HAVE WE FAILED?

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 28

HAVE WE FAILED?

LONDON, October 25,

“ Have we failed in the Dardanelles?” is the question Sir A. Conan Doyle undertakes to answer in a strikini? article in the Daily Chronicle. In a plea for optimism and the cessation of unreasonable pessimistic criticism, he writes; “ There has been a great contrast between the German and British press during the last few months; yet in our heart of hearts we are as certain of victory as that tomorrow’s sun will shine. Look at our work for 14 months. We have annexed the German colonies, swept the German flag (Imperial and commercial) from the ocean, repelled the submarines, conquered Southern Mesopotamia, and, greatest of all, raised an enormous voluntary army. The severest critic in the whole world can point to one place anly where we have Lulled—namely, the Dardanelles. But has there been failure there? I believe if there had never been a force in the straits, the enterprise was nevertheless worth undertaking. We have held up a body of the best troops who otherwise would have been operating against us or the Russians. Sir lan Hamilton has taken off the pressure from General Maxwell on the one side and General Nixon on the other. But the greatest result is that it has thoroughly united us with Russia, who knows 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 advance, the immediate result of which was to brintf in the Serbians, who for nearly a year had been practically neutral. Could the Central Powers advance to Constantinople, with the Allies entrenched on their flank? Would the Turks welcome an army of Bulgars and other hereditary enemies? And if even we assume them to have reached Constantinople, how are they to cross the Egyptian desert? “It is too early to say we have failed at the Dardanelles. Mr Churchill was criticised for saying * We are only a few miles from victory.’ Yet that is obviously true. Had he said ‘ We are a few months from victory ’ the criticism would have been intelligible. What he meant was that if we had a victory the prize would immediately Ibe in our hands, Mr Churchill did not under-rate the formidable task. It is surely too early to write off the Dardanelles-on the debit side of the account.” WINTER CLOTHING FOR TROOPS. MELBOURNE, October 25. \ Mr Bonar Law has cabled to Senator Pearce (Minister of Defence) : “All winter clothing for the troops will be supplied by the War Office, but further tary supplies of sheepskin waistcoats will be most acceptable. They should be sent direct to Alexandria.” AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES. SYDNEY, October 24. The Australian casualties to date total 27,460 of all ranks. SELECT COMMITTEE MOVED FOR. LONDON, October 24. Nine Liberal members of the House of Commons have given notice of an identical motion for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the question of the Dardanelles campaign.