THE MEANING OF IT

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 2, 4 January 1916, Page 3

THE MEANING OF IT

It was the greatest thing of the kind that the British Army ever attempted, the Navy co-operating magnificently. The King telegraphed his congratulations to General Birdwood, who had constantly visited Anzac to direct the preparations, and remained on the spot the whole of the last day and night in the staff-ship. A mistake in regard to the withdrawal would have been, a confession of entire failure. It was not adefeat, although the German flag next morning was flying on the top of Lalababa. Anzac will take a. proud iflace in the list of battle honours Three widely-separated Empire troops fought not only the Turks and Germans, but disease, thirst, the heat of summer, and the deadly winter blizzard. The arrival of new German guns had not yet bothered us. We consistently dominated the Turks on the whole front, and we were not driven off, therefore the evacuation means pulling ourselves together, and enabling a concentration to be made on sure ground, which is vitally important. Here "the cross-roads of the Empire" are most dangerous, the strategy of the Dardanelles and Balkans involving the fate of India and Egypt. It would be practically opportunism operating in a small detachment, and permitting the initiative to the enemy By, cutting our losses in Gallipoli we have done sornethiujj towards acting wtih greater deliberation and better organised strength elsewhere.