The Morning Herald says: ‘‘That a withdrawal was desirable, if it were possible, there could be very little doubt, even it it had not been in accordance with the advice of three very distinguished officers.'' The Daily Telegraph says:
‘‘The retirement was a dramatically disappointing anti-climax to the Dardanelles campaign.
''The moral effect is likely to be quite disproportionate to its material importance; it will assuredly give new heart to the Turks, and cause them to believe they are winning the war - a delusion which can only tend to make the prospect of peace more remote.''
■ That necessary evil, rabbit poisoning, is rapidly killing off all New Zealand's native game (says the Oamaru Mail).
Wekas, once to be heard anywhere in the hills of a night, are now no more. Their inquisitive nature renders their complete extinction a matter of time wherever poison is laid. Paradise and grey duck will follow more slowly with settlement.
But though there is a lamentable dearth of wing shooting in Otago, the rabbit has perhaps rendered a great service to the nation in the training of boys with the .22, the first step with many of our boys now on Gallipoli to be coming expert rifle shots.
It seems hardly necessary to point out that while a good living may be made by rabbiting, the extinction of the rabbit in New Zealand will not be compassed by either trapping, poisoning, or shooting.
■ For some weeks there has been a great influx of red cod along the coast of South Otago, and at Port Molyneux and near the mouth of the Catlins estuary large numbers have been caught by parties fishing from the rocks with rod and line.
One day last week in the vicinity of False Island, Catlins, a Balclutha party secured 85 cod in about an hour (says the Free Press).
Many of them bore evidence of attacks from larger fish, which may have had something to do with driving the cod inshore.
Whatever the cause the prospects for holiday line fishers are better than they have been for many years.
- ODT, 24.12.1915.
