NEW ZEALAND AND THE DARDANELLES INQUIRY. [To THE EDITOR or
THE " SPECTATOR:1
Sra,—It should be clearly understood that there has been no movement in Now Zealand for an inquiry into the Dardanelles campaign. No such demand has been made in Press or Parliament. The writer, in conversa- tion with many people about the war, has never heard an inquiry advo- cated. Leading newspapers in the Dominion have strongly condemned the agitation for an inquiry. The Christchurch Press, after the Com- mission had been announced, said :—
" While we are awaiting some furtherparticulars we may repeat our strong conviction—which we have already more than once expressed very plainly, and which we know is shared by the people of this country— that the holding of such an inquiry at this time is such a questionable proceeding that New Zealand should have nothing whatever to do with it, directly or indirectly."
About the same time the Lyttelton Times said :- "Perhaps the conduct of the campaign was faulty, and the losses sustained may have been unnecessarily heavy. But we feel very strongly that this is no time to hold inquiries of the kind the Government has sanctioned for the purpose of stemming the mischievous clamour of newspapers and politicians."
The Auckland Star quoted with warm approval a passage from Land and Water, from an article by Mr. Noel Ross, a New Zealand journalist who had served at Gallipoli. Referring to our losses there, Mr. Rom wrote :- " That sacrifice was made willingly and without regret, and yet in the Heart of the Empire we hear loud voices demanding satisfaction, asking for inquiries. Whose plan was this ? ' they shriek. ' Who sent those mon to their deaths ? ' We can answer them, New Zealand sent them, and she is well content., looking back, to know that they died with their work well done. To all such clamourers we would say, Let our dead lie in peace. If you want inquiries, if someono must be pilloried, then wait till the war is over. Only, don't ask us to go a-muck-raking with you.' " As a lover of poetry, Mr. Asquith is doubtless familiar with the linos " Peace, peace ! We wrong the noble dead To vex their solemn slumber so."
—I am, Sir, he., ALAN E. Mura.or. Auckland, New Zealand, August 41h.
[We greatly admire the spirit of New Zealand, which we understand is fully shared by Australia. It is just what one would have expected from nations so gallant and so loyal. For us, however, it is different. We are bound to inquire whether we prepared as we ought to have prepared for so great an adventure. That is the way to prevent similar blundering (if blundering there was) in the future.—En. Spectator.]
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