State Library of NSW
[Page 113]
that he should even after my return. This a is a good example of Army methods. As if the Newspapers ould be content to pay for two cabled discriptions of the same story. For his cables were to be sent at their expense. It was an extremely dirty trick to try and play on me but the Authorities think I know too much and would do everying in their power to get rid of me.But they wont unless the unforseen occurs. I also met Commander Weyley who has a section of machine guns attached to the RN.R also Commander Coleman and young Loughborough who was wounded early in the campaign came to see me.
On arriving at G.H.Q I was seen by the Chief of the Staff who at once began to absue me because he said it had been brought to his notice that I had openly criticised the conduct of the campiagn about the camp. He said that as a private individual I m might hold what views I liked but that as a War Correspondent I had no right to any except those which were officially givem me. This is a new aspect of the case. He said it was a grave offensive to criticise the conduct of the campaign as it destroyed the morale of the army. I denied ever having done so in public which is perfectly true although in the course of private conversations I might have said something.Certainly I have never said a word to any officer in the front line having returned a stock answere to all requests for information namely 'That the Government were absolutely united and were sending out large reinforcements'. What really amusec me is the fact that the people who really criticise the campaign are the members of the Headquarters Staff itself. They are always coming to me with some fresh complaint. The Chief of the Staff said anyone who criticised them would be sent straight
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