MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 June 1917, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

INDIAN COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF CENSURED. PRESS OOMMENOK. COMMANDER WEDGEWOOD'S OHARGES. Received June 2S, 5.5 p.m. London, June 27. The report of the Mesopotamia Com- i mission finds that Surgeon-General Hathaway showed unfitness for his office, but the Viceroy, Lord iUirdinge, was generally responsible in virtue of his position. The commissioners proceed: "Severe censure must be passed upon the Com-mander-in-Chief of India, who not only failed to closely 'superintend adequate medical provision, but, until the Viceroy's superior authority forced him, declined to notice minors which were true." Commenting on the Mesopotamia report, the Morning Post refers to the extraordinary telegram from Sir E. Duff regarding General Cowper, the transport officer, who telegraphed an urgent request for more transport. Sir R. Duff replied sending a warning to fioveral Cowper: ''lf anything of the sort occurs again, or I receive more querulous and petulant demands for shipping, I will immediately remove him, and refuse him further employment of any kind." Several newspapers give prominence to Commander Wedgewood's charges that not a little of the trouble in Mesopotamia was due t'o Lord Crewe and the Liberal Cabinet seeking to reduce the cost of the Indian army before the war. Commander Wedgewood opines that Lord Hardinge, Colonel Buchanan, and Sir iR. Duff seemed to show little desire to help, but some desire to actually obstruct the energetic prosecution of the war, and placed a crisis in India above the necessities of the British Empire. In support of this accusation Commander Wedgewood adduces many extracts from speeches, cables, letters, and certain of Lord Ilartlinge's telegrams, which called fofth Lord Kitchener's cabled reply: "You hardly seem to realise the. seriousness of the position on the Continent." ■ Details of the sufferings of dysentery patients and the wounded upon barges are too horrible for'publication, though some of the newspapers give prominence to the appalling report by Major Carter, in charge of the hospital ship at Basra, who l'eceived the wounded after the tattle at Ctesiphon. The commissioners attach some blame to Mr. Austen Chamberlain. The Times says his share of the culpability is almost wholly technical. When General Nixon, on October 3, 1016, telegraphed to >sfr. Chamberlain that he nvas strong enough to open the road to 'Bagdad; Mr. Chamberlain immediately telegraphed ordering the Viceroy to stop the advance. Cabinet met the same day, learned of General Nixon's confidence, and jumped at the clvance of a striking success, which was badly needed in view of the failure at Gallipoli. This compelled Mr. Chamberlain to cahlo again, cancelling the earlier instructions. THE MEDICAL DEBACLE. EXPOSED BY A PATRIOT. United Service. Eeceived June 28, 8.50 p.m. London, June 28. England resounds with the name of Dr. Jfarkham Carter, who exposed what the Commission terms the "medical debacle; of Mesopotamia." Tht Star states that every effort was made; to'break Dr. Carter, who was "sent , to Coventry" and was threatened with arrest as a "meddlesome, interfering faddikt," while General Nixon ordered two generals to deal with him for objectionable remarks. Dri Carter persisted in his disclosures. Ultimately the Viceroy sent him to England,! where he -was promoted to colonel and employed in supervising the MesopotamiSn hospital ships. Newspapers liken Dr. Carter's achievement to the late Dr. Russell's Crimea commission. I THE BLUNDERERS. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. Received June 28, 5,5 p.m. London, June 28. In the House of Commons, replying to questions regarding the Mesopotamia re- • port, Mr. Bonar Law suggested the postponement of the discussion for a week to enable the House to consider the report. It was obviously the Government's tuty to tate> immediate action regarding those specially accused. A»kcd; whether Lord Hardinge would retain lis present position, Mr. Bonar Law replied that the questions assumed that Lord Hardinge was guilty. He did lot wisli to make any such assumption at present. TURKS BARTER TROOPS WITH GERMANY. Received June 29, 12.55 a.m. Rome, June 28. The Idea Nazionale's Berne correspondent states that owing to the heat in Mesopotamia the Turks are lending Germany their divisions from thence, receiving in return additional loans and food.