THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1932. THE MEMORY OF ANZAC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21627, 23 April 1932, Page 10

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 1932. THE MEMORY OF ANZAC.

Seventeen years have passed since the Gallipoli Peninsula became for a few months tlje scene of one of the most memorable military enterprises in the Great AVar. In the annual commemoration of Anzac Day is honoured the memory, of those, including the flower of the manhood of New Zealand and Australia, who laid down their lives in the assault upon the Turkish stronghold. The Gallipoli campaign was a failure, yet little short of a brilliant failure in the flight of the spirit and gallantry with which the attack was maintained in face of discouraging difficulties and heavy odds and in the light of all that was accomplished and that might have been accomplished. A great deal has been written on the subject, and recently there have appeared in our columns cabled extracts from the final volume of the official history of the campaign, which is to bo published on this seventeenth anniversary of its inception. The first volume of the official history by Brigadier-General AspinallOglimder, who was chief general staff officer of the Dardanelles army at the time of the evacuation, appeared nearly three years ago. In it the curtain was rung down on the first act of the Gallipoli tragedy. In it, too, were traced inexorably home the clues to the failure of the enterprise—the premature bombardment by the fleet which gave the Turks two months’ notice of the British intentions, the failure to realise the certain results of that warning, the drift of policy which led' to the sanction of a military landing, the orders given to Sir lan Hamilton without any careful review of the situation and careful counting of the cost, the omission to provide him with a margin of safety or to lay down a policy for the contingency of his force proving too weak, and, most

important of all, (lie absence of any definite Government decision whether (he Dardanelles operations or the projected offensive in France were to he held paramount. Expressed in a few words the result was this: “ For lack of a careful staff study beforehand Sir lan Hamilton was ordered to enter upon a new campaign without a sufficient reserve. Sir John French, with a strength even less adequate to his task, was permitted to persevere with his plans for a Spring offensive in France. With barely enough ammunition for one theatre an offensive was sanctioned in two, and both ended in failure.” The British Government’s decision to use a large force at Gallipoli, and endeavour to bring the conflict to a victorious conclusion, came unfortunately too late.

In the epilogue to the final volume of the official history the significance of the drama of the Dardanelles campaign is impressively indicated. The idea of forcing the straits in order to help Russia and to eliminate Turkey from the struggle is conceded to have been one of the few great strategical conceptions of the world war. Failure was due to lack of adequate preparation. Yet the issue hung for some time in the balance, and success was very nearly attained. It is saddening to think that the expert conclusion, based on complete after-knowledge, is that in the Spring of 1915 tlie operation was not beyond the capacity of the Entente, and that the naval attack in March was abandoned at the very moment when the Turks were resigning themselves to defeat. The consolation for the somewhat ' humiliating conclusion of what the historian ranks, by reason of its setting and “the grandeur of its theme,” as one of the world’s classic tragedies is that, in his own words, “ Truly it may be said that those who fell at Gallipoli did not fall in virin.” The campaign in which they fought so well played a great part in the eventual fortunes of the war by hampering Germany’s use of forces on the Western Front in the early part of 1915, by helping to bring Italy into the war and to keep. Greece out, by forcing Bulgaria to hold aloof for many months, and by destroying the power of the Turkish army and paving the way for General Allenby’s victory in Palestine. 'Such is a mere glimpse at the salient features of the story which furnishes no * unimportant chapter in the great chronicle of the Empire. Those who were children at the time of the landing at Gallipoli are joining the ranks of the young men and women in New Zealand today. What do they know of the story of 'their own country if they do not know that part of it which is so poignantly recalled on Anzae Day? “In retrospect,” it has been said, “ the only glory of the Gallipoli campaign, a glory that age can never dim, belongs to the marvellous heroism and devotion of the British, Australian, New Zealand, French and Indian fighting troops, as well as to the men and officers of the navy who lost and risked their lives upon ■ the beaches.” Sir lan Hamilton has spoken of the Anzaes as “the most magnificent contingent of men upon which the world has ever set eyes.” Cheerfully they laid down their lives for country and Empire on a far-distant shore. Duty, not glory, was their sustaining thought, yet

Fate found them Fame, and Fame a deathless wreath.

The great world conflict of which, Gallipoli was an episode was often spoken of as a war which was to end wars. As to that the results of the Geneva Disarmament Conference, which is taking place fourteen years later, will' provide a commentary. Of the tragedy of war, the world has seen too much. But high traditions exalt a nation. The tradition of Anzac has been handed to the people of this Dominion to honour and uphold. One and all, they must pay tribute to it on the day held sacred to the memory of their glorious dead.