Australia: “Officers are wallowing” in ice with wounded soldiers dying of thirst hardily.” and where .‘another, referring to the ship “Aragon” in Mudros harbour, said: “So much whisky '.was ' drunk: ’.grounded upon her. own »battles.’’, } Luckily a Royal;Cohtinis3iQi|lS<iquii , y. had proved these to be lies.

; R.S.A. £IUTTCS

~,, PALMERSTON , N., April,, 26. ~!' At: tiie'‘aimuai e reunion, of the Wel--1 i ngto’n ; 'R cgi iiieiit l tfli’e “clihi rman, Lieutenant, W. Periy, of Wellington, criticised the lip-patnotism of the. persons who were buying foreign goods instead of British goods, and spoke in no uncertain terms of certain war books recently published. He said • “We have quite a. lot I 'of lip patriotism .in New Zealand, and in other' countries of the British Empire. We have the lip patriotism which makes New Zealanders buy foreign, instead of British goods, thus helping scuttle our fleet, and to pf’ovide money, fof ’other tfc nations' t'd build fleets which one'’ day they may perhaps, use ' against u: hs,” He’continued: 1 nee'"tlie War j 5 we hhve had 'a'’ flood'of ' dirty waF books, which represent the men in” trenches as bGhayAgg although we say it ourselves,' and' we know that ;• hieiP diclThdt.bGhayej.like'.. a'rijWalfij” ' v The ’’ subject' of v 4ihe 1 cahcetlatibii of territorial camps-was also, referred to, and returned men were urged to set their faces against -any move to abolish compulsory training. General H. Hart, ColonelyW. R. Cunningham, and Lieut. Perry all appealed, to chose present to use their influence against any such move. “The nation that ia not prepared to pay for its defence in time of peace deserves to get it- in the neck in time of war,” said one speaker.- -