WAR BOOKS CONTROVERSY

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1930, Page 9

WAR BOOKS CONTROVERSY

GRAVE DANGER TO EMPIRE

LYING ‘SHOCKERS’ DEPLORED INVESTIGATION SUGGESTED By Telegraph—-Press Assn.—Copyright. London, April 25. “There was no scope for drink or immorality on Gallipoli; only for immortality,” declared Sir lan Hamilton at the Anzac Day re-union at Australia House in a feeling reference to the raging controversy ®n war books.

“Those , who wanted mudslinging .had to go 60 miles to the base at Mudros, where, as civilians wrote home to Australia: The officers are wallowing in ice, with wounded soldiers dying of thirst hard by.’ Another, referring to the ship Aragon in Mudros Harbour, said: ‘So much whisky was drunk' on board that she grounded upon her own empty bottles.’ “Luckily a Royal Commission inquiry proved that these were lies. It would be better for holding together the Empire that there should bo a Royal Commission to inquire into the Western front rather than that stories of suicides, murders, drunkards’ executions and immorality should go unchecked. Then some of the clever writers would go through the mill of ■ public cross-examination.” Sir lan said he was impelled to make these remarks because the "shockers” confronted the Empire with a grave danger. England’s oversea sisters had been wonderful and had allowed their husbands, brothera and sons to risk death and wounds for the sake of the Motherland, but they would refuse a third time if they thought they risked demoralisation as well as dis- ’ ablement.