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Show LIGHT TURNED UPON DARDANELLES FIASCO . Asqulth Defends Kitchner and Churchill Kxplalns His Part in the Campaign. London, March 20. An energetic defense of Lord Kitchner was made in the house of commons today by Former Premier Asqulth, who ro-' ro-' plied to the criticism lovelod at his government In tho recently published report of the Dardanelles com nils-' slon. "Lord Kitchner was a masterful man endowed with a formidable personality per-sonality and disposed by naturo to keep his own counsel." said Mr. Asqulth. "nut it ;s n mistake to suggest that he lived in isolation and did not consult military opinion a3 to tho conduct of tho war. That Is untrue, but it is true that during the early months of tho war ho acted as his own chief of staff." ' Mr. Asqulth said the Dardanelles expedition was primarily a naval one bocauso Lord Kitchner proved to tho satisfaction of the war counsel that tho resources to make it a joint military mili-tary and naval undertaking wero not available. Tho delay In sending troops, Mr. n3qulth continued, was due to the Russian position, which was then bad, and pressure was brought to bear on both tho British and French commanders In chlof to keep their troops in Franco. Mr Asqulth asserted tho Dardanelles Dardan-elles operations had saved tho situation situa-tion in tho Caucasus, proventcd for months thu defection of llulgurla to tho central powers, kept 300,000 Turks mobilized, destroyed some of the finest troops In tho Turkish army nnd contributed to tho favorable ro-sults ro-sults witnessed in Egypt, Mesopotamia Mesopo-tamia and Persia. The suggestion that no good purpose pur-pose would bo served by tho Dardanelles Dardan-elles commission In continuing Its leaders was received by tho house with loud cheers. The suggestion was made by Sir Mark Sykes, who vigorously defended tho Dardanelles operations. Winston Spencer Churchill, former first lord of the admiralty, severely criticized tho manner in which tho Dardanelles commission report had been prepared. Tho decision with regard to tho Dardanelles, said Mr. Churchill, was not based on tho opinions of experts, but on tho plans of experts and tho readiness of experts to execute theso plans. Nobody had n right to sav naval opinion was not marshalled behind tho admiralty's action. I Warmly denying that ho urgod Lord Fisher, then first sea lord, to give his silent and reluctant consent to tho enterprise, Mr. Churchill said: I "Lord Fisher did not declare definitely def-initely that he consented to under-tako under-tako the operation. After balancing all tho possibilities ho oxerted hlm-twlt hlm-twlt to the utmost and even offered to go out himself and tako chargo of It. It was not until tho next situation situ-ation had arisen and the admiral on the spot was unwilling to go for-: for-: ward that Lord Fisher said ho would not press him." I Then, Mr. Churchill ndded, tho dlf- i ference botween Lord Fisher and himself began for tho first tlmo: |