IN MESOPOTAMIA.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1916, Page 5

IN MESOPOTAMIA.

DISCUSS!??:* IN PARLIAMENT.

DEPLORABLE BLUNDERS,

POLITICIANS SPEAK PLAINLY

LONDON, July 20. la the House of Commons, discussing the Dardanelles and Mesopotamia, operations, Mr. .1. Amum-Bryce declared that if the country knew the appalling facts of the hospital arrangement;: in Mesopotamia, no “whitewashing” committee would suffice.

Mr. Lloyd George (Secretary for

War) said that henceforth the Army

Council would have complete control of the Commander-in-Chief in India in respect to the conduct of the campaign. Abundant supplies were' now a.t Basrah. The, War Office' was endeavoring to remedy the difficulties of sending them to the troops. The first duty was to put matters right,

and the second was to bring those resnbrirrb k kr negligence and, incapacity to account.

Mr. Austen Chamberlain (Secretary for India) .said in the event of , incompetence being proved the Government would act immediately and would not await the Commission’s, findings. He denied that the misfortunes were due to tho financial niggardliness of the Indian Government, which was not responsible'. The House of Commons voted the money for the- expedition. Mr. Asquith’s motion was formally negatived. In the House of Lords, the Earl of

Wemyss raised the question of the Mesopotamia expedition and moved for an inquiry into- the whole campaign. He declared that many believed it was a gambling venture and that the moment the Dardanelles operations failed, Mesopotamia, ought to have been abandoned. A madder undertaking could not have been imag. hied than 12,000 troops advancing five hundred miles against the full force of the Turkish Army. Lord Crewe said it was imperative in the critical moments of August, 101-1, to're-assert our paramount posi-

tion in the Persian Gulf, to counteract

the German campaign o; seeking to # induce a. Holy War. It was necessary to support the faithful Arab chiefs by our presence in the Gulf, and this saved the Empire from the near approach of a great disaster. It was also necessary to consider the great Moslem people In Africa, who- might

easily have been aroused against usLord Islington (Under-Secretary for India) stated that all the troops in

Mesopotamia were now fully rationed, except for a shortage of vegetables and milk. Political "considerations would not allow the over-ruling of the

advice of the military in connection with the campaign. General Nixon undoubtedly believed he could cany

out the operations succestfully. General Townsheud had never questioned, in, any correspondence to which the Government had access, his capacity to do it. It was apparent that General Nixon under-rated the difficulties. .The motion was carried. It is understood from the Premier’s Statement that Sir William Robertson and Mr. Chamberlain are satisfied that everything is being done to remedy

the disastrous state of affairs in Mesa, potamia. It is confident that Sir Wil. .Ham Robertson is not a man, to b© influenced by politicians.