WAR SHOCKERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 97, 26 April 1930, Page 9

WAR SHOCKERS.

SOLDIERS SLANDERED. Lan Hamilton Deplores Literary Mudslinging. . , ROYAL COMMISSION URGED. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) ' i (Received 12 noon.)' LONDON", April 25. "There --was no scope for drink and immorality on Gallipoli, only for immortality," said Sir lan Hamilton in a feeling reference at the Anzac

Day reunion at Australia House, when touching on the "raging controversy" of war books. "Those who wanted to mudsling had to go 60 miles to the base at Mudros, where, as a civilian wrote Home, Australian officers 'are wallowing in ice with wounded soldiers dying of thirst hard by,' and where another, referring to the ship Aragon in Mudros Harbour, stated: 'So much whisky was drunk aboard that it grounded upon its own empty bottles.'" Luckily a Royal Commission of inquiry had proved these lies. It would be T>etter for the holding together of the Empire, said Sir lan, .that there should be a Royal Commission to inquire into conditions on the Western Front rather than that stories of suicides, murders, drunkards, executions and immorality should go unchecked. Then some clever writers would be put through the mill of a public crossexamination of what impelled these' remarks, because such shockers confronted the Empire with a grave danger. England's overseas sisters were wonderful all round. They allowed husbands, brothers and sons to risk death and wounds for the sake of the Motherland, but would refuse a third time if they thought they risked demoralisation as well as disablement. The reunion was arranged by Dr. Mary Booth, and was attended by Sir Granville and Lady Ryrie, the AgentsGeneral, and the Test cricketers. Sir lan Hamilton conversed with the cricketers, particularly with Oldfield, who is the only ex-Digger.