Page 7 Advertisements Column 2

Grey River Argus, 27 October 1915, Page 7

- IN GALLIPOLI. HAVE WE FAILED? . VALUE OF THE OPERATIONS _^ "DONE MAEVELS IN A YEAR." LONDON, October 25. "Have we failed at the Dardanelles?" This is the question Avhich Sir Artliur Conan Doyle undertakes to answer in a striking article in the Daily Chronicle. In a. plea for optimism and the cessation of unreasonable pessinistic criticism, he writes that there is a great contrast betAveen the German and British press during the feAv months. Yet in our heart we are certain of victory as to-morrow's sun will shine. Look .at our work duringfourteen months. We have annexed the German colonies ; swept the German flag, Imperial and commercial, from the ocean, repelled submarines; conquered Southern Mesopotamia, and, greatest of all, raised an enormous voluntary army. The severest critic in the Ayhole world lias only to point to one place where we'-lnive failed, viz., the Dardanelles. But has there been si -failure there? I believe that if we never force the Straits, the enterprise Avas nevertheless worth, undertaking. We have held up a great body of the best troops, who avoulcl otherwise have , been operating against us or the Russians. General Sir lan Hamilton has taken off the pressure from General Maxwell on one side and General Nixon on the other. But the greatest result is to thoroughly unite us Avith ■' Russia, which knows that we have spent our blood and ships in trying to force the gates enclosing her. Again, „, we have drawn the Central Powers on to a southern ad- ~ vance. The immediate result is to bring in the Serbians who for nearly a j^ear have been practically neutral. Could M the Central Powers advance on Constantinople Avitli the Allies .entrenched on their flank? Would the Turks welcome an army of Bulgars and other hereditary enemies? And, if even they get to Constantinople, lioav could they cross the Egyptian desert? It is too early to say that we have failed at the Dardanelles. Mr Churchill was criticised for saying that we were only a feAv miles from victory, yet that is obviously true Had he said a few months from victory, the criticism would haA'e been intelligible. What be meant was that if we had victory, the prize would immediately be in our hands. Mr ChurIhill did not under-rate the formidable task before us. It is surely too early to write off the Dardanelles on the debit side of the account. 'After tracing 1 the operations on the Western front and on the sea, Sir Arthur adds: "lt seems to me that we haA^e' made remarkably few mistakes. We v have been wonderfully fortunate in our leadders. If we search tlm pages of British history Aye will not find a man so fitted by nature and training at Kitchener. His cold, mathematical brain, poAA r er of thinking in terms of a year and his enduring, inflexible will make him an ideal leader. Unreasonable criticsm tends to dishearten our best men. We liaA^e no cause for pessimism." ANOTHER VIEW. I USE OF NEW TROOPS. LONDON, October 25. Mr.Vevinson,, the Avar correspondent, in f a lecture, said that at Gallipoli' men were shot doAvn so quickly in landing at Cape Helles that spectators aboard the ships inquired Avhy our men Avere resting, not realising that their fighting days were over. The. landing Avas one of the most terrible in our history. f The sight of the Australians and New Zealanders filled liim with new hope for a race the world over. One of the reasons that Suvla Bay was a failure Avas the staff work. New troops, unaccus-tomed to the country, hurriedly landed and pushed into a tremendous battle, not knowing what the hardships meant or anything of bloodshed, wounds or death. Water was scarce and the men almost died of thirst, but behaved gallantly the first night and then suddenly failed. GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST. WILL WE WITHDRAW? "MUDDLING THROUGH." LONDON, October 25. There is much discussion as to the prospects at Gallipoli. The concensus of expert opinion is that the Government is as determined as ever to push on to Constantinople. Mr Ashmead Bartlett, in a n article in the Daily Telegraph, says that the Dardanelles expedition is an excellent example of the Britisher's peculiar habit of conceiving great schemes and rushing into them at a moment's notice without counting the cost of officers and men. There is a wonderful ability to adapt tkem selves. This takes the place of years o f study devoted by foreign general staffs Our method allows us to gradually pile up the weight. When we lost three battleships in the Dardanelles the Near East believed that the expedition was doomed to failure. When an army, inadequate in numbers appeared, the opinion was unchanged. Noav the Near East view is changing to on c of admiration. It realises, that we are determined to s ee the shoAv through. •■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■nyßßMßlMß**"""'"""'"""* ~^ Van Houtens.Sir ! © VAN m HOUTEN'S h a OCOA *Jg