WAR HISTORY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1929, Page 5

WAR HISTORY

.MR LI.OA'B GEORGE’S PROPOSAL

Lnitod Press Association.—By Eleclri< Te I egraphCopyrigh t.)

(Received this day at 9. a.m.) LONDON, April 12.

Oglander’s Official History discloses how, in December, 1914, Air Lloyd George “realising the western front was impregnable.” suggested the Albert line should be garrisoned by French and with the exception of a large British reserve to be kept near the Coast in case of emergency, the whole British Army .should he taken, hag and baggage. I rum h ranee and dispatched to a new theatre.

Air Lloyd George suggested immediate prepart ions for two independent .Mediterranean operations in the Spring, the main being an attack on Austria, based on Salonika, for which an additional six hundred thousand British troops could lie used. The Foreign Office should try to secure the help of Roumanians, Serbs, and Greeks. A. subsidary operation was to have Ireen a landing on the Syrian const, with the object of severing Turkey’s line of communication with Egypt. Air Lloyd George pointed out unless such steps were taken it would Ire impossible to end the existing stalemate.

Lord Kitchener accordingly on 2nd. Jan. 1915, wrote to Sir John French, hut before a reply was received a telegram of momentous consequence reached Loudon from the British Ambassador at Petrograd a telegram which was destined to lead the Government by slow, and almost insensible degrees, to the Gallipoli Campaign, with all its high hopes, immortal heroisms and its final heart-breaking failure. The telegram reported a grave situation in the Caucasus. Owing to the Turks and Servians enveloping movement the Grand Duke Nicholas was unable to send the local Russian command reinforcements as every available man was needed on the AustroGorman front, therefore the Grand Duke asked if Lord Kitchener could manage either a naval or military demonstration against the Turks elsewhere, and thus ease the situation. The tragedy of this telegram, so direful in its results, lies in the fact that even while the means of making the demonstration were being discussed in London, the necessity for it had already disappeared. By 3rd-. January the Turkish enveloping movement had failed, but tin’s information was unknown in London, and tbe British Government felt bound to-do its utmost to help an ally whose danger in the Caucasus had arisen from its endeavour to relieve me Prussians against France.

As no troops were then available Lord Kitchener discussed with All’ Churchill the possibility of a purely naval demonstration. Thus for a reason which bad already ceased to exist, Britain stood pledged to make a demonstration against the' Turks. The place for it bad yet to be decided, though Lord Kitchener considered it should be at the Dardanelles.