A DARDANELLES THEORY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1915, Page 8

A DARDANELLES THEORY.

POSSIBLE EXPLANATION j OF JOFFRE'S PAUSE i Strong criticism has been passed, ; especially in England, on the wisdom of j the Dardanelles operations. To this j criticism there is an interesting reply, ; which is of particular interest to Aus- j tralians, in view of the fact that the j Australian Expeditionary Force has been i sent to Turkey. The reply does not 1 emanate from ofliical sources, but it han ' been put forward confidently by several of the best-knowii military critics. In ] effect, it is that the war against Ger- ' many will net be decided by further great battles in France and Belgium, but* 11 Hungarian, Austrian and German soil, with Russian, French and British armies fighting side by side. It is admitted in all quarters that the forcing of the Dardanelles will influence the Balkan States, particularly Rumania and Bulgaria. But', apart from any assistance that the Triple Entente may receive from the Balkan States the fact remains that the forcing of the Dardanelles will be followed by the appearance of hundreds of transports conveying British and French troops to assist the | Russians in carrying out an extensive i outflanking movement against the Germans. Sufficient troops will be left in j France and Belgium to hold the Ger- j mans in check on the western front, while the main pressure is exerted in Prussia and the south ■ of Germany j through Hungary. , Such a strategical plan would have immense advantages if it were carried out. It would save Belgium and the districts | of France now in German hands from . further devastation. Practically every Belgian and French town and village < which the Germans now hold will bo destroyed if the Germai.s are gradually pressed back on the western front by the steadily-increasing numbers of the Allies. EvcTJ' yard of the ground will be stubbornly contested, and this means that the Germans will have to be shelled out i of every town and village which they defend. It is known that the Belgium Go.- j vernment have appealed to the Powers of , the Triple Entente to save devastated Belgium from the additional horrors and ! destruction which must accompany a gradual adviuiee of the Allies through Belgian soil. The plan to operate with Russian armies in the eastern theatre of ti.d war would save Belgium, because as the pressure in the east increased the German* would be compelled to bring troops from the western front. In ordei to keep their western Jine mtact, they would have to shorten it, and tlus could be done only by /ailing back on their own frontier. Bv making the eastern campaign the decisive theatre of the war the Allies would transfer the devastation of war to enemy soil. TJje great decisive battles would be fought i n Hungary, Austria, and Germany. The towns and villages of these countres would be destroyed in ihe process of the campaign instead of Belgian, French, and Polis.i centres. The victorious armies of the Allies advancing through Hungary would sweep northward towards Berlin, and Urn's evade the formidable task of rediieinf the strongly-fortified cities of the Rhine and of Prussia, In short, the forcing of the Dardanelles may provide a I new road to Berlin.