GALLIPOLI LANDING.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1919, Page 5

GALLIPOLI LANDING.

TUBE CCBIMA'NnEE'S

OPERATIONS jCTJEOSEa

BEAVEKr OE| TROOPS PEAKED.

London, Dec. SSL

The special conmuflaioner in the Medln terruooos for the Sydney Son's eebh service telegraphed from on December 14:—

It is a mrit curious atmosphere hen, an atmoaphsre of extreme with the Turkish leaden trying to in* fiiuuate cordiality and an everlaating friendship for Britain. I found the sensation of interviewing Mustaph* Keinal Pasha, commander of the Attzao and Surla Turkish armies in 1(115, drinking coffee and smoking fine cigar* ettes, in his luxurious apartments, curi-* ou.. indeed.

"The Australians are very good fight"' era," he said in Frenck "I often spoke to my men abut them, and they thought them terrible, but brave." Kein«l commanded the An&farta and Anwtfl Anions from the landing until a fortnight before the evacuation, when he fell •sick. Ho describes the plan of attack as a good and Strang idea, but eald: "It we 3 a mistake to make the naval attack first, and then go away and return. If a landing had been combined with the first naval attack it would have succeeded, and .vou would have captured Constantinople. However, we goi warning and prepared strong dafences. j? Jjf' < "We know weeks before that the British intended to i;Jike a permanent landing, hence the strength of our defences. I thought that a landing at Anzac would be impossible. "You made a mistake in trying to hold too large an nr.-a. If the Australians had occupied a smaller arc they would have held it securely, and with less loss. I saw, the mistake immediately, and sent my main force round the left, driving in the Hank, while a small holding force opposed )®our centre

"Wo liad very heavy losses," he said, "'but we almost destroyed the attacking force, and drove it into a tiny are on the coast, where it was under the protection of warships. It was a very daring adventure, and ii mow men had been employed at Anzac it would have succeeded. Only the bravest troops could have accomplished what was done. ' W* feared failure for some weeks buff t' n '.n our confidence ibccamd absolute, and after tlie Suvla landing are alwaj'-, h»d the besu of the position." . General Keinal admitted that the Turks were short of ammunition, but ha claimed that there was always enough to keep ;;oing. Tlicy were a.Uvay* r.liort, but never exhausted

He later com men cod to till I; of the Caucasus, and of Syria. It w:is difiieult to realise that one was in tlie presence of a man who had fought us bitterly. He spoke so sincerely of the courage and resourcefulness of the Australians that before departing I tound myself saying that if he ever visited Aust"alift he would find many old opponents glad to see him.