MR. ASHMEAD BARTLETT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144853, 3 December 1915, Page 3

MR. ASHMEAD BARTLETT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of the let inst., 1 read an account of the meeting of the Patriotic Committee and your subleader dealing with a resolution proposed by Mr. 0. Carter. Whilst not agreeing in tote with Sir. Carter’s resolution, in the main 1 do so, and feel sorry he did not press it to an issue. The remarks of the Rev. A. H. Colvile seem to mo to be wide of the mark. No one who has read Mr. Ashmead Bartlett’s “Dispatches from the Dardanelles,” as published by George Newncs, Ltd., of London, can doubt his ability as a brilliant journalist. I now quote from your aub-leador: “Up to this (‘a’ I presume is a clerical error) point, then, Mr. Bartlett has earned the hearty gratitude of the Dominion, etc.,” and “It is when he becomes a critic of naval and military strategy that many of us feel inclined to dispute his authority.” His authority, Mr. Editor! That is exactly the point we take strong exception to, and that is also the point whore the Rev. A. H. Colvile fails, to grasp the seriousness of Mr. Bartlett’s indiscretions, using as mild a term as is possible. As a journalist wo admire'him, and had he been content to abide by his descriptive work he would, no doubt, have been a welcome visitor to the Australasian colonies, but as a naval and military strategist we take strong exception to his adverse criticism. Who mad© him an authority?, ,Where did he gain his training to enable him to become a, naval and military strategist? Mr. Bartlett and many others fail to grasp one of the most important facts m connection with the Dardanelles struggle,' and that is the'holding of a veiy powerful Turco-German army from doing, possibly, greater mischief elsewhere. Possibly , a serious error was made in the Suvla Bay landing, which may have prevented the “surprise party” becoming a complete success. I have had many years’ experience in various positions in almost every part of the world, and know by how narrow a margin success is separatd from failure. Nothing succeeds like success; then everyone is proud to say: “I knew it would come out right”; but if success is delayed (I do not admit failure; wo are going right through to Constantinople, Mr. Editor) then is it going to help matters by such adverse criticism as that of Mr, Ashmead Bartlett, Lords Milner, Eibblesdale, St. David, Boresford (I am ashamed of the latter, ■ho is a sailor and should know better) Northcliffe and others? I say, No, sir, and it is doing the Empire great and serious-harm. I believe I am voicing the real opinion of all New Zealanders and Australians when I say if the military , authorities (thank God .they are not journalists) had decided upon withdrawing the troops from the Gallipoli Peninsula there would have been more ■ than adverse criticism from the troops themselves. The, Rev. A, H. Colvile is reported as saying: “The Times and Daily Mail had hard things said, about them which he thought were not entirely justified, and they were somewhat harshly treated in the local papers.” It is no time to wear kid ' gloves in dealing with such papers as The Times and Daily Mail, which are responsible for supplying the Germans with information that is of most serious disadvantage to our Empire and our Allies. Anyone reading, in your last night’s issue, the remarks of Sir John Simon in the House of Commons can, only arrive at one conclusion, and that is that the Northcliffe papers should bo suppressed, and at Once. I conclude, sir, by quoting tho advice you gave ,us a week or so back; “Trust our leaders, keep in step, and no talking in the ranks.”—l am, etc., DUNCAN M’ALLUM.