THE MESOPOTAMIABLUNDERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3137, 16 July 1917, Page 5

THE MESOPOTAMIABLUNDERS

THOSE INDICTED TO BE TRIED

A STATUTORY TRIBUNAL

London, July 13. In the House of Commons,. Mr. A; J. Balfour (Foreign Minister) announced, that tho Government would adopt a pro- ■ posal for a statutory tribunal to (teal with both tho soldiera. and .the civilians indicted in tho Mesopotainiau Report. He\ added that; Lord had ! three, times offered Id , ? resignation since tho publication of the report, and that he (Mr. Balfour) hud refused to accept it.

Mr. Austen Chamberlain, referring .to the earlier move on Bagdad,. warmly repudiated ■ the charge that Ministers, for political reasons, deliberately sent"-men upon a hazardous gamblo:.. lie defended lord Hardinge, against whom the grayest allegation was that ho trusted military affairs too implicitly to tho military advisers sent to him.'. Tho debate- was adjourned.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. LORD HARDINGE'S POSITION; ■ (Rec. July 15, 5.5 p.m.) • London, July 13. ■ In the House of Commons,, during the. Mesopotamia", debate, .Mr.. Charles iKob-y----erts (Liberal) said.Lord.Hardinge had-, been unjustly censured for his fold act and courage- in facing.a possible xising.iiv India. The result had revealed- India's lovalty. Mr. J. G. S.. llacNeil (Nationalist) said., that' Lord Hardinge's position in th«. l'oreign Office was unconstitutional. and. improper. Moreover, while under the. shadow of a grave accusation Lord \ Hardinge had been put into the. position of a Daniel come to judgment over the Irish administration, yet his faults, compared with-Mr. Augustine Birrell's/wero a3 mountains to a morsel of sand.—Aus.N.Z. Cable,- Assn.-Beuter. CAMPAIGN WARRANTED BY EXPERT AUTHORITY , ■ TRIBUTES TO MR, CHAMBERLAIN.(Rec. July 15, 5.5 p.m.) London; July U. In the House of Commons, .in the course of the Mesopotamia. debate, Mr. Asquith said it was clearly the general opinion of the Houso that it would be unjust to take disciplinary action upon the report. It would, be absurd to submit to any judgeSithe question, whether (statesmen or soldiers acted upon a miscalculation. The House of Commons was the only tribunal to say whether such., iuea had forfeited its 'trust and deserved, censuro. He considered Mr. Austen i Chamberlain's chivalrous resignation was uncalled for. He added that not a step in the war was. more completely warranted by every • relevant consideration ■ of strategy, or more strongly fortifiedbeforehand by the .absolute concurrence; of expert authority, than the advance, on Bagdad. In his decision he had no part, but when he learned of it he fully • and whole-heartedly approved of it. Regarding tho telegram concerning the political advantages of an advance.on. Bagdad, it was a foul and wilful calumny to interpret-it that the Government:was , I eager , for an immediate success in.order to restore our waning fortunes. The only, political consideration-of the advance-was' its effect on the general situation, espe-. cially in the.Turkish,-Arab,'Persian, andIndian world.. no partly defended : Gen T eral Nixon, and added, that the mannerin which the report concerning.the. medical breakdown had been travestied, perverted, and;exploited,was one of the-most-disgraceful incidents in history, and a I degradation to the Press.-.. [ Mr. Lloyd ■ George - said: he, associated i himself • with, the eloquent tributes r on-. Mr. Nothing in the- rfport. justified his resignation. ■ Undoubtedly. the ■ report showed there had. been mis-, management, and; that, thousands iof gaU lant lives Tiad been lost owing to the conditions of unspeakable torture. Either the systom-waa to blame or the.individuals working it, perhap3 both; If the individuals were blanieable- they- should be punished, but they were entitled to a < fair judicial investigation. It-would have been: unfair had the Government acted upon the roporh If the House,, desired a statutory committee-of inquiry ■ the Government was -prepared-to proposer one. It was absolutely indefensible that the Houso and-the Government , should: be discussing such a- matter. He begged the Houee to rise above these things and 6ny to the Government, "Get on with the war." After other members. had spoken on, the question the motjon, lapsed.The debate left the public in. ignorance whether the Government had decided- on.a statutory commission to deal.with.the Mesopotamia Report. Apparently the. Government is unable to make- up ite. mind whether a-tribunal is: necessary.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE OF. LORDS THE PRESS HUNT FOB VICTIMS. (Rec. Jnly 15,. 5.5 p.m.) London, Jnly. 14. In the House of Lords, Lord Loreburn: blamed: the Government for- proceeding ; with the Mesopotamia expedition without full inquiry. There were no. grounds for court-martlalling tho military concerned. Regarding the Civil Servants, if •' the Government did not think they should: remain it could insist-.upon, their resignations. Ministers should shoulder the responsibility of those censured. Lord Curaon said the publio had a right to know where the blame lay. The Press hunt for victims had degenerated into a witch-hunt. . Many., shared:.-the. responsibility for tho Mesopotamia canh paign. He believed mistakes . could, have been avoided but for the radically -unsound system of the Indian military nd-ministration.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.