A DARDANELLES THEORY

Evening Star, Issue 15882, 14 August 1915, Page 1

A DARDANELLES THEORY

POSSIBLE EXPLANATION" ‘ ’ OF JOFFRES PAUSE. Strong criticism has been passed, ; especially in England, on the wisdom of the Dardanelles operations. To this ; criticism there is an interesting reply, •: which is of particular interest to Australians, in view, of the fact that the •. Australian Expeditionary Force lias been sent to Turkey. Tho reply does not emanate from official sources, but it has been put forward confidently by several’of the ’ best-known military critics. In effect ib ' ; is that the war against’ Germany will nob be decided by further great battles in Franco and Belgium, but on Hungarian, Austrian, and German soil; with ■ Russian, French, and British armies fighting side by- side. It is admitted in all V quarters that the forcing of the Dardanelles will influence the Balkan States; ■ particularly Rumania and Bulgaria. . But, , apart from any assistance that the .Triple ■ Entente may ‘ reteiye from-' the- Balkan ’ ..States, riie forcing of. the ■.Dardanelles will be followed by the; a.ppcaranoe - : of yi-,; hundreds of transports conveying British.”and French troops to assist the Russians in carrying out an extensive outflanking movement against ,lhe Gormans. ' Sufficient troops will be left in France and Belgium, to hold the Germans in check ou ’ tho western front, while the main pressure is exerted, in Prussia and the south of Germany through Hungary. Such a strategical, plan would have’ immense advantages if it were carried out. It would save Belgium and the districts of Prance now in German hands from further devastation. Practically every Belgian and French town and * village which the Germans now hold will be destroyed if the Germans are gradually pressed back on the western front bv the steadily-increasing numbers of the Allies. Every yard of the ground will be stubbornly contested, and this means that the Germans will have to bo shelled out of every town and village which they defend. It is known that the Belgian Government have appealed to tho powers of the Triple Entente to save devastated Belgium from the additional horrors and destruction which must accompany a gradual advance of- the Allies through Belgian soil. The plan to operate with Russian armies in the eastern theatre of the war would save Belgium, because as the pressure in the east increased tho Germans ■woukJ bo conuxillcd to bring troops from the western front. In order to keep their western lino intact, thev would nave to shorten it. and this’ mulct be done, only by falling back on their own frontier. By making tho eastern campaign the decisive theatre of the, war the Allies would transfer the devastation of war to enemy soil. The great decisive ibauties would oo fouiglit in. Minxgaryj Austria, and Germany. The towns nmf villages of_ these countries would bo destroyed in the process of tho campaign instead of Belgian, French, .and Polish centres. The victorious armies’of the Allies advancing through Hungary 'would sweep northwards, towards Berlin, and thus evade the formidable teak of reducing the strongly-fortified cities of the Rhino and of Prussia. In short, the forclnS °* „ Dardanelles may provide a new road to Berlin,