Arizona republican., 1915-12-22

The abandonment of the Dardanelles campaign
viii never rank in historical importance with the
Retreat from Moscow because so much does not
ban., ON the result OF it, But the Dardanelles cam
p3ign as a bunder while overshadowing all his
tor!cal mistakes takes place in all military his
tory as a biunder Napoleon the Statesman
rather than Napoleon the soldier that dictated the
Russian campaign. He had reason TO believe that
friendly relations, at least working relations for the
division of power might be established by
his occupation of the Russian capital He only dld
not understood mplacable temper of the Rus
slams at and the sacrifices they were ready
70 make But as i military movement the cam
pai.n seemed at practicable, while the attempt
to capture ConstantnopIe was an insane enterprise
from The very beginning.
1t would not have appeared utterly hopeless if
the attack the outset had been made by land and
sen. but the sea attack unsupported by a land eN-
pedition was nothing of lunacy. All the war
ships in the could have forced the straits
SO foolish was the effort that later, when an
expedition was landed the peninsula, it was gem
orally predicted that campaign must fail through
the laundering leadership which had far distin-
sushed operations The only hope of the allies lay
in the exhaustion the supplies of the defending
Turks And when Germans opened the way to
Constantinople that hope vanished
Weeks ago the abandonment of the campaign
which had brought nothing but the most terrible
English statesmen pointed out the folly Of per
sisting in a hopeless blunder. Even then when the
troops at GalIipoH could have been used to oppose
the conquest of Serbia and to assist in making
stand in the Balkans abandonment delayed be-
cause it was British prestige would SUI
fer in consequence of it. But the worst in that
direction has happened as have been fore
that it would happen Prestige has not only
suffered. but wholly lost where prestige
no OriPn is learned by
the MosIems Of North Africa and the Aoslems ana
Hndus of India that British have been defeated
and driven away by the Turks, uprisngs may be eX-
pected everywhere.
Why DardaneIles is abandoned at this time
a matter of speculation which official statements
viii do nothing to solve. No doubt it was decided
upon on the return of Lord Kitchener from east
but still. why prestige which might have been main
tanned little while longer should be thrown away
This time clear. Just how many troops the
allies have had the peninsula has never been
officially stated The strength has been guessed
from 100000 to 100000. 1t estimated month
ago that 100000 men, addition already
landed saloniki would the progress of the
Tcutons in the Balkans. but now. that the Balkan
campaign ended with the BuIgarians Austrans
and Germans in the strongholds, Serbian army
practically annihilated winter a hand. 100000
would be futile addition forces at
saoniki
Though men needed by the allies the
west front they are not so badly needed they
Wore recently or as they will be three months
hence. There is a report that a large German and
Turkish force is being modified at Aleppo for a
descent upon Egypt, and perhaps the GanipoH army
is needed there But, if withdrawn from CAL
ipcH there will be released equally large force Of
Turks for operations against either Egypt India
It, therefore appears that the abandonment OF
Gal!ipoli impeed by other immediate pur-
pose than to let Of eyelash grip and get away
before the going grew worse