Turkey capitulates
TURKEY has laid down the arms which four years ago, at the dictation of Germany, she took up against the
Allies; and the Allied fleet, having passed through the Dardanelles, is now in possession of the Bosphorus, if not actually riding at anchor in the Golden Horn, in full sight of Constantinople. Although the capitulation of Turkey has been a foregone conclusion for the past two or three weeks, the general jubilation with which the news has been received has lost no whit of its spontaneity and enthusiasm. There are special reasons why throughout this dominion the unconditional surrender of Turkey should evoke feelings of the most intense thankfulness and provoke an outburst of genuine rejoicing.
It was to Mudros that the Turkish plenipotentiary hied him in the early part of the present week to meet ViceAdmiral Calthorpe and to request him to sign an armistice on conditions amounting to an unconditional surrender. And as the British Admiral dipped his pen into the ink to ratify the agreement which gave Turkey cessation from hostilities on all her fighting fronts, his mind must have gone back to the day when from that same harbour of Mudros sailed that great armed host, so wonderfully described by Mr John Masefield, recruited from all parts of the British Empire, intent on the conquest of Gallipoli, the opening up of the Dardanelles, and the way to the Black Sea. And as he placed his name to the document which made Turkey a defeated and humiliated foe Admiral Calthorpe can scarce have failed to remember reverently the host
comprising many of the best and bravest of the sons of New Zealand and Australia who met their death while gallantly fighting on Gallipoli’s bloodstained slopes...
It was against the Turkish troops that the forces from the overseas dominions first established the reputation, which they have since retained, as soldiers of great gallantry, initiative, and resourcefulness in the present war, and Turkish soil holds the remains of thousands of the best specimens of Australian and New Zealand manhood, whose lives were sacrificed in the Gallipoli campaign...
all, there was an evident ring of sincerity about the outward demonstrations. If the people had not felt as they professed, there could never have been such a gigantic collection of all classes at the Town Hall steps at 3 p.m. as there was. That one feature of feeling is sufficient to show how much in earnest the people of Dunedin and suburbs were over the capitulation of the Turks. It is not in time for ‘‘crowing’’, and there did not appear much in the celebrations suggestive of such a thing. To come down to details, the whistles, sirens, and bells had no sooner started yesterday morning than the temperature of the whole population rose. That is no matter for wonder when the effect of what the submission of Turkey means at the present juncture. It is another corner stone in the strong edifice, that has taken years to build, gone — and as was indicated in some of the speeches delivered from the Town Hall steps at 3 p.m. yesterday — it is almost certain to be the forerunner of other collapses. — ODT, 2.11.1918.