Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-09
REPORT ON FIASCO
AT DARDANELLES
Commission Divides the Blame
Among Churchill, Murray,
Fisher and Kitchener.
WAR COUNCIL cENsuRED

London, March o.--lh ne majority
report Of the commission appointed
last July to investigate the Darda-
nelles campaign which was held up
for a fortnight by the decision to
expurgate certain sections referring
to allied countries, was made public
this morning in its revised form. The
commission reports that the late
Lord Kitchener, then war secretary,
favored the project and that when he
gave decision in the war council it
was invariably accepted as final. The
dispatch Of troops to the east was de-
layed three weeks, the report says,
as the result of a decision OF Lord
Kitchener, which was not communi-
Gated to tht first lord Of the admiralty,
Winston Spencer Churchill.
The project was undertaken on the
initiative Of Colonel Churchill. The
commission reports that naval ad-
visers would have preferred joint
military and naval attack, instead OF
the attack by the feet alone and de-
clares that these views should have
been heard by the war council which
was not justified in coming to the de-
cision without much fuller investi-
cation.
Summary Of Report.
The report summarizes the conclu-
sions reached as fellows: ,
"The question OF attacking the
Dardanelles was, on the initiative Of
Mr.. Churchill, brought under the con-
sideration Of the war council on No.
vember rs, 1914, as the ideal method
of defending Egypt 1t may reason
ably be assumed that inasmuch as all
the authorities concerned were prima
facie in favor OF joint military,
rather than q purely naval attack, such
an attack, |! undertaken at all, would
have been OF the former rather than
of the latter character had not other
circumstances led to a modification
of the program. A communication
from the Russian government Of
January 2 introduced fresh element
into the case. The British govern
Inent considered that something must
be done in response to 1t, and in this
connection the question Of attacking
the Dardanelles was again raised.
War Council censured.
THE secretary OF state for war
declared that there were no troops
Immediately available for operations
in the east and his statement was
accepted by the war council, who took
no steps to satisfy themselves by re-
ports Of estimates as to what troops
were available then or in the near
future. Had this been done the COM
missioners think it would have been
ascertained that sufficient troops |
would be available for a joint mill
tary and naval operation at1an earlier
date than supposed, but this matter
was not adequately investigated by
the war council. Thus the question |
before the war council on January
Is was whether no action or any kind |
should for the time being be UNDER
taken or whether action should be
taken by the feet alone, the navy be- |
ing held to be the only force avail
able.
Goi,leai arguments winch were
adduecd to the war council IN favor OF
prompt aud ehecfive action II such
were Practicable were valid and OF
tire highest Importance, but the prac-
;icsb,i'y Of whatever. action was pro-
posed was OF equal Importance. Mr..
siiurchill appears TO have advocated
an atsack by ships alone before the
var eouueil, on certain amount OF
Eaif.nsafsed and hesitating expert
s'pinions, wnief favored tentative
or pfosfess'ye scheme, beginning
With Al attack upon the outer forts.
nc a,sck. y successful. was to be
:;'!owed hy further operations against
the main deienses OF the narrows.
Fisher. and Murray.
-Tbere do. No, ,nc.,r !, hav.
,,esn d;,ee, suoport ~ di,sc, oonos;.
.;on ston' ,hc respor.,h,e ,sv,I ana |
military adv,se,s Lord r;shsr ana
Sir Jan.s Wolff Murray IS n ths
nrsc,;csh,l;,x NJ rayrv;rg ~ the o,sr
st;ors ,s ,no,ovsd ~ sbe war corr.
eli VI, 70 bnmbsrd and tats tbs Gai.
l;nni; n,n;,snla w;,h cors,o % ,.;r ori. I
a. n. oh;.et;y. go op's
.Tb. 6rst ssa iord ,,d s;r Ar,h,-
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