THE DARDANELLES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

GOVERNMENT WILL PUSH ON. MR. BARTLETT ON THE SITUATION. WILL SEE THE SHOW THROUGH. ADAPTABILITY GF THE AEMY. WORK OF THE NAVY, {Received Oct. 26, 5£ p.m. London, Oct. 25. There is much discussion on the prospects at Gallipoli. The consensus of expert opinion is that the Government is as determined as ever to push on to Constantinople. Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, in an article in the Daily Telegraph on the Dardanelles expedition, says: 'lt is an excellent example of the Britishers' peculiar haJbit of conceiving gTeat schemes and rushing them at a moment's notice, without counting the cost. The officers and men, with wonderful ability,' adapt I themselves to the circnmstances, and this takes the place of the years of stady devoted by foreign General Staffs. Our method allows us to gradually pile | up weight. ••When we lost three battleships in the Dardanelles the Near East believed that the expedition was doomed to failure. When an army inadequate in numbers appeared, that opinion was unchanged. Now the view of the Near East is changing to admiration, as it realises that we are determined to see the show through," "The fleet has the enormous responsibility of guarding the flanks of the army. After the Goliath was torpedoed the army's right wing was left to take care of itself. At night-time all the warships were withdrawn from the danger points in the Straits. German submarines had a wonderful chance of sinking British warships. One must admire the enterprise of their commanders, but I think the British submarines, with similar opportunities, would have done better. The Admiral continually transferred his flag to smaller and less valuable vessels. All the ships remaining carry out their duties with the same precision and coolness as the earlier vessels, though they are twelve to twenty years older, and would have been on the scrap-heap but for the war."

NO CAUSE FOR PESSIMISM. A TRIBUTE TO '<K. OF K." London, Oct. 25. Sir A. Oonan Doyle, after tracing the ■operations on the Western front and on the sea, adds: "It seems to me that ■we have made remarkably few mistakes and have been 1 wonderfully fortunate in [our leaders. "If we search the glorious pages of British history we shall not find a man so fitted by nature and training as Lord Kitchener, with his cold mathematical power of thinking in terms of the year after next. His enduring, inflexible will make him an ideal leader. "Unreasonable criticism tends to dishearten our best men. IWe have no . cause for pessimism."

TURKISH ATTACKS PAIL. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, Oct. 24. Mitylene reports state that the Allies at Suvla and Krithia repulsed with heavy losses the Turkish attacks. Fighting continues. Two destroyers entered the Straits and bombarded the enemy positions. USELESS TALK. London, Oct. 25. Nine Liberal members in the House |of Commons proposed the same motion tor a select committee to deal '.vith the position at the Dardanelles, while others demanded a debate. HEALTH OF TROOPS. SICKNESS DECREASING. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received Oct. 28, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 25. A correspondent says that all reports indicate that the health of the troops at the Dardanelles is improving. The Anzac sick-lists are steadily decreasing, and when the new troops'become seasoned, sickness should nearly disappear.