MESOPOTAMIA.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 6 July 1917, Page 3

MESOPOTAMIA.

THE COMMISSION’S REPORT. LORD HARDINGE’S DEFENCE.' LONDON, July 3. In the House of Lords, Lord Hardinge expressed the opinion that the Mesopotamia Commission did not give sufficient prominence to the unexamped effort made by India at the outset of the war and the generosity of her contributions of every kind, which necessarily hampered operations elsewhere. - The report inadequately weighed the risks and preoccupation of the Indian Governmont in 1914-15 in connection with internal and frontier affalr§: India’s military expenditure'oefore the war exceeded the maximum fixed, and increased in war time beyond the point which financial advisers considered safe. India’s expeditions to'France, Egypt and East Africa before the Mesopotamian Expedition was contemplated, exhausted her military resources and reserve of equipment and stores. Approximately 80,000 British and 210,000 Indian troops, fully trained and equipped, were sent overseas. Lord Hardinge emphasised that some weeks before the arrival of Territorials the BritisTr garrison in India was only 15,000. Thus the safety of India imperilled the interests of the whole Empire. He took the risk because he trusted the people of India. The Government of India strongly opposed an advance on Bagdad without reinforcements, buf ~ maintained that their veto was not justifiable in view of the obvious political advantages and expediency of the capture of Bagdad, also in view of the strong pressure from Home and the unanimity of milifSry opinion in favour of the advance. The inadequacy of the river transport was only revealed when too late to make good, although everything possible was done to remedy it. The local military authority did not raise this as an objection to~ the advance. Regarding the medical breakdown, which caused him the deepest pain and sorrow, he confessed that he had been completely deceived by misleading reports from the 'front, but the moment he knew the truth, he made every effort to effect a remedy.