PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 55

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

lI—GALLIPOLI DIARY. The winning of a war does not depend upon the number of men actually engaged in a battle or the number killed, wounded, or taken prisoners; but on the tactical or strategical value of the object aimed at and won. This was the case of Gallipoli. As fsaid last week, our objective was Constantinople. Let me continue Sir lan's opinion: "Supposing even that by paying the cost of lives we did succeed in driving the Germans over the Rhine, still we stand to gain less' than by taking this one little peninsula! A quarter of the energy they are about to develop for the sake of getting back a few miles of la belle France could give us Asia, Africa, the Balkans, the Black Sea, the mouths of the Danube, it would enable us to swap rifles for wheat with the Russians; more vital still, it would tune up the hearts of the Russian soldiery to the Anglo-Saxon pitch. "Victory by killing Germans is a barbarous notion and a savage method. A thrust with small forces at a weak spot to bring the enemy to their knees .by loss of provinces, resources, and prestige is an artistic idea and a scientific stroke; the one stands for a cudgel blow, the other for rapid nlay. '*We take it for granted that, we have to 'push' hi France and Flanders; . that we have to exhaust ourselves in forcing the invaders back over their frontiers. Whereas, content to 'hold' there, we might push wherever else we wished."

This is written towards the end of "The Last Battle," appearing in the second volume, in which he refers to the "two unsuccessful battles at Suvla Bay, the first intended to be a surprise, and the second to retrieve what had been lost in the first battle, or not won through mismanagement or want of energy on the part of the local commanders.

THE ELUSIVE TROOPS. In Volume 2, there is a complete chapter "Misunderstandings," in which I£. of K. is mentioned as having r-ent 47,000 troops out. The cable conveying this information greatly puzzled ; Sir lan. He writes: "But- no one can make head or tail of these 47,000 drafts and reinforcements; no one can run them to ground. Be (K. of K.) has notified the units and the ships, but the total coming "to Maxwell (C.-in-C. in Egypt; the two were supposed to work together, though each had independent commands) and myself don't tot up to that figure, much less the portion of them detailed for the Dardanelles," etc.; and a footnote adds: "As will be seen further on, the 47,000 actually panned out at 29,000, of whom two battalions were at once diverted to Egypt, whilst two other battalions turned out to be non-fighting formations."

I may have a Chat pretty well devoted to K. of K., but as I want to end this Chat with an appeal to returned men to help Mr M'Ewe'n, of the Dunedin Public Library, to make up sets of transport magazines, I'll conclude my references to the "Gallipoli Diary" by one or two extracts showing how Sir lan's mind was almost obsessed with the idea that a success at Gallipoli would change the venue and make Constantinople the pivot point of the war. In the chapter, "The French Plan,'-' he says: "Here . . . we have literally in our grasp a clear-cut gift offered us by the gods. Tho impossible part, the landing, is done. - All that remains is so many fresh men, and so many thousand shells. The result is not problematical, but mathematical. Napoleon is the only man who has waged a world war in the world as we know it to-day. Napoleon said, I think it was on the famous raft, 'Who holds Constantinople is master of the world.' And there it lies at the mercy of the Briton—could he (K. of K.) only convince Joffre that the shortest cut to freeing his country from the Germans lies through the Dardanelles." Freed from jealousies and amateurishness which obscures the average mind, Sir lan says in effect it • is clear that there are three principles patent to the minds of military

historians: "(1) Hold the sea; (2) hold the West; (3) smash the Turk." Here, I think, I'll stop to-day. TRANSPORT MAGAZINES WANTED. The other afternoon I shad a chat with Mr M'Ewen, the librarian of the Dunedin Public Library, who is an enthusiast in library matters. For some time he has been trying to make up complete sets of transport magazines. I am* wondering whether my readers can help him; and I shall be glad if any readers can forward copies to him, or if returned men can oblige him. In time, complete sets will be valuable, and will be invaluable in a libra,ry where they can be consulted. Mr M'Ewen will acknowledge any gifts by letter. When they were published many perused them and pitched- them overboard, not recognising the value they would be in the future. If Sir James' Allen had done what was suggested to him there would have been sets of clean copies in the four centres and one in the Defence Department;" but the opportunity has passed. Let us try as far as possible to retrieve the position. The following is a list of what Mr M'Ewen wants; but he would also like to get sets of the Gallipoli newspapers and of the New Zealander in addition. Can anyone oblige him? Perhaps he can make up sets of these by getting one here and there. He knows there are some complete sets in existence, but they are in private hands, and he wants sets available to the public. He has many of the transport ones, but the following so far are not in his hands. The consecutive numbers give the number of the transports, followed by designation of the contingents, the date, and the ship. You will notice that some numbers are omitted ; these Mr M'Ewen has, though he will not be averse to having any. of these duplicated. This is the list of his requirements: 1. Sanioan Advance, 15/8/14—Moeraki. 2. Samoan Advance, 15/8/14 —Monowai. 3. Main Body, 16/10/14— Maunganui. 4. Main Body, 16/10/14—Tahiti. 5. Main Body, 16/10/14—Ruapehu. 6. Main Body, 16/10/14—Orari. 8. Main Body, 16/10/14—Star of India. 9. Main Body, 16/10/14—Hawke's Bay. 12. Main Body, 16/10/14—Waimana. 13. Sec. Reinf., 14/12/14—Verdala. 14. Sec. Reinf., 14/12/14—Willochra. 15. Sec. Reinf., 14/12/14— Knight of the Garter 16. First Samoan Relief, 27/3/15—Talune. 17. Third Reinf., 14/2/15—Maunganui. 18. Third Roinf., 14/2/15—Tahiti. 19. Third Reinf., 14/2/15—Aparima. 20. First Maori Reinf., 14/2/15—Warrimio. 21. Fourth Eeinf., 17/4/15—"Willochra. 29. Advance N.Z.8,8., 18/9/15—Waitemata. 30. First N.Z.R.8., 9/10/15—Maunganui. 31. Second N.Z.R.8., 9/10/15—Tahiti. 32. Seventh Eeinf., 9/10/15—Aparima. 33. Seventh Reinf., 9/10/15—Navua. 36. R.B. Reinf., 13/11/15—Tofua. * 38. it.B. Reinf., 8/1/16— Tahiti. 40. Ninth Reinf., 14/1/16—Dalmore. 41. Tenth Reinf., 22/2/16—Waihora. 44. Third Maori Reinf., 5/2/16—Navue. 45. Tenth Reinf., 12/2/16—Waitemata. 46. Tenth Reinf., 29/2/16—Aparima, 49. Eleventh Reinf., 1/4/16—Maunganui. 50. R.B. Reinf:, 1/4/16—Tahiti. 51. Twelfth Reinf., 1/5/10—Ulimaroa. 53. Fourth Maori, 6/5/16 —Navim. 54.- Thirteenth Eeinf., 29/5/16—Willochra. 55. 8,8. Eeinf., 29/5/16., Tofua. 56. Fourteenth Beinf., 26/6/16—Maunganui. 57. R.B. Eeinf., 26/6/16—Tahiti. 58. Mounted, 10/7/16—Waihora. 59. Fifteenth Mounted, 26/7/16—Waitemata. 60. Fifteenth Eeinf., 29/7/16—Ulimaroa. 62. Seventh Maori, 21/8/16—Mokoia. 64. Seventeenth Reinf., 25/9/16—Devon. 66. Eighteenth Reinf., 16/10/16—Willochra. 67. R.B. Reinf., 11/10/16—Tofua. 68. Nineteenth Eeinf., 15/11/16 —Maunganui. 69. R.B. Rsinf., 15/11/16—Tahiti. 70. Nineteenth, Twentieth Mounted, 5/12/16 —Waihora. 71. Twentieth Eeinf., 7/12/16—Port Lytteltcn. 72. Twentieth Eeinf., 30/12/16—Athenic 73. Twentieth Eeinf., 2/I'l7—Opawa. 78. Twenty-second Eeinf., 16/2/17—Navua, 86. Twenty-sixth Eeinf., 12/6/17 Maunganui. 91. Twenty-ninth Reinf., 13/8/17—Mokoia. 93. Thirtieth Reinf., 13/10/17—Oorinthic. 94. Thirtieth Reinf., 13/10/17—Arawa, 101. Thirty-fifth Reinf., 2/3/18—Tofuai - 102, Thirty-sixth /Eeinf., 23/4/18—Willochra.

Now see what' you can do, not forgetting the Gallipoh papers and the New Zealander. Perhaps, too, you may" be able to send suggestions to Mr M'Ewen about other publications. For instance, in sending in anv of the numbers wanted, send nicknames of those required and names of the others, whether contingents or names of the various arms. Who were the DinksL The Long Thinkers? The Suicide Brigade? The Foot Sloggers? What were Liverpool's Own nicknamed? And so on, ad infinitum.