Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-12-21
Announcement Says All
Troops At Sinola and
Anzac, Together With
Gums and Stores Are Sue
cessfully Transferred
CASUALTIES ARE
INSIGNIFICANT
Troops Withdrawal Is Ac-
complished More Sue
cessfully Than Most Mill
tarv Men Had Heretofore
Believed Possible
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

Republican A, p. Leased WireI
LONDON, Dec 20.-The British
troops at the SuvIa and Anzac dis
tricts of the GaiIipoli peninsula
have been withdrawn. The fol
lowing official statement was is
sued here today:
"AIl the troops at SuVIa and An
zac, together with their guns and
stores, have been successfully
transferred with insignificant
casualties to another sphere of
operations"
The withdrawal of the British
troops from SuvIa bay and the
Anzac zone ends more successful
Iy than most military men thought
possible, the most unfortunate
chapter of the British arms in this
war. Thousands of lives were
sacrificed in gaining these posi-
tions, and other thousands in hold
ing them.
The question has been constantly
discussed why the generals command
ing the Dardanelles expedition did not
try to make a landing near the center
Of the peninsula in the beginning and
cut off the Turkish troops on the low
er end When the attempt was finally
made to secure a foothold higher up
on the peninsula, the Turks were fully
prepared to meet it.
Moreover, the British arrangements
lacked several essential features, par
ticularly a supply of drinking water
The story has been revealed by sol
diers and correspondents returning
from the Mediterranean only gradu
ally and by detail. One eye witness
declared that after the first battalion
landed the men were shot down 50
thicllly that the watchers aboard the
ships were asking why don't our men
and thought the troops
were lying down awaiting orders. The
soldiers found barbed wire entangle-
ments stretching clear out under the
water when they jumped from their
small boats. To add to their suffer-
ings the supply of drinking water was
very short.
Robert BIatchford, the author. in a
newspaper article yesterday asserted:
Many of these men died of thirst.
There was no ice for the wounded.
There was no place ashore, except in
dugouts under the hillsides, where the
men were ever safe from the enemy's
shellfire, night or day. Numbers We're
sent to Malta and England suffering
from dysentery or nervous collapse"
John Redmond, the Irish nationalist
leader said in a speech in the house of
commons that the sufferings of the
Irish troops on Gallipoli were the
worst known in the present war.
An official announcement was made
recently that the genera! responsible
for the Sulva Bay operations had
been removed from his command, but
his identity is not yet known to the
British public. General Sir Charles c.
Munro reported in favor of withdraw
ing the troops when be took command
at the Dardanelles. but the popular
bc;et, shared By military men here
vas that thousands Of soI,!iars could
rot oe taker aboard transports and
effect comple.a withdrawal fr1 IN their
trenches without calamitous loss of
life. The achievement must have been
d difficult one and the Country is re-
lieved that it has been done without
disaster.
Intense relief at the unexpectedly
successful retreat Of the British from
the Suvla Bay and Anzac regions Of
the Gallipoli peninsula. the highest
praise for the generals who carried out
the retreat with such secrecy and
renewal of the criticism on the incep-
tion of the Dardanelles are the key
notes of the editorials in the morning
newspapers on what is generally con-
sidered the most unfortunate chapter
of Great Britain's share in the war.
The predictions of disaster have
been happily falsified" says the Times.
The withdrawal was a wonderful feat
of organization and when the full story
comes to be told it will be found to be
Continued on Page TWo)