GALLIPOLI FAILURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1920, Page 11

GALLIPOLI FAILURE.

ENORMOUS CASUALTIES. GENERAL SIR lAN HAMILTON SILENT. In the report on the Gallipoli campaign, a cabled resume of which was published in the New Zealand Times at the time, some additional details are now given of the enormous losses sustained by the attacking troops. As for General lan Hamilton's responsibility the Commission reported that in the light ol' events it would have been well had he examined the situation as disclosed by the first landing in a more critical spirit, impartially weighed the probabilities of success and failure, havirig regard to the resources in men and material which could be placed at his disposal, and submitted to the Secretary of State for War a comprehensive statement of the arguments for and against a continuance of the operations.

119,000 CASUALTIES. The view held in many quarters that our invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula, even unsuccessful, was justified because, it kept 300,000 Turks from being employed elsewhere, is rudely dissipated. The Commission point out that to effect this we had to employ at least 400,000 men, and that our casualties amouiited to 119, l S4li, including 31,389 killed and 9,70S missing. They do not think, therefore, that from a military standpoint, our gain in one direction compensated for our losses in others. On the other hand, certain important political advantages wore secured. There was the question of our prestige to be borne in mind, and the possible influence on the operations on the intervention of Greece and Bulgaria.

Throughout their conclusions the Commission emphasise the failure of the military authorities at home, and even the commanders on the spot, to realise the enormous difficulties the expedition involved, and their failure to provide the men and material necessary to render success possible.

It is also obvious that, they attribute, most of the difficulties experienced to the falsification of the expectation that the campaign would be short and decisive.

SIR lAN'3 MOUTH CLOSED. The attention of General Sir lan Hamilton was called to the issue of the report. Sir lan had seen the report, but stated he was still on the Active List, and was therefore absolutely precluded from giving an interview or discussing the findings of the Commission in any form.