TURKEY AT WAR.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144850, 30 November 1915, Page 3

TURKEY AT WAR.

THE DARDANELLES. ARTILLERY EXPERT'S VIEWS. LONDON, Nor. 29. Lord Sydenham, in a letter to Tho Times commenting on tho statements of Air. Ashmoad Bartlett, says that the information available does not indicate that any except naval opinion was sought, yet the fateful February decision was ono equally fateful for artilleryman and engineer. There was ample information to save us from a blunder of the first magnitude, but apparently one set of expert opinions was never consulted. Lord Syaenham recalls looking at tho old forts at Seddel-Bahr and Krai Kale, thinking them excellent targets, but the veal defences at the Narrows were absolutely impregnable from a naval attack. A conscientious study of the chart would have, rendered this fact obvious, and extensive mire-swooping operations were impossible because of the concealed Turkish guns. The attack OH March IS was a gallant enterprise, hut it should never have been attempted. Cabinet needed the assistance of a Council of Imperial Defence, which lie (Lord Sydenham) had advocated twenty-four years ago. If this were now existing it would have saved tho Dardanelles enterprises, and the heavv sacrifices and great anxiety. The idea of sending a fleet to tho Sea of Marmara was excellent. and would have been carried out suecessfully if liased on experience of war. ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. PARIS, Nov. 29. There is maflced artillery activity at the Dardanelles. Tho Turks, in attacking tho British, used asphyxiating ga-s for the first time, but without result.