Item 01: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett diary, 1915-1917 - Page 234
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[Page 234]
prisoners who come in declare they often go without food for two days. I am simply stating the position in Gallipoli and what is required to carry through the enterprise without having any knowledge of the troops and munitions available at home for the purpose. It is for the Military Authorities to consider whether the prize is worth the price, and, if it is worth the price, and if the means are available to carry it through; whether in fact we can spare enough men and enough guns and ammunition from the Western theatre of war and from home defence to carry the near Eastern expedition through to its logical conclusion. If they are not available and this programme is considered too ambitious, why then, we should consider an alternative policy and concentrate all our efforts on its fulfilment. If we cannot carry out the whole programme, we ought to concentrate all our efforts on taking up a real defensive position where we will be quite comfortable and where the army will be altogether independent of the fleet for long periods if necessary. The Australians at Anzac are fairly comfortable where they are but, in the south, we are not. We should, therefore, assuming no separate army for a diversion at Enos or Bulair is available, endeavour to take Achi Baba and thus present a fine defensive front to the enemy which would give us a zone absolutely clear from artillery fire for troops and munitions. But even for this operation we require more men than are at present available even after the arrival of the Lowland