STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 14464, 22 December 1915, Page 6

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

To-night the Prime Minister made a brief statement with regard to the news of the retirement from Anzae and Suvla Bay. Mr Massey deprecated any carping criticism of the Imperial authorities at this juncture, and urged that the duty of every patriotic citizen of the Empire was to join in presenting a united front to the enemy. "The cablegram with regard to the retirement is not quite so explicit as we should like, but most peoplo will -agree that under the circumstances the proper thing has been done," said the Prime Minister. "It may be that mistakes have been made in the past, but it is better, to face the position, and have done withit for ,tho time being, than to go on with an enterprise that is commonly be licved to have been the result of an error of judgment. It is a matter for sincere congratulation that the transfer has been effected without loss of life. I trust this will not be made an occasion for a repetition of bitter criticism and a display of personal and political animosity, of which we have had far too much during the present conflict. I do not suppose anything has encouraged the enemy so much as tho idea which has been allowed to go forward that the British people were seriously divided in their opinions' with regard to the conduct of the war. Whatever the mistakes that have been made, or whatever our domestic differences may be, they can stand over until the end of the war, for discussion when the lighting is over and the victory is won. Let us, in the meantime, present a united front to the enemy, and show the world that every mistake and every reverse only int-reas.-s our determination to see the war through to a conclusion which will he satisfactory to Britain and her Allies."