THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3996, 31 July 1915, Page 5

THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN

i A TOUCH PROPOSITION. WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST. A GRIM TIME AHEAD. CORRESPONDENT’S GRAPHIC STORY. / „ LONDON, July 29. Reuter’s correspondent, with the Mediterranean expedition quotes a battalion commander who, crouching in a dug-out and watchiiv- shells bursting, said: “For goodness sake, tell the people at Honte what a tremendous proposition we are up against.” Tile correspondent states that by a dogged determination and Homeric courage, the Allies are no longer lidding oh by the skin of their teeth, but there is a supreme task ahead. The fire-ravished soil is furrowed as though a Titanic ploughing competition had taken place. On every acre there are fragments of shell. In the aggregate there is iron enough to build a battleship. A trackless waste of barbed wire of every gauge trails across the scorched yellow stubble the every dozen yards. Twelve miles up the coast the Australians and New Zealanders are bolding a wonderful cliff, perched on an enclave which compels me Turks to maintain at least*two divisions to counter the persistent thrusts at tlieir communications. The Turks are being abundantly fed, which is a great factor in sustaining tneir war-worthiness. Prisoners admit weariness, but the Turks are still convinced that England conspired io betray them to Russia. They regard the annexation of the battleships building in Britain as an act of piracy while they regard the Germans as a benefactor for giving them the Goqben and Breslau and sending submarines to attack the Allies’ warships. (Received July 30. 8.30 p.m) Reuter’s eorrespondent adds: "Between the days of big things we are now getting little affairs ol considerable strategic significance. From a little work corona Tiding a gully the enemy bad maintained an irritating lire since July 14 upon a senior of our new position and this had to be stopped. French seventy-five’s poured in a heavy fire and then, in blazing sunshine with the dust whirling in a gale, the men charged brilliantly and captured the position with heavy enemy losses.

Three hundred yards ol trenches forming an enciente in our new line were so packed with Turkish dead as to be untenable. This is a section taken and lost several times during the last big effort, and ike enemy’s artillery were very active during tbe. assault.” The Exchange Telegraph Company’s correspondent at the Dardanelles says : “This is an invisible war. _ Sitting at the highest observation point, you can see nothing of war, although you know countless men and guns are under vour vorv eyes in the battle for Achi .Baba.

A long kluiki line pops out of holes and charges into a black gap a few yards ahead and then disappears. If has simply gone from one hole into another,* but it means that we have captured a trench and the guns lengthen their range and a second trench is rushed in the same way, yet not a Turk Is visible. “There is no such luxury as resting. After a sojourn in the trenches under rifle-fire, the men come to the rear under shell-fire of all calibres from Achi Baba and the Asiatic- coast” The Turkish guns "always pot at British ships entering and leaving the harbor.

The Allies are achieving wonders of patience and endurance and organisation. The Naval co-operation continues smashing village and wrecking guns, but it is now essentially a land campaign. The operations may seem to progress slowly, but a visit reveals what the immense organisation lias accomplished while fighting for a firmer footing on the precipitous cliffs—the landing stage which has made the name of the Australians famous. Ii fails to arouse wonderment, after seeing tills great network of organisation, that defects in the organisation would be fatal. Tn this trench warfare if is a question whether file snows and frostbite of Flanders are not minor ills as compared with the enervating heat and sunstroke. The men are almost knocked out before the fighting bo-

“Turkish prisoners are dejected and this is a hopeful sign. If the Allies can now press their advantage, final success is assured.”

Alitylene. reports that the Turks have evidently obtained large supplies of heavy ammunition, enabling them to keep up a sustained 1 artillery fire. An Anglo-French aeroplane again attacked Smyrna and destroyed the • as-works and a petrol depot.

THE TURKISH ARTILLERY. A RAIN OF ASSORTED SHELLS. REPORT BY CAPTAIN BEAN. (Received July 30. 10.50 p.m.) - SYDNEY, July 30. Captain Bean, cabling from Oaba Tope, says:—On the ,19th we faced from 10 to 50 guns. About half of them were 14 and 15-pounders and, the rest were four, six, eight) and occasionally ten and eleven-i ncliers, with, a spYinkling of lighter guns, whose positions wore rapidly changeable and which can be placed within a few hundred yards of our trenches and quickly removed: ‘•There was also an ancient mortar flinging 12-inch bombs. “The amount of tunnelling done by the- Australians and Now Zealanders can be judged' from the fact, that they have already blown up 1.7 mines opposing Quinn’s Post, in almost every case destroying a Turkish tunnel. “The New Zealanders one day threw 570 bombs from Quinn’s Post, which the engineers recently altered ou.t of all recognition.” AUSTRALIA DAY. ENTHUSIASM IN SYDNEY. RECORD COLLECTIONS ANTICIPATED. (Deceived July 30. 9.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 30. Australia Day evoked unprecedented enthusiasm. The weather cleared and’ remained fine. The stroots wore brilliantly decorated and were lined with stalls, and orchestras and concerts platforms and other moneymaking devices. Unbounded optimism - prevailed m the crowded thoroughfares. q’lie military procession included wounded heroes, who met with a great reception. Tim same carnival spirit is reported from other cities. There was an impressive intercession service at the Cathedral, which was thronged. The collections are anticipated to (exceed all previous records. 'Phe city collections reached £350,000-

THE ALLIES’ PEACE TERMS

OPEN DECLARATION WANTED

(Received Julv 31, 12.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, July 30. The Trades Hall Council passed tlho 'following motion: “That, while recognising' the need for complete national unity in the present crisis, and knowjner what the loss of the war means to the working classes, this meeting req uosts the Federal Labor Party to uree the Imperial Government, m the name of suffering humanity, to openly dccln re 'to the world: the terms upon which the Allies should negotiate for peace.