THE DARDANELLES

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1916, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

A FEAT WITHOUT PARALLEL. MR. ASQITrirS STATEMENT^ Received Jan. 11. p.m. London, Jan. In. In the House of Commons, Mr. As(|uitli stated that tile latest retirement from Gallipoli was made without the loss of ft single life, as was also the earlier evacuation. This had 110 naralle' in military and naval history, and all concerned deserve tho most profound gratitude of the country, for the deeds will make for theni an imperishable place in national history. Mr. Asf|uith said ho intended to advise the King to specially mark the services of General .Monro. Admiral de Roebeck, Generals VTemyss, liirdwood, and Davics, and the other officers concerned.

TURKiSH CLAIMS. MUCII BOOTY. AND 'MANY LOSSES. ~ Amsterdam, Jan. iO. Senii-ofl'ieial reports from Constantinople give no. details of the battle at Gallipoli, which began with oir attack on Friday. The extent of the booty is extraordinarily great, and the enemy losses are reported to be considerable. TURKS AWAKE TOO LATE. AND FIND EMBARKATION COMPLETE. Received Jan. 11, 10.30 p.m. Paris, Jan, 11. A communique states that the French left six naval (Jims in Gallipoli, but these, were included in the. seventeen mentioned in the communique. The enemy opened fire at four o'clock on Sunday morning, when the embarkation was finished.

jjTTS'IOX OP THE TIMES. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received Jan. 11, .1.5 p.m. London, Jan. 10. The Times, commenting on the evacuation, says that neither operation was possible to any but the boldest and steadiest troops. Xotljing could 'be gained by remaining at Holies after the withdrawal from Anzae and Suvla. The effect of the general military position caii only be for the good of the splendid troops who have added to the proudest glories of the. anny and reaped for the dominion.; the fittest laurels of the European war. The troops were now available for elsewhere, but there cannot be a service, more splendid than that they have performed, but we trust it will living to them the victories so richly deserved, but denied them at Gallipoli.

ASHMEAD BARTLETT INTERVIEWED 15V NEW i'QBK PA PICK, New York, January 10. Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, interviewed respecting .Sir lan Hamilton's report, said he thought it a great mistake to publish it at this stage, While he preferred to read General Hamilton's unabridged story, lie went on to comment that excerpts published in America declared the operation had failed because it was an operation whiclt should never have been undertaken under such conditions and in such country. It was sheer nonsense to represent that the strategic plian almost succeeded. The Anzaos had suffered 12 ; ()00 casualties without attaining their objective A few Gurkhas leached the summit of Chanak liair apd Kojachemin Tepe, which was only the lower slope leading to Sari Bain Their losses were so terrible that even supposing the troops had reached the t.op it would have been uO- - impossible for them to maintain themselves. Why were unskilled troops employed in the first Suvla landing when the heroic 29th Division, which 7>as unhesitatingly later on, could have been utilised? Why were 2.500 men of the First Australian Division sent to their doom in an effort to acquire an apparently useless position at Lone iPjnc* Why wcys thousands thrown away at other posts which were dissociated from the main operations ? If the objective was to get astridq Kojacliemin Tepp, why was the weight of the attack not thrown against that point, Why was there no control from headquarters of Suvla? How could General Stopford get his men forward if they were split up and lost in broken country without water or telephone communication, and harassed by enemy snipers? Apart from all other consideration?, it had been insufficiently established that even the Anafarta Hills and Kojacliemin Tepe would have forced the Narrows or cleared the road to Constantinople. General Hamilton states that in the middle of August the Turks had 110,000 bayonets against his 55,001), and claims that if Lord Kitchener had sent him 30,000 more he would have brought the campaign to a successful conclusion. As a matter of fact, all that could have been done would have been to bring the 50,000 to a conclusion.