GALLIPOLI AND FALKLANDS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3586, 23 September 1920, Page 6

GALLIPOLI AND FALKLANDS.

SIDELIGHTS ON LORD FISHER. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, up till re- | cently Dominion High Commissioner in London, throws interesting sidelights on the Falkland Islands battle. In connection with the Dardanelles Commission, a sincere friendship arose between the Admiral and Sir Thomas. During the course of the Dardanelles Commission, Lord Fisher was asked opinion of Mr. Churchill, the Admiral gave a characteristically cmphat--ic TQfptyy adding, however,, that he ■ would not “let Winston down,” because it was he who had supported him in his demand fo.r two ships to proceed to the Falkland Islands. The Admiralty had refused, stating that they could not be spared, and even if they could be spared, that they could not; be ready for a month. Lord Fisher said: “They must, leave tonight,” and he calVed for Mr. Churchill’s assistance. After a keen discussion, the ships were despatched that night and the Admiral' in giving his evidence assumed a a rilling posture, and holding up his hand, said, “How long were they at the Falkland Islands before they were .required?” Ten minutes; and had they not been there. the Germans would have sunk our ships and what woii’.d have been the consequence? They had ten thousand time-expired soldiers' in the Argentine, ready to build a fort and to make the defences of the Falklands* a second Gibraltar. Once established they would have interfered with the' work in South Africa, and they would' ♦ have become a serious menace throughout the' Pacific. This view was supported by Admiral Phillimore, who commanded one of (.he ships at the Falkland Islands. He corroborated every word of it and gave a very interesting account of the battle. Some of the Englishmen wished to send the Germans to the bottom in the same manner as our own Pacific unit had been treated by the unscrupulous Germans, but the British humanity prevailed and they decided to save as many Germans as they could. The Admiral described «.hc hauling of a podgy feliow out of the water, who said, “I am zee Commander, I am zee Commander.” They got him on board and treated him well, but in a day or two he became so arogant and offensive that they had to isolate him. Later says Sir Thos. Mackenzie, I .incidentally mentioned Lord Fisher’s description of the intentions of the,Germans at the Falkland Islands, when Lord Bryce, taking a menu', sketched thereon Stanley Harbour, and stated that, had the Germans obtained possession, it was naturally so sif.rong that they could have made it impregnable He.showed the location of the British ships and how they had fired over a ridge of hills in order to hit the Germans and sink irhem Admiral Phillimore told me that it was a mistake to suppose, as some people did, that the Germans wc’C not brave fighters On one of the ships that subsequently went down, there were three hundred dead, and towards the end of the battle, the German guns were worked by officers alone. He paid a great tribute to the splendid fighting qualities of thc : Germans, but his ■views on their inhuman conduct in some respects we.-e very graphically expressed.