The Dardanelles

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 48, 26 October 1915, Page 3

The Dardanelles

SIR A. CONAN DOYLE'S OPINION. United Press Association. London, October 25. "Have we Tailed at the Dardanelles:-'" is a question Sir A. Conan Doyle undertakes to answer in a striking article in the Daily Chronicle. In a plea of optimism, and the cessation of unreasonable pessimistic criticism, he writes:— "There is great contrast between the German and British press during the last few months, yet, in our heart of hearts we are as certain of victory las that to-morrow's sun will shine. Look on the work for the past fourteen months. AVe have annexed the German colonies, swept the German iiags (Imperial and commercial) from the ocean, repelled the submarines, conquered southern Mesopotamia, and, greatest of all, raised an enormous voluntary army. The severest critic in the whole world could only point to 'one place where we had failed, namely, the Dardanelles. f'But has there been a failure there? I believe, if we never force the Straits, that the enterprise was nevertheless worth the undertaking. We held up a great body of the best troops, who otherwise would be operating against us or the Russians. General Hamilton had taken off the pressure from General Maxwell on the one side and from General.Xixon on the other. But the greatest Vesult was that it thoroughly united us with Russia, who knows that we have spent blood and ships trying to force the gates enclosing her. "Again, we have drawn the Central Powers on to a southern advance, the immediate result being to bring in the Serbians, who for nearly a year have been practically neutral. | Could the Central Powers advance to Constantinople, with the Allies entrenched on their flank;,or would the Turks welcome the army of the Bulgars and others of their hereditary- enemies ! J And if we even assume these armies ,to reach Constantinople, how would they cross the Egyptian desert ? 'lt is too early to say that Ave have tailed at the Dardanelles.

"Mr. Churchill has been criticised for saying we were only a few miles from victory, yet. that was obviously true. Had he said 'afew months from victory' the criticism would have been intelligible. What he meant was that if we had a victory the prize would be immediately in our hands. "Mr Churchill < did not underrate the formidable task, and it is surely too early to write off the Dardanelles on the debit side of the account."

THE LANDING AT CAPE HELLES. London, October 25. Mr Nevinson, a war correspondent, in a lecture on'the war at-Gallipoli, said the men. were shot down so quickly in the landing at Cape Helios ? that Jb.e spectators aboard the ships inquired wi.iy our men were resting, ' pot realising, that their fighting flays wore over. -■

The landing Avas one of the most terrible in .our history* of this war. "The French beat us- in laying out stores for trenches and encampments; everything being beautifully engineered, "and also-beat our organisation, "the! sight ,of the Australians and New Zealanders tilled'Abb" with new iiope.Vor the race the world over. One of the reasons for the Suvla Bay failure was that of the staff work, though he was inclined to attribute it to the use of new troops who were unaccustomed 'to the cjtmtry. They were hurriedly landed &M rushed into a tremendous battle,' % )t knowing what hardships meant of anything about bloodshed, wounds,'"and death. Water was scarce and men almost died from thirst, but they behaved with gallantry on the first night and the next morning, and then suddenly failed.

ON THE HEROES OF AN?AC. London,' October 2L Sir lan Hamilton reported at the War Office' and had two hours' conference with Lord Kitchener to-day. Mr Balfour, Lord Derby, and others wore present. Speaking to friends, Sir lan Hamilton was full of praise for all ranks of Australians and New Hollanders. , He was'deeply touched, by his mji.gmtt.cent, send-off,at Anzac, when bidding farewell to the men. He said that no worldly honors could*give him satisfaction equal to the goodwill of the heroes of Anzac, Interviewed in Paris by Le Journal. Sir lan said he had no knowledge where he would be sent now, but trusted his period of inactivity would be very short. He paid a tribute to the dash and gallantry of the French troops, especially the Algerians. He added that the British troops are alike splendid, from the Cockney to the Australian and New Zealand. GENERAL BIRDWOOD'S MESSACE London, October 25. General Hamilton's references to the Australians and New Zealanders was in reply to General Birdwood's telegram, as follows :—"Anzac. We greatly regret your departure, and in wishing yon goodbye all ranks offer you, personally, their very best wishes."' A TURKISH COMMUNIQUE. Amsterdam, October 23. A Turkish communique says: Our gunners damaged an enemy torpedo boat off l>j»g Bai,, » and * he was towed to Imhros. ■

KITCHENER, BORN LEADER, GLORIOUS PACES IN HISTORY. (Received 5..25 a.m.) London, October 25. After tracing the operations on the West front to the sea, Sir Conan Doyle adds: "It seems to me that wo made remarkably few mistakes, having been wonderfully fortunate ill our leader. If there are such glorious pages i" British history, we will not find a man so fitted by nature and training as Kitchener. His cold mathematical brain power of thinking in terms the year after next and his enduring inflexible will make an ideal leader. Unreasonable crrticism tends to dishearten our best men. We hav. no cause for pessimism."

MISCELLANEOUS. London, October 24. The Associated Press correspondent further states that the Turks re-took Kiritch Tepo under a German, Lieu-tenant-Colonel Wilmers Bey. The position of the Turks is better. They are masters of part of the Anafarta region which they lost, also of a Turkish fortress, and under German commanders cleared the Allies from an important crest west of the BiyukAnafarta. cemetery. In consequence of losing these positions the Allies to-day have retained themselves in the Anaf'aita region only. Because of the Turks' immense artillery superiority it is impossible for the Allies to advance afc Seddul Bahr by operations conducted within range with reasonable and oermissible sacrifices. From a strictly military point of_ view the Allies' position on the peninsula is more unfavourable to-day than it was on .April 26. Constantinople, October 2-L A communique states : AVe bombarded a barricade at Anafarta, destroying three machine-guns. We also silenced the artillery fire by land and sea at Ari Burnu (near- Anzac). The enemy at Seddul Bahr fired some thousands of shells on our left wing without doing damage.