THE TRUTH ABOUT GALLIPOLI.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3488, 17 May 1920, Page 5

THE TRUTH ABOUT GALLIPOLI.

SIR lAN HAMILTON I3‘UBIi,IE'»I-{ES ‘HIS DIARY.

LONDON, May 15.

The Australian Press has see-urd! the rights of the early‘ publication of Sir lan Hamilton's Grallipoli diary. It contains remarkable revelations of vthe early days of the “éimpaign. ‘ . Sir lan Hamilton, in. a preface to his diary, says: “I will not leave my diary to be flung to posterity behind the cover of my coflin. If any one wishes to challenge» the contents I am above ground to give him saltisfac, tion.” The book contains :1 remark--able record of ofiiciel sllort—sighte(l—--ness, but is even. more note-worthy as the revelation of the personality of such a. commander of a great fighting “force which is rarely given to the World. Referring ‘fa the attitude of the Press Bureau and the War OflJ'ce’s desire for secrecy, Sir lan Hamilton has recorclcd: “Some newspaper correspondents arrived. I told them to do whatever they d——«-—cl well ploaced.”

HISTORIC UTTERANCES BY KITCHEN ER.

LONDON, May 15.

Sir lan Hamilton ’s Gallipoli (liafy

is published in two volumes. Sir lan ‘Hamilton, in the early chapters g‘raphi.eally describes his meeting with Lord I Kitchener, to discuss the operations at the Dardanelles". Referring toséiiiling the Twenty-Ninth Division, Lord Kit.chener said: “You might just as well realise at once tthat General Head quarters in France will not agree to this.‘ They think they have only to drive the Germans bacli 50‘ miles to win the war. French and his staff firmly believe they can pitch camp in a corner of Europe and fight a world War no a finish. The thing is absurd. but ‘I French, plus France, are a. strong comLbination. They are fighting tooth and ‘nail-for the Twcntiy-Ninth Division. It must clearly be understood that all things eurniarked for the East are regarded by powerful interests"at Home and in France as being stolen from the West. Wolfe Murray, Archie Murray, and Braithwaite were then called in by Lord Kitchener. «This was apparently the first either of the Murrays had heard of the Dardaiielles projec‘t.' Both seemed. taken Eihack. Bra.i.th--vwaite said: ‘We should have better air services than the Turks.’ He begged that we be equipped with up-to-date aeroplanes, pilots, and observers. Lord Kitchener exploded, and said: “Not. one.” Lord Kitchener W-€lS'pol‘f€C'[.ly‘ sure the Fleet would get through the Dardanelles, and that revolution would: occur among the Turks at the mere! sight of the smoke of the warshipsl Lord Kitchener added: “The moment the holding of Constantinople comes‘ along’, rthe French and Russians will be ‘ very jealous -and prickly. Therefore the more we eiface ourselves at that stage the better he (Lord Kitchener) would ’be pleased. ‘We could not let the French and Russian garrison at” Constantinople sing their hymns in Saint Sophia whilst we held the rail-1 way, and perhaps Adrianople.

Sir lan refers to Lord .Kitchener’s desire in pre-war days to become ‘Viceroy of India, or Ambassador at Constzmtinople. Under Lord Kitchener -England could have beaten the Turk single-handed, while as Ambassztdor at Constantinople he would have prevented ’l.‘ul-key entering the war. The Intelligence bl'an'ch was hopeless. It did not krT?)"t§r"alnything' about the enemy’s strength or guns, ‘Winston Churchill was in 3 fever to get. us off. On the German system plans of landing‘ would have-been in my pocket. workerl out to a cartrillge and a. poll of Walter. By the British. system I was obliged to concoct my own plan in a brace of shakes, almost under fire. Our way may -have merits strategimlly and tactically. but in the matter of supply, transport, ol'ganisa,tion, and administration, our way is that of Colney Hatch. When I -farex;_*elled Lord Kitchener, he said: “If the Fleet gets through, Constantinople will fall itself. You will have won, not a battle. but the war.”

When Sir lan Hamilton reached Tenedcs, he found the mine-sweepers in~ efficient, their exxgilie? being worn out. Will] more powerful sweepers the business would have been easy. The peninsulur was well fortified. Our sea planes could not locate’ fhe enemy guns. Nominully our planeg fiossessed powerful engines, but he adds: “The él———d things would:.b'a.rely barely rise off the water.” Affel- the mishap to the inflexible and Irresisfible, it became u.leal' that soldiers must do the trick. The War Office notion that the fleet ’s guns would sweep the enemy from Achibaba. southward ‘became moonshine.

While in Egypt, Sir lan Hamilton saw General Birdwoocl’s thirty thousand, “A crowd,” he says, “-that would straighten the back of the pacifist. There is bravery in their air, a. keenness upon theif clear-cut features. They are spoiling for a setup. The spirit of war breathed its fires into t/‘heir hearts. '

Sir lan Hzimilton displayed intense loyalty to Lord Kitchener. CFI9 deter-

mined that he would not Write to any public personage eirdept Lord Kitchener, as in war no man could serve two masters, yet, although he regretted his inability to confifiunicate With ..Mr Churchill personafly, as he could have relied on his kicking red tape into the waste—paper basket. Several powers that be” told ‘him to keep them fully posted, but there had: .been so much stiletto work in this war that he refrained from writing.

Sir lan Hamilton throughout the campaign .sent hundreds of cables, appealing firstly for men and more ammunition. Lord Kitchener told him General Maxwell would give him any support he wanted from Egypt. Maxwell would not do anything, because he had his own shown to run_” Lord Kitchener gave me fair warning that I must not embroil him with Freneh, France or British politicians, by sqeezing him for Illol'e€tl'.oops. I took the job on these terms, hoping for help from Egypt, but got the chirliest of refusals. The quid nuncs in London said with complacency that my 60,000 bayonets were enough to over-run the Turkish Empire. So they would, but I did not have that number for the (battle line. Exactly half my bayonets spent the whole night carrying water, ammllnltlon and supplies. And the other half was .up all night in the firing line, armed mostly with spades, digging desperately. Now and then‘ there was help of a fight, but that was incidental and a relief. Civilians at Home think we were like those in France, with motor transport at our backs. My troops were becoming thoroughly worn out, and. our regiments would not be their superb selves until their terrible losses we're made good.

[ Sir lan Hamilton refers to the Visit 101.’ Mr Murdoch, an Australian journaliist, armed with letters from Messrs 'Fisher and Pearce. He confesses that in his anxiety to oblige he exceeded his powers in permitting the visit, but Mr Murdoch signed‘ a decljaratioh to ofiserve the censorship rules. “Mr Murdoch admitted that his mind was a blank’ about soldiers and .soldier_lng, and made me uncomfortable by an elaborate explanation of why his duty to ‘Australia could be {better done by the pen. than the rifle_’\’ Sir lan Hamilton 1-eceive‘d from the Secretary of War a copy of Mr Mul'd6?fll’s cl'iticisllis sent to Mr Fisher and Mr Asquith, whereupon Sir lan Hamilton says: “I ‘carefully read this Guy Fawkes epistle, but should not have worried over the out

‘pourings of, my late guest. but for Mr Asquith clothing them in a State paper Here we see irresponsible statements by an ignorant man, and I feel it is being used as one more weapon to force Mr Asquith’s hand to ruin our last chance Mr Asquith may- have believed Mr Murdoch’s statement that Maxwell had a poor brain for a big position, or that Birdwood had not the fighting qualities 01: big brain of a great general. Murdoch was also convinced that the Turk was a better man than those opposed to him. Sir la.n_Hamilt-'O-n retorts: Murdoch saw nothing of the Turks. These reckless scraps of heresay would have been-‘worthless if they had not been endorsed with the stamp of the Ministerial holy of holies.

Sir lan Hamilton states that’, the Ttfifics got wind of the first date of “che landing fronl‘London via Vienna, run"! he comments: “The least said to the Cabinet. the least leakage...”

When the new Territoi-ia.l divisions were Coming prior to Suvla, Sir lan Hamilton impressed on the VVar Of(ice to send young and enc-.rget.ic officers, and adds: “I know the hopes Kitchener Was Fbuiiding on these mag—nificent div,isions. I knew he also was capable of understanding how he could cut his own throat, Trfs men's throats, and mine by not sending young and up-to-date generals. ‘

Sir lan Hamilton then deals lengthily with Stopford’s .failure at Suvla. Here was ‘la division which landed Victoriously, rested and waterted, which its commanders said could :not bestir itself even feebly for itwelve hours. I told Hammersley :that his ‘brigade must advance at once and dig in on the crest line, but I did not. learn until two years later thaf the brigade was not ooucentrated. If even one company had been well en-, trenched on 'l‘e‘kke Tope height we should have had the whip hand for the nexf. manoeuvre, but on August 9th the Turks rolled up our line. The misery of the scene Well nigh broke my heart. out occupation of key positions Had "chine too late. Had Stop~ ford taken up‘ the point of the Watershed on the Bth the whole Turkish position» on the peninsula would have become critical_ Stopford said he Was sure the Territorlals would not secure the hills, as the attacking spirit Wa"'s absent owing to the want of leadership By the officers, yet, at Anzac these Tex’-ritorials, under Godley, fought like Hons; ,

KEITH MURDOCH EXPLAINS. ' CHRISTCHURCH This Day. Mr Keith Murdoch commenting on lan H”amilton’g reference to him con-

tained in the cable_:‘»vg,::.lblißlled _, this imorning in c~onne.ction" 'wi_t_li ‘j.H‘alnilton"s Gallipoli diaiy, says: “In September the Dardanelles expedition. had 1-eaclrcd the most desperate of its ‘lg’ . main crises, the few fl-esll‘.'.:§‘Us‘t'ra!!4zun and New Zealand trooi7s""<3ol:ili“ilg forward were being used up by Harnilton in isolated offensfies. was coming on, and the poorne§gi-gt supplies was in keeping with“;aE,[[ack of Supplies from London. I have a per fectly clear conscience as to what I did. I went td'Lond-on. and ,}hit Hamilton as hard as/I possibly could. The British Cabinet recalled 11im_ .within a week of lily ,v:€*])ol‘t being discussed by it . He was not again employed. I had confidence, not only in tlie Australian Cabimi-t, but also the_Britisli. The wzsy they had lbeen kepti~’i'li’c’c?-lie dark about the truth. of Gallip;t().'liV.,'l'é~ mains to my mind one of the xvoistg; because one of the most dishonest ill.-‘V: cidents in the muddling in those jdaysf. I began with Sir E. Carson,;f.;{:t_h'en" chairman of the Dardanelles tee.“ ».'.,;;

Keith Murdoch was put thx-oi:1,gl.1" a thorough exaxnination, and Sir SOll placed hls statexueht beforéfithe; Cabinet, amd I\lurdoch met allKthe_ mombore. of the Cabinet singly, excepf Asquith, who broke two appointments. A copy of his report to 'L‘6'r"d Fisher was supplied to Mr Asquith, and was printed as a secret paper by Mr Asquith.E

‘.'- “C§§binet .\linisters,” continues KcithiMurdoch“, told me Sir Chas. Monl'o’s report bore out my report with sLtri},<ing similarity as to the main facts.” Murdoch denies blteaking his censorship pledge, He Wrote nothing for publicazion without the censorship. There was nothing in the pledge preventing him writing‘ 'to the ?rin)e Minister of Australia, and his letter to him compelled the Coalition Cabinet to make up its mind and send out Generals Mfonroe and Kitchener, Who at once agreed that evacuation was necessary. Hamilton’s statenient that ohyegk thought the Turks better men thaiifiij those fighting him was a fabricationfl