The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-06
TROOPS SACRIFICED,
SAYS SAM HUGHES
Canadians Slaughtered SO Of
Q ficers Might Advance,
He Charges.
HIGH COMMAND ATTACKED
Ex-Militia Minister Angry Be-
cause Son Was Ignored,
Papers Hint.

TORONTO, March 5.-All Canada has
been stirred by charges made in the
House of Commons by Sir Sam Hughes.
former Minister of Militia, that officers
commanding tho Dominions forces in
France needlessly had sacrificed the lives
of their men to advance themselves.
Although his allegations were assumed
mander in chief of the Canadian forces,
there Is apparent tonight a strong
inclination in many quarters TO disagree
with him. Soldiers who served over
seas already have taken up the cudgel
in support Of Gen. Currie
Sir Sam opened his attack with the
| announcement that he had protested
several times TO Premier Borden
| against the waste of Canadian boys
| lives in unnecessary stunts on the
battlefield" He then read a letter he
had sent to Sir Robert protesting against
what he termed needless slaughter at
| Cambria and stating he had drawn at
| tention Of the Prime Minister on pre-
vious occasions to the "massacres at
| Lens, Passchendaele, &C, where the only
| apparent object was to glorify the Gen.
eral in command and make 1t impos-
sible. through butchery. to have a Fifth
and Sixth Division and two army corps"
Cambria Fight Scored.
He declared that any General who
would undertake the attack at Cambria
by suburban or street fighting should be
court-martialed. The came was true OF
| the officer who had ordered the storming
! Of Mons four hours before the signing
of the armistice. This he characterized
as bit to theatrical display which had
cost the lives of many fine Canadian
boys who could i'll be spared.
| Bull headedness and incompetency.
he declared. were traceable in the horri-
BILE casualties rolling up to eight and ter
times the total force of battalion or a
brigade"
Some of the papers hint that Sir Sans
attack was inspired by chagrin at the
failure OF his son, Gen. Garnet Hughes
| to get TO France as the commander of a
fifth brigade Of Canadians. but all are
unanimous in their assertion that the
charges call for an immediate and thor.
ough investigation. Gen. Currie was ar
appointee of Sir SANS when he wa;
Minister Of Militia.
incidentally Sir Sam made bitter at
tack on Sir Joseph Flavelle cad of tn,
of the William Davies Company, a biz
Canadian packing concern with branches
in some United States cities. The com
pany's profits in the Canadian branche;
| were Investigated some time ago by
royal commission. but he declared tina
the operations Of the company in thu
United States should be looked into. ant
asserted that Sir Joseph had mad
100000 a month on contracts fol
meat products for his company by virtu,
OF the influence he was able to wielc
as head of the Imperial Munitions BoarC
and that he had made profits OF 800,
100000 during the four years Of the war
Sir Joseph has issued a categorical
denial to the ex-MinisteS's charges.
LONDON, March 5.-The casualties o
the British, Canadian and Australian
troops in the Ypres salient from July s
to November IS. 1917, aggregated ii
officers and men 25s,O27. This fact wa
| made known to-day in the Hous
OF Commons when Winston Spence
Churchill, Secretary of War. answering
question gave the casualties as fol
lows:
British--Officers, 10, 1875; men, 207.sSS
observation-disclosures 400 men, Il.107
Australians - Officers 1889; mer
26,5O2.
Gen. Sir Sam Hughes was one o
Canada's most conspicuous figures dur
ing the war. To his zeal and energy a
Minister of Militia and Defence wa
largely due the fact that Canada wa
able to enlist, equip and send oversee
in a remarkably short space of tim
many more troops than Great Britai
had asked the Dominion to furnish. II
! was knighted by King George of Enc
land in 1915 during visit to the Cana
: dian troops at the front.
= 1t was during this trip that charge
were made in the Canadian Parliamer
: by George w. Kyle, a Liberal membe
= from Nova Scotia that Sir Sam ha
r been associated with various mushroom
companies organized TO obtain munitio
contracts from the Canadian Govern
= ment. Mr.. Kyle produced documentar
evidence to prove his statement tha
= Col. ]. Wesley Allison, agent OF Sir Sar
I in the purchase OF war munitions in til
e United States, had been instrumental
a the organization OF these compa MES an
I had amassed a large fortune as a To
Y suit. Orders for these companies,
= order of Sir Sam.
4 The charges created a decided stir I
e Canadian political circles. and the rests
( nation of Sir Sam was demanded
many quarters Sir Wllfrid LAurer IL
e troduced n resolution in Parliament d,
d handing an inquiry. but it was defeate