Grey River Argus and Blackball News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1915.

Grey River Argus, 28 October 1915, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1915.

Delivered every morning in T Qreymonth Jtumara, Hokitika, Dobaon, Walliend, Taylor Tille, Brnnnerton,Btillwater. Ngahere, Blackball, Nelßoh Creek; Ahauri, Ikaniatua, Wainta, BeeftoQ, Cronodun, Ea'auga.Danollie, Cobden, Baxtei'a, Kokiri, Vatara. Kaimata, Araiika, Kotuku, Moana, Burn, Te Kinga, Botcmum* Poerna, I bonnie, Jaokiont and Otirat

THE sensational report from the Dardanelles, which came to hand per medium of the "Times ancl Sydney Sun" service'created considerable uneasiness in town, but as the information contained in it has so far not been confirmed we can only hope that it is : considerably exaggerated. Probably the report may have been allowed to pass the censor with the

object of stimulating recruiting Those who read the pessimistic report from the Dardanelles anc also the stirring appeal from his Majesty the King must indeed b( little .embuied with the spirit oi true Britons if they do onl ivxpond promptly to the Empire's need. There is no doubi that the position at the Dardanel les is very far from satisfactory This is borne out by Mr. Ashnieacl Bartlett, a most able man thoroughly conversant with militarj matters, and not in the leasi prone to make sensational state ments. He has had ev»ery oppor tunity of seeing the position as i1 really exists, and he states mos' emphatically that the position is most critical, and that the 'whole campaign has been a series of gigantic blunders. Berlin is al ready gloating over the failure oJ the expedition, and is looking fo] ward to another Sedan. The worst point of all is that the whole position has been so dis gracefully misstated by' the authorities that we were led to believe that the Turks were in extremis and Constantinople on the point of capitulation. It turns out that the boot is on the othei foot. The Allies attempt to tc reach Constantinople via the Dardanelles has proved a great failure and everything seems to indicate that the Allies will be indeec fortunate if they succeed in avoic ing a disastrous debacle. It is al very well, for military experts tc tell us that the Dardanelles campaign has no ultimate bearing on the war, *the main theatres ' oi which are still in the west and in the East. New Zealand has given the best of her manhood. Mothers have given their sons and wives their husbands, and many of our best and bravest have found a grave in the wind swept peninsula of Gallipoli. Those who have lost their nearest and dearest will now ask themselves what has the Empire gained from all this sacrifice of human life. Such a lamentable failure is certain to have a very prejudicial influence on the attitude that Roumania and" Greece will adopt towards the Quadruple Entente. The Allies have asked the Serbians to continue the struggle for five days longer, and, promise that^at the end of that time they will receive efficient assistance. Can they make good this promise? Mr. Ashmead Bartlett an swers in the negative. He says that nothing can be done at present as the winter will hamper all operations, and that even in the spring an army of at- least half a million men will be required to accomplish anything. We place the greatest reliance on Mr. Bartlett's statements, but we hope that for once his usually good judgment has been at fault. It is gratifying to know that apart from the Near East the position has improved considerably. General Joffre is slowly but surely pushing his way forward. The Italians are dealing some smashing blows against the Austrians who are kept so busily engaged that they have no time to devote to a protracted Balkan campaign. The Russians are now provided with an ample supply of munitions, and are rolling the German wave back towards the Fatherland. The Russian troops, since "The Little Father" took command have taken a fresh lease of life, and are fighting with great elan. The British submarines are showing the Huns that tbe underwater craft can be used in a legitimate way in warfare, and have siicceeded in accounting for a German cruiser. The Kaiser has little cause to be proud of Admiral von Tirpitf or the High Sea Fleet, and there should be very few iron crosses to distribute in that direction. The submarine pirates seem to have been practically driven from the North Sea and. English Channel, but there are evidently* a few carrying on their nefarious work in the iEgean, for the cable news states that an Italian liner was sunk without being warned. What a contrast between this and the con duct of the crews of the British submarines operating* in tbe Baltic. The British never sank a single merchant vessel without first giving the crew ample time to take to the boats, and their blockade of the Baltic has been far more effective than the Germans terrible fiasco in attempting to cut off Britain fromtthe rest of the world.