LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA PRESENTED BY DR. HERBERT FINGARETTE U.C.S.B. THE FIRST WORLD WAR THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914-1918 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF LIEUT.-GOL. G. a COURT REPINGTON C. M. G. COMMANDER OF THE ORDER OF LEOPOLD OFFICER OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR VOLUME II BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 1920 Printed in Great Britain SAKTA BAIiUAIiA " h ^ ' ^ CONTENTS OF VOL. II CHAPTER XXIII THE GRAND FLEET, AUGUST 1917 FAOII A letter from General Robertson — Ck)lonel Fagalde — What pos- terity may think of us — The Russian Armies begin to break up — Lord Percy on our strategy — Sir Edward Carson's reasons for leaving the Admiralty — Visit to Glynde — Colonel Pollen on Sir A. Murray's campaign — ^The Flanders offensive — Visit to Lord and Lady Mar at Alloa — Lunch at Admiralty House, Rosj'th — First view of the Grand Fleet — The microphone stations — • Admiral Beatty's views — Lord Hardinge on the War Cabinet system — Visit to Admiral Beatty on the Queen Elizabeth — Our slight superiority in battleships — Ignorance of military arrange- ments — Scouting service — Admiral Beatty refuses to give assur- ances that he will arrive in any stated time at the place where the enemy invades us — A look round the Q. E. — Scapa and the Forth — The submarine K7 — Why the submarine menace was not understood — Our tonnage losses — Visit to Admiral Pakenham on the Lion — Lord Hardinge on tlie action of the Cabinet after my divulgation of the Kaiser's letter to Lord Tweedmouth in 1908 — King Edward's visit to Germany — Lord Hardinge has to inform the Kaiser of the Cabinet's Minute — The Paris Embassy — Return to London ........ 1-26 CHAPTER XXIV THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES, SEPTEMBER 1917 Sir W. Robertson on the horrible Low Country positions — General P^tain's victory at Verdun — Italian successes — The American arrivala — Colonel Mola on Italy's need of steel — A talk with Russian friends on Russian affairs — A bad raid on Chatham — Down to Parkeston Quay to visit Commodore Sir R. Tyrwhitt — The Centaur — System of naval command on the coast — T^Twhitt's forces — German and British minefields — They fail to stop German submarines, but they stop us — Tho Dutch trade convoy — Tho new light-cruisor class — Tyrwhitt's formation while cruising — Tho Porto Hying ships — An early Council of War at tho Admiralty — Tho ConinuKloro not infornic3gati(m — M. Cambon on Jai)an('.so intervention — Lord IVAhcnnere'fl rosignaticm — Mr. Lloyd George and Sir Edward Carson on the Morning I'o/il and the Times — General Allonby on the cliange of policy in the East .... 254-285 THE FIRST WORLD WAR CHAPTER XXXIII ZEEBRUGGE AND OSTEND, APRIL 1918 PAOEB A visit to Admiral Sir Roger Keyes and the Dover patrol — ^The story of the blocking operations at Zeebrugge and Ostend — The audacious assault on the Zeebrugge mole — A deathless story — The question of the French Channel ports — Admiral Keyes's ' graveyard ' — A night at the National Sporting Club— The Marquis Imperiali on Prince Liohnowsky — Talks with H. G. Wells and M. Huysmans — The Duke of Connaught's trip to Palestine — Stories from the Holy Land — M. Coleyn's treatment in England — General Maurice exposes the Government — The Unionists decide to support Mr. Lloyd George in the Maurice debate — Government majority 187 in consequence — The figures which justify Maurice — Our losses now 258,000 — Mr. Otto Kahn on President Wilson — Colonel Slocum on the good comradeship of America — Admiral Keyes on his blocking operations — Lord French arrests the Sinn Fein leaders .... 286-308 CHAPTER XXXIV THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE CONTINUES, MAY AND JUNE 1918 Third Phase of the German Offensive — The Rheims-Soissons front assaulted — Loss of the Chemin des Dames position — General Mahon on Ireland — The great effort of America in troop- transport — The Germans claim 175,000 prisoners and 2000 guns since March 21 — A visit to Polesden-Lacey — Some interesting conversations — The Fourth Phase of the German attack — The Montdidier-Noyon front assailed — A visit to the Abbey House, Colchester — Expeditions to Archangel and Vladivostok — The Austrian offensive against Italy begins June 16 — The attack repulsed — Mr. Montagu on India's military affairs — The first million Americans arrive — My memorandum on the war for the Colonial Premiers — Conversations at Coombe — Admiral Sims on the U-boat war — Major Robert Bacon's table of past and future American arrivals — General Maurice's views on the Western front 309-341 CONTENTS xi CHAPTER XXXV THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS, JULY 1918 FAOER The Fifth Pliaae of the German offensive — They attack on the Marne and in Champagne on a tifty-fivc-mile front — They cross the Marne, but are beaten in Champagne — General Foch starts a great counter-attack between the Marne and the Aisne — Many Grerman prisoners and guns taken — State of the German divisions — The murder of the Tsar — Tragic accounts of Russia — F.M. Sir D, Haig announces that the crisis is past — There are now 1,250,000 Americans in France — Our Armies have had half a million casualties and have lost 1000 guns — Sir H. Rawlinson's and General Debcney's Armies win a brilliant victor}' on August 8 — Some 24,000 prisoners and 300 gims taken by us in two days — A conversation with M. Kerensky — Threatened reduction of the number of our divisions — The Allies continue to advance and win battles — Lieut. Pernot's views. . . . 342-359 CHAPTER XXXVI THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 1918 Journey to France — Major-General Salmond on Air Force ques- tions — To G.H.Q. at Roulers — Infantry strengths the main anxiety — Our attacks doing wcU — Value of our artillery — Visits to Sir Henry Home and Sir Julian Byng — Conversation with Sir Henry Rawlinson — The German Armies now in front of ua — A conversation in Paris over politico-military happen- ings — Machines versus Men — At Marshal Foch's Headquarters — The Marshal on the course of operations — His views of things needed — The Marshal's manner when in a chaffing mood — To Provins, the French G.Q.G. — Conversation at lunch— General P6tain'8 diflScultics — His views of the situation — Paris gossip — Jewish influence — A fairy story — A conversation on art — M. Bertholot at Baron Maurice Rothschild's . . . 360-387 CHAPTER XXXVII THE ST. MIHIEL OPERATION, SEPTEMBER 1918 Journey to Chaumont/ — American strengths — Visit to General Tren- chard and the I.A.F. — Tronchard's views — Visit to General de Castelnau— Talk with the American H.Q. Staff — The American xii THE FIRST WORLD WAR FIOBS Training Schools at Langres — American military principles and practices — ^The St. Mihiel operation — ^Motor to Ligny-en- Barrois — Troops in the battle — A successful attack — Visit to the battlefield — A cage of Gterman prisoners — Return to Paris — A German air raid on Paris — Gleneral Wagstaff on St. Mihiel — A conversation with Clemenceau — A French Yellow Book — A talk about Palestine — Good news from the British Armies — General Henderson — ^Tank enthusiasts — Murder of the Tsaritsa and her daughters — French industry after the war — Commodore Heaton- Ellis on naval affairs 388-415 CHAPTER XXXVIII ITALY AND THE VATICAN, AUTUMN 1918 Journey to Italy — The British Mission near Padua — Headquarters of the British Army at Lonedo — ^Talk with GJeneral Gathorne- Hardy — ^The military situation in Italy — Visit to the Comando Supremo — ^Talks with Generals Diaz and Badoglio — Visit to the Duke of Aosta — ^The new Italian liaison service — ^The French Mission — The Bulgarians ask for an Armistice — French and Italian efforts during the war — Italian strengths — Journey to Rome — Talks with Sir Rennell Rodd and the Embassy Staff — Sir Courtauld Thomson — Distribution of Italian and Austrian Armies — Mr. Harris on Vatican affairs — An Italian painter — Talks with General Zupelli — A visit to the Vatican — ^Talks with Cardinal Gasparri and Monsignore Cerretti — Dr. Malagodi's views — Mr. William Miller — Count de Salis on the Vatican — Con- versation with Signor de Martino — The General of the Jesuits — ^Talk with Signor Bergomini — A visit to Cardinal Gasquet — Father Philip Langdon — Our underpaid diplomats — Observa- tions on the Vatican, Italy, and foreign Powers — Grerman pro- posal for an Armistice . ...... 416-454 CHAPTER XXXIX THE FINAL OPERATIONS AND THE ARMISTICE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 1918 Return to Paris — A French Communique — Talk with M. Mandel — The question of our effectives — Our Army the best offensive weapon now — Clemenceau sleeps — Visit to G.H.Q. at Gouy — General Lawrence's opinions on the situation — Our artillery successes — The German distribution — Return to London — M. Coleyn's views — Mihtary events and President Wilson's CONTENTS xiii PAGES diplomacy — The victory of the King of the Belgians east of Yprea — Progress of all the Allied Armies — Mr. Cravath on America — General LudendorfE resigns — General Allenby at Aleppo aiter capturing 75,000 prisoners and 340 guns —The Italo-British victory in Italy — The Austrian retreat becomes a rout — General Chctwode on the Palestine campaign — Successes of Allies and Americans — The Germans in retreat on all sides — Outlook in Germany — Hatred of the Germans in Allied coimtries — The Austrian Armistice conditions — A letter from Sir Charles Townshend — The Germans given seventy-two hours to accept the Armistice — The Kaiser abdicates — Ariuistico Day, November 11 — Rejoicing in London — Severe conditions imposed — Proclamation of Marshal Foch to the Armies . . 455-483 CHAPTER XL THE PEACE CONFERENCE, 1919 The rejoicings continue — The history of the Police Strike — The Allies begin their march to the Rhine — Enthusiastic reception of M. Clemcnceau and Marshal Foch in London — Facts about American divisions and strengths in France this year — Hearty reception of F.M. Sir Douglas Haig and his Army Commanders in London — A courteous letter from Sir Auckland Geddes — Huge majority for the Coalition at the General Election — The Peace Conference assembles in Paris — Troubles in the Array the result of strain — The Lord Chancellor and the Dean of Durham — The King reviews the young troops — Some good stories at Sir E. Cassel's house — Parties and gossip — Loid Dalmeny on Allenby — Death of the Dowager Lady Londonderry — Haig and Robertson change places — The march of the Guards through London — Secrecy in Paris — Mr. Lloyd George attacks Lord Northcliffe — Visit to Beaconsficld — ^Mr. Tjaughlin's experiences — Visits to Easthamp- stead Park — Our maritime losses — Death of Lady Paget — Visit to the Rhine — Situation of our Army on the Rhine — Return to Paris — A talk with Marshals Foch and Pi^tain — Their dissatis- faction with the Conference — Count Sobanski on Poland — A converHation with General Pershing — Peace with Germany Higned at Vt-rHaillcH. Juno 28 484-547 INDEX 549-581 CHAPTER XXIII THE GRAND FLEET, AUGUST 1917 A letter from C4eneral Robertson — Colonel Fagalde — What posterity may think of us — The Russian Annies begin to break up — Lord Percy on our strategy — Sir Edward Carson's reasons for leaving the Ad- miralty — Visit to GljTide — Colonel Pollen on Sir A. Murray's cam- paign — The Flanders offensive — Visit to Lord and Lady Mar at Alloa — Lunch at Admiralty House, Rosj^h — First view of the Grand Fleet — The microphone stations — Admiral Beatty's views — Lord Hardinge on the War Cabinet S3^stem — Visit to Admiral Beatty on the Queen Elizabelh — Our slight superiority in battleships — Ignorance of military arrangements — Scouting service — Admiral Beatty refuses to give assurances that he will arrive in any stated time at the place where the enemy invades us — A look round the Q. E. — Scapa and the Forth — ^The submarine K7 — Why the submarine menace was not understood — Our tonnage losses — Visit to Admiral Pakenham on the Lion — Lord Hardinge on the action of the Cabinet after my divulga- tion of the Kaiser's letter to Lord Tweedmouth in 1908 — King Edward's visit to Germany — Lord Hardinge has to inform the Kaiser of the Cabinet's Minute — The Paris Embassy — Return to London. Saturday, July 21. Sir W. Robertson writes to me in reply to a letter of mine commiserating with him on the Woolwich fiasco and advising him not to press for control of the Army in India in peace time as he would not get support for it. He says, ' I was badly let down as regards Woolwich, and for the future will be glad not to be accom- panied by any [Kjlitician when I go to see our workers at home. My wihh was to give them a pat on the back for what they have done and to induce them to go on doing more. V>\\i they did not wish to hear me as they wanted to get at Addison. As regards control over military affairs in India, I note what you say. My opinion remains un- changed, }>iit I shall not press it any more than is desirable ; 1 2 THE GRAND ]FLEET up to that point it will be pressed if and when the question comes before me.' Lunched at the Marlborough Club with the Comte de Noailles and Colonel Fagalde, Foch's new liaison officer with Robertson. I like Fagalde, who is a soldier before everything else and most keen about his work. He was qmet at first, but warmed up when we began to talk. He is a pro-Salonikan and we had the usual argument on the subject, neither convincing the other. He considers that the Aisne battle is all one since April 16, and that it is a battle for observation, and that the victor is enabled to reduce his forces when he secures the better observation. He thinks that the opening of the new L. of C. to the East via Taranto will help. He says that in France and England a false view is held of Sarrail, who is a soldier first of all and has merely been used by politicians as a pawn in the anti- Jo ffre game. We agree to meet again and talk. After- wards went to the Countess Torby's new house at 3 Cambridge Gate, Regent's Park. Had a talk with her and the Grand Duke, and saw Countess Zia's presents which are still in the drawing-room after the wedding yesterday. They want me to help about getting their son a commis- sion in our Army. The Countess discussed the war and politics. She wonders how we can expect Germany to become democratic when her neighbour Russia shows her how democracy can drag a country down. Lady Islington writes to me that the P.M. has refused her Jack's resigna- tion, and has done so in such a way that he has felt obliged to withdraw it. Sunday, July 22. Week-end at Coombe : Sir Arthur and Lady Paget, Charles Fox, Evan Charteris, Lady Mar, Sir Archibald and Lady Murray, Lady Ridley, Miss Muriel Wilson, F. E. Smith's brother, Mr. and IMiss Kerr-Clark, Baron M. de Rothschild, Tony Drexel, Mrs. Rupert Beckett, Mrs. O'Neill, the Prince and Princess Radziwill, and M. Bardac. A very pleasant party. Charles Fox came down with me, and he thrilled the guests with the stories of his imprisonment in Germany and his escape. Played tennis 1917] WHAT POSTEEITY WILL THINK 3 morning and afternoon. Smith very good. Lady Mar and M. W. played excellently, and ^Iis. O'^Neill as splendidly as always. Sii' A. P. has a good day with his troops in prospect and wants me to come and see it. It is Scheme G, and the Canadians come into it. Kerr-Clark tells me that the meeting of the Allied ministers in Paris this week is mainly to revise the proposals of the Paris economic con- ference owing to America's objections to the former arrange- ments. Tony very mysterious about American difficulties in France, but when I told him what they were he became more expansive. He thinks that Pershing will have to ask France to do certain things, and that he will need our support. Tony is now interpreter on Pershing's staff in France. He understands by now that the Americans will have to build their own railways, provide their own rolling stock, and do everything themselves for their Armies. He praises the French Ai'my, but is critical of French politicians. Lady Ridley and I discussed what posterity would think of us in England. We agreed that we should be considered rather callous to go on with our usual life when we were reading of 3000 to 4000 casualties a day. But she said that people could not keep themselves elevated permanently on some plane above the normal, and she supposed that things round us explained the French Revolution and the behaviour of the French nobility. However, nearly all these ladies are full of good works. Lady R. and Mrs. Beckett have the exhausting work of their own hospitals, and the others help, while all the men are busy all day and are all the better for a little company at lunch and dinner and a Sunday in the country. Personally 1 think that the hostesses of this time have done an infinity of good in helping to keep people sane, steady, and cheerful. The only visiblo sign.s of war are t hat the men now wear usually short coats and black ties in the evenings, that dinners are shorter, and that servants are fewer and less good. There is a want of taxia and of jx^trol, and sugar in some places is rather scarce. The working classes are well paid, and food is abundant if vol.. II. B 4 THE GRAND FLEET dear. There is the minimum of privation, and no general and real suffering from the war. The greatest sufferers are the middle classes, especially the humble gentlewomen, with fixed incomes, and those who have lost husbands or sons. We wondered what particular things relating to this period would interest posterity most. We hoped that it might be the calm and steadiness of the Empire in the midst of the greatest war in its history, and we hoped, without feeling absolutely assured of the fact, that this attitude would continue to the end. There was an air-raid warning soon after eight this morning. We heard either guns or maroons, but on making inquiry. Sir A. P. was told that there had been an attack on Harwich and Fehxstowe and that London had not been attacked. Monday, July 23. Bad news to-day from Russia. The Second Army on the S.W. front has given way and the enemy is at the gates of Tarnopol. Many units refuse to fight and are dispersing. All the gains of the last three weeks of fighting have been lost. A nice letter from General P6tain inviting me to come and see him when I go over. Lunched with Lord and Lady Mar, their boy, and Lady Hchester. A pleasant talk. They are in 44 Grosvenor Square, and I went upstairs to see the curious fresco painting attributed to Hogarth and covering all one end of the room. It is a triptych with painted columns between. It was previously covered over with canvas, and was only discovered by accident. It is doubtless of the Hogarth period, but assuredly not by him I should say. I met afterwards the naval officer who was with Jellicoe when I was last in Paris. He says that we have had two or three bad sub- marine days. He hopes that the American convoys will get over, but says that the Huns never appear upon the surface now, and that the first warning is usually a torpedo as the periscope is seldom seen. All the Grand Fleet is in the Forth now, and might be mined-in any night. They are standing by in case the attack in Flanders brings out the Huns. 1917] LORD PERCY^S VIEAVS 5 Tuesday, July 24. Thurlow the builder called at Maryon. He says that he has eleven men instead of the forty he had before tlie war, and that tliey are all old and not venturc- Bome on high ladders. Their wages are one-third up, and the price of materials is awful. He says that the war has taught him how dependent all classes are upon each other. About the wisest sayuig that I have heard since the war began. Lunched with Lord Percy at White's. He is now in the M.O. branch at the War Office. We could not find much to cheer us in the Russian news, which is still execrable. He wanted to know if I thought we could win the war if Russia was placed out of court. What would I advise ? I said that it would be difficult, but that we four Western Powers must then make a great effort, close down all secondary operations as much as possible, call up all our reserves of manhood, and place another large batch of divisions in the field. P. thinks that L. G. cannot be deaf to the appeals of the French, Venizelos, and the Serbs for us to stayat Salonika, and he believes that the ousting of King Constantine has practically forced our hand again and compelled us to stay. He hopes that as Venizelos's promised divisions mature we may be able to take more of ours away. He says, and I agree, that it is dreadful to look at the relative forces on our three Eastern fronts and to note how little we have made of our suj)eriGrity except in Mesopotamia. He fancies that L. G. telLi the W.O. that a call for more men will spell revolution. I said that if L. G. told the country the whole truth and what should Ixi done, every one would respond. P. admits that nothing has been arranged for any despatch of Itafian troops to France. In the last Saint Jean de Maurienne conference the Italians even refused to find labour battalions for France. All this must be changed, and I have written an article bringing the subject in. P. thinks that X. Im^ a bad in- fluence on the affairs at the War Cabinet, as he is clever and writes well, but has no knowled^^ or judgment of great military affairs. I must see X. and find out how things stand. 6 THE GRAND FLEET Wednesday, July 25. A letter from Carson saying that he is very sorry to leave the Admiralty, but that it is im- possible, with the great volume of work that there is now to do, to serve in the War Cabinet and as the head of a de- partment at the same time, and he says that he must serve where it is thought that he can be of most use. An article by me on the outlook appears to-day, and receives general approval. Montagu writes that letters of encouragement like mine are very acceptable at the present moment, and asks me to come and see him when I have anything to suggest. Winston sends a wire of thanks. These two last Ministers have a bad press. Doris Keane tells me that the seventy carpenters and others employed at her theatre are rabid about Winston's appointment, and that it has caused them to distrust L. G. and write him off as a mere politician. Uneasy lies the head that rests at No 10 ! Thursday, July 26. A talk with Meredith and his partner about the Memoirs. Tribunal in the afternoon. Marjorie dined with me at Claridge's. I left the dinner to Charles and was well inspired. We saw the end of the Palace Revue afterwards, and voted Gertie Millar to be still unapproach- able in her particular branch. She is an artist. Friday, July 27. I picked up Marjorie and we lunched with Doris Keane, E., and the Epsteins at Doris's new house, 34 Chapel Street, which is already very delicious and is going to be a gem. Doris in high spirits. Very entertaining. Epstein has not much conversation. We went on to his studio to see him modelling the bust of Doris. It is a good resemblance, full face, and should be very successful. We then went to the Grosvenor Gallery to see the pictures. We greatly enjoyed Laszlo's portraits of Lord Carnock and Mrs. Arthur Wilson, which are fine works. Mrs. Asquith's portrait — or at least the portrayal of her back — by Ranken, is very clever. I did not like McEvoy's portrait of Lady Gwendeline Churchill. He has not caught her particular winsomeness at all, but his portrait of Miss Asquith is lifelike. Jessie Gibson's ' Coster Girl,' Norah Neilson Gray's ' Haunted Garden,' 1917] LORD ISLINGTON ON INDIA 7 Laura Knight's 'Pavlova at the Palace,' and a few more also pleased us. Lad}' Talbot sends me a charming letter about my last article, and others arrive approving. Colonel Mola very pleased that I have put forward the outcome of our conversations, and promises to promote the same ideas in Italy. Week-end, Saturday, July 28 to Monday, July 30. Captain Fox and I travelled down to Glynde to stay with the Ishngtons. Princess Patricia of Connaught, Lady Essex, Lord Peel, and McEvoy the artist also there. I like the latter. He is intelligent and pleasant, but Fox asks why he wears pyjamas by day and finds it necessary to brush his hair so quaintly. The Princess has become very hand- some, and has a charming manner. It is a pleasure to see a princess who is not dowdy. We all listened to Fox's account of his adventures, which thrilled every one. On Sunday I had a long talk with Peel about home politics, State finance, nationalisation of great industries, etc. He is a good man and ought to be more in view. Islington and I discussed India again. He is dead against altering Army administration in India, and says that Monro has made all the changes needed. These include the regular assembly of the Army Council, the raising of the status of the A.G. and Q.M.G. in India ; the increase of the staffs of Army commanders, etc., while the creation of a third Army is contemplated. But Monro still holds out for the Indian cadets to be at Sandhurst. I should hear from him soon on this point. Islington will not stay long at the I.O. I fear. It will be a pity. We played tennis on Sunday, but were driven in later by the rain, and then played Bridge, or at least Fox, Lady Essex, Ishngton, and I played, and Peel a rubber or two. Miss Joan Poynder a very attrac- tive girl, clever, and a good hand at talking in an interesting way. The Princess very delightful when the first formalitiea Ixgaii to wear off. She is rather hke Juliet T")ufT. doing up to town Lidy Essex made i^ady Islington do some imixTsonations. She did a cockney girl in a train journey, then the Sicilian actors, and linally Mrs. X. She was 8 THE GRAND FLEET quite inimitable, and we all laughed heartily. The guns in Flanders were heard very distinctly on the terrace i <^lvnde. It was a continuous throbbing, the noise of t^ a,viest guns occasionally rising above the distant din. The Princess told a story of a Chinese Ambassador at a British naval review. He was asked whether he enjoyed it. He replied, through the interpreter, that he did not enjoy it at all, and wished himself back at Harrod's Stores ! Mr. Martin writes from Liverpool to the Times, to express * the appreciation heard in the North, of the cool judg- ment and clarity of view of the too infrequent articles of your Military Correspondent,' and more to the same effect. Wednesday, August 1. Y. writes that X. is his chief rival for the Paris Embassy. My dread is that some pricked bubble of a politician may be unloaded into the Embassy, to get him out of the way. Lunched with the Lyttons : Mrs. Earle and Lord and Lady Francis Scott also there ; Lord F. still very lame and walking with sticks. A pleasant talk. I liked Mrs. Earle's story of a remark made by the daughter of a distinguished political family : * One of our grandmothers was a ballet dancer and another was a French cook, so really we ought to be something.' Much pleasure about the battle which began yesterday and has won for us a large area east of Ypres. Much talk also about Henderson's visit to Paris with Ramsay Mac- donald, and we all feel that H. cannot disassociate himself from his position as a member of the War Cabinet, and that Parliament is rightly wrathful that he should mix himself up with R. M.'s intrigue. I find that the Lyttons' friends are thinliing of the Paris Embassy for him. I should prefer him at the head of a department here, as he has high char- acter, much ability, and is an excellent speaker. Met Colonel Pollen afterwards. He was with Murray in Egypt . He tells me that the shelving beach , and three or four miles of shifting sand dunes 300 feet high, on the coast near Gaza, as well as the constant and heavy surf, make the railway the only practicable L. of C. He says that it was all different in Alexander's day, when the Mahamudie 1917] MURRAY'S DESPATCH 9 mouth of the Nile was open. It was this branch of the Nile that the Jews crosf^ed in fleeing from Egypt, and not the Red Sea. A west wind drove the waters bacl- ' ' * piled them in a heap. When the wind changed the "rt. .i began to percolate through the sand and made it a morass. It was that in which Pharaoh came to grief. The Jews had got over dry before the wind changed. A Jew would. Pollen says that Murray reached Egypt in Jan. 1916, and did a great work in reorganising all the remnants of troops in Eg}'pt and coming from GalHpoh and Australasia. He eventually formed 16 divisions in all. Eleven of these were then sent off to other theatres, and he was left with only four by ^May or June 1916. He was told to act defen- sively about Oct. 1916. He said that he could do so with three divisions if he occupied Katia. He did so, and then another division was taken from him. He now constructed his railway of 4-8 half -inch gauge and his pipe lines, and reached El Arish in Feb. of this year, and attacked Gaza, Feb. 3. He asked for another division and more cavalry, and was then told that he did not realise the importance of pushing on. The second fight at Gaza was April 26. These dates need checking. Pollen says that Brade has vTitlen asking Murray to alter his despatch 80 that it may be published. It is evidently desired that Murray should eUminate the summary of his instructions with which his despatch opens. Pollen advises him to refuse unless he gets a written order, as otherwise the poli- ticians will declare that he wrote what he pleased. Went to see Lewis Butler at Lloyd's Bank. He showed me a good letter from his son, who is adjutant of the 2nd K.R.R. which was destroyed in the recent affair at Nicuport. It seems to show that the German heavies were not projx^rly opp<^jHed, and that neither aircraft nor ships brought any help. Went on to talk with another man about Haig'a Flanders offensive. He showed me (he map with Haig's objoctives marked on it in diiU'ront colours as usual, and with a red lino showing wliat we had won in 10 THE GRAND FLEET yesterday's attack. We had gained all three objectives over two-thirds of the front attacked, and on the other third we had not quite reached our last objective on our right centre, and had more than reached it on our left and on the French front. We had engaged 12 divisions and the Germans 11, but ours were of 12 battalions and the Huns of 9, while our battaUons M^ere 1000 strong — I wonder if they were ? — and the Huns 700. The rain was very un- fortunate. We had been ready on July 24, but the French were not, and we had to wait for them. It is thought that the German guns were a good way back, as at Messines, for prudential reasons. The whole ground is a perfect maze of trenches and defended posts. My friend thought that the main interest was our methodical manner of conducting these attacks which were now systematised. I met another authority later. He was very pleased about the battle. He gave the Huns 16 divisions in the fight. We had only used 12, and we had 50 in all for subsequent operations. But we were now 20,000 down in the aggregate in France, or 30,000 allowing for 10,000 casualties, and the War Cabinet would do nothing to get more men, at least nothing serious. We had mountains of shells, but now not enough guns to fire them, and we were slacking off production. We had 2200 field guns in the fight and many heavies, perhaps 4000 guns in all — he did not know the exact number. The French had 600 guns with their 1st Army, which was in two Army corps each of three divisions, the whole under General Anthoine. They had only a small sector of the attack. Our airmen had done well, but the fighting had been very stiff. The repair of guns was causing some anxiety. He had seen Gough recently. Gough had said that his orders were to get as far on as he could, but that when he encountered organised resistance he was to sit down to organised attack. On such lines we should do well. It is thought that the Huns will hate the battle, and we mean to do a lot more before we finish. It is intended to give Murray a good post in a few weeks' time. I recommended the job of preparing for demobiUsation and 191 7 J ALLOA HOUSE ii for the creation of the organisation which we should need after the war. My friend told me that Allenb}' had lost his only son in France. He did not tliink that the Russians would make peace. The Huns had been alarmed at the Russian offensive, and had hurried a few divisions to the East. The Russians had run away although three times as strong. My friend rather hoped that the Huns might get themselves tied up in the autumn by advancing into Russia. All our guns sent to Russia were at Moscow. The Huns had not yet made a claim of guns captured. The Paris Conference had been plamied to allow the Balkan representatives to talk. There was no change, but the conference would continue here to-morrow. Retain is much liked, but neither he nor Foch can do anything without the politicians. Foch had said everything that L. G. hated most. Saturday, Aiigust 4. Sir David Beatty had written in answer to a letter from me that he would like to see me, and I had an invitation to stay with Lady Mar at Alloa, which is within easy motoring distance of Rosyth, where the Grand Fleet now hes. So I left London at 9.30 a.m. to-day and reached Alloa at 8.30 p.m. There were great crowds at the chief junctions, Crewe, Carlisle, etc. The country is looking remarkably well, and the crops every- where seem to promise a bountiful harvest, while the grasslands are covered with cattle, and I saw few signs of wheat in the hunting shires. At Alloa I found Lord Hardinge of Penshurst and his daughter Diamond, and Mis.s Magdalen Rycroft. Had a good gossip with Lady Mar after dinner. Theresa Lady Londonderry coming to- morrow. Sunday, August 5. A long talk of war and politics with Lady Mar in the morning. Alloa House is a large and comf{jrtabl<; building dating from IHGO. It is on the out- skirtH of tlie town, but is shielded from it by woods and grounds. There are some fine j)ictures, including three RaebuniH, a couple of good Van (Joyens, and various Lely and .ians.sen portraits. i..ady M., Hardinge, and 1 motored 12 THE GRAND FLEET over to Admiralty House, Rosyth, to lunch with Admiral Sir Frederick Hamilton and his wife. The Duke of Con- naught and Princess Patricia were there, Count Michael Torby, and various naval officers and some wives, besides two Miss Hamiltons. A fine view of the Forth from the balcony, which resembles the stern- walk of a ship. The battleships are lying above the bridge in two columns, stretching as far as the eye can see. Smaller craft and submarines are on each side of them. The battle cruisers and light squadrons he below the bridge. The Admiral says that when the Grand Fleet reached the Forth it stretched over seven miles of water. The Queen Elizabeth is now Beatty's flagship, and she lies at the head of the port wing. The balcony is a regular sun-trap, and it was hke a day on the Riviera. The view of the Grand Fleet was most grim and impressive. A pleasant talk at lunch. The Duke criticised an early portrait of Admiral Sir Harry Keppel, Lady Hamilton's father, because it had the decorations put on irregularly. We talked soldiering recollections after lunch. The Duke was angry at the Censor having interfered with the issue of the B.B. Chronicle, but was pleased that I had arranged the matter, thanks to Sammy Scott. The Admiral says that our new microphone stations can now detect submarines two to three miles distant, and he wants me to see Captain Ryan who has charge of them. When a submarine is detected she is hunted by destroyers, motor boats, and sea- planes. The value of the motor boat is that all its engines can be easily stopped, and this allows the microphone to work, whereas on a destroyer there are many auxihary engines, not so easily silenced. When the submarine dives we use depth charges to destroy her. Lady M. told me this morning that Beatty says that all the Jutland plans hitherto pubHshed are inaccurate, and that he has the correct plans. We motored on after lunch to Aberdour, the Beattys' house, a quite old, stone, stucco, and tiled house with a view of the Firth from the house and lawn. We found David Beatty playing tennis, and he 1917] BEATTY AND HIS SHIPS 13 plays very well. He has not much changed since Nile days except that he is a tritle thicker and has more hnes on liis face, but he is as active as ever, is full of life and fun, and his brown hau", parted in the middle and brushed back, speaks of youth. Ho looks up at one in the old waJ^ with the right eye almost closed and the left only showing a peephole. Lady Beatty was there, and Mrs. Godfrey- Faussett, and there turnetl up for tennis various naval officers, besides King Manuel who was doing a tour of his orthopaedic hospitals. The Admiral says that he has enjoyed Carson's regular visits, but that he has to keep on training the new Sea Lords. I said that I hoped the Flanders operations might tempt to sea the German Fleet. The Admiral thought that what with mines and submarines these were our waters, and that the Huns would seek more open waters if they had a fling at us. He was not of the opinion that the Hun would not come out. He thought that all his inchnations were to fight, and that while the defeat of the Huns would alter nothing materially, a German victory would have immense consequences and would hearten up the Hun to go on for another year. The Admiral said that he had fifty-two couple of ships in the Forth and that fourteen couple were out seeking adventures. The Fleet here is, he said, nearer to its probable objectives than at Scapa, and would not be much delayed in putting to sea, but Scapa ia the best place for training. His observation balloons of the Army pattern, which I saw in the air, were, he said, new since Jutland, and they can remain in the air and carry out observations in a forty-knot wind while a ship is running twenty knots. Neither we nor the Huns had such help at Jutland. The Huns know that we have them because wo use them for hunting submarines, for which they are quite useful. I asked about the dirigibles. D. B. says that tlie enemy has still the monopoly of the best air scouting in good weather, when one Zeppelin can do as much as five or six cruisers. When the fleet came here from Scapa it was accompanied by some of the new small dirigibles, but D. li. could not wireless to them as wireless messages were closed 14 THE GRAND FLEET down during the move. They pitched and tossed a good deal, but D. B. hopes that they may be of use some day. The large dirigibles have not yet come along, and B. thinks that they have been messed about and that people do not appreciate their importance even now. Madame Dubois, a fortune-teller, was in the house when we came. I did not see her, but she saw Lady Mar and told her that she would soon marry again. Lord Mar is still fit and well, and we shall not be able to tell the story at Alloa. All the Admirals in turn went to see the fortune-teller at a bazaar held here yesterday, and B. was most amusing on the subject. He described how the Admirals all came out from their consultation with the lady, looking flushed and pleased, and with a gUnt in their eyes, showing that the lady had prophesied great careers for them all. Motoring to Aberdour and back, Hardinge and I talked. He seems to think that Sir Eric Geddes has been made First Lord in order to carry out some necessary changes, and possibly to change the First Sea Lord. He tells me that the Foreign Office has expanded from 150 persons to 1150, and that the original nucleus controls the rest. We thought that if other departments had expanded similarly it would have been better than creating a host of new departments which interfered with each other and were not co-ordinated. I had given a review of the three years of the war in the Times of last Saturday, Aug. 4, and had criticised our War Cabinets. H. agreed that the absence of the First Lord, War Secretary, and Foreign Secretary from the War Cabinet is absurd. Hardinge is impressed with the value of the G.S. under Robertson, and he values Maurice and Macdonogh as much as I do. He asked me much about Petain and Nivelle, and I promised to show him the diary of my last voyage to France H. agrees that the Salonika expedition is the worst fault that we have made during the war. We discussed India. He and Lady Mar thought that the Durbar was their most astonishing experience in India. H. wishes to retain the Kitchener Army system in India. He considers it strange that the Mesopotamia Report 1917] THE QUEEN ELIZABETH 15 should never have alluded to the faihire of the Q.M.G. branch at Simla, and I entirely agree. He wishes the Indian cadets to be sent to Indian Sandhursts when they get King's Commissions, and says that they will do no good here and have nowhere to go for the hohdays. Monday, Aug 6. Motored to Rosyth. Am impressed by the mamier in which apparently any one can enter the dockyard. The Admiral's launch met me and took me to the flagship. I lunched with him, his boys, and various naval officers, including Brock his chief of staff, and Brand his secretary. Before lunch we had a good talk walking up and down the quarter-deck of the Queen Elizabeth, which has great length and breadth and is unobstructed. He told me that he had 32 battleships to the German 27, but that as the enemy can decide when to fight, B. has to reckon without 3 of his ships which will normally be under repair, giving him 29 against the German 27, but of course ours are better ships, and many improvements have been made since Jutland. He has all the battle cruisers with the Grand Fleet. Tyrwhitt is under the Admiralty, but B. has an understanding with Tyrwhitt that the latter will come under him if the German Fleet comes out. I was surprised to find that Beatty knows absolutely nothing of our defensive arrangements ashore, is not in touch with any military authority, and has not even a liaison officer with Robertson or Lord French. He would hke one, but at present he does not know anything about homo defence ashore or whether we have ten men or an Army corps at one place or another. This after three years of war ! Beatty has no real intelligence service of his own, and has to trust the Admiralty to keep him informed. Beatty hopes, however, that he will hear automatically if the German Fleet comes out. 1 am sure 1 hope he may. It might interest iiim. I asked about the scouting service for the local i)rotection of the Grand Fleet. He nays that he has his cruisers and patrols 150 miles out, and in the Forth there are three lines of nets, one at the bridge, and two more below where tho i6 THE GRAND FLEET battle cruisers lie. Subsequently I passed over one of them in a launch, and imagine that a surprise attack by motor launches armed with torpedoes might get through so far aa the nets are concerned. We discussed invasion and raids. Beatty said that he did not intend to hurry post-haste to the spot if England were invaded. No doubt he intends to cut off the German Fleet from its bases if he can and to force a decisive action. He says that he will not admit any theory, nor accept any ruUng, that he can be on the spot in 36 or 72 hours, or any other time. He says that it may be more or less. He is out for a big throw with his Fleet, and supposes that the Army can deal with any such invasion as can come. He does not believe in it, but rather hopes that it may come. This may all be perfectly sound, but meanwhile it is comical to think of all the profound cal- culation made by the Home Defence staff on the basis of naval support within fixed numbers of hours, and the utter futility and baselessness of the whole arrangement, or want of arrangement. What an extraordinary people we are ! Beatty says that he Ukes Sir Eric Geddes, and thinks that he will be able to work with him. He believes him to be a man anxious to win the war, and with no axe of his own to grind. But he says that Geddes has upset all the Con- troller's branch at the Admiralty, and has now left it to sort itself out as best it may. B. says that JeUicoe had great qualities especially for administration and detail, and B. added that we all had defects. The Fleet itself, said B., is all right, and he agrees with Robertson that a table-man is needed at Whitehall as First Sea Lord. The Army had taken the Admiralty framework and had then covered the dry bones with flesh and blood. The Admiralty had never done so, and hence all the trouble. Beatty refuses to count upon ship for ship superiority as Winston did. He prefers to keep this as something up his sleeve, and says that if we and the Germans each lose an equal number of ships in a fight we shall lose more : he therefore prefers to count by units. He is consulted 1917] A SxAIART FLAGSHIP 17 about the selection of admirals and captains in the Grand Fleet. B.'s quarters are aft in the Q. E. There is a dining cabin able to hold about twenty people, with good engrav- ings of the old admirals hung round it. His own sitting- room is aft again. It has a regidar fireplace lit by electricity, with a club fender on which one can sit. There is a large sofa, a ^mting table, a desk, and a few other tables and chairs, with vases of flowers, one of which I upset, on the tables. It is very comfortable, and one has to remember that the Admiral has for three years not slept away from his ship except when he once visited London on naval business. He has a firm and decided way of talking which is attractive. The peak of his cap is of unusual size, and he wears his cap usually cocked over his eyes, or on the back of his head, or anywhere except at the normal angle. The flag lieutenant showed me round the ship, which was spotlessly clean and painted a lighter grey than in time of peace, but the f.l. thought that the ships were still too dark and that a cream colour, almost white, was best for day work. I agreed with this, but on reflection am not sure whether the colour matters much with such constantly varying lights by day and night. At present the paint is the grey of an Ascot gown for a girl of eighteen. I was surprised to see so much wood about the ship. None of it seemed to have been removed. We entered the turret, and the 15-in. gun, with its projectile weighing a ton, was manccuvrcd for me. The 6-in. batteries were like a lady's boudoir, so neat and spick and span were they. AU the arrangements for firing the great guns were explained to me. I was shown the conning tower, which is a rare box of tricks, and the navigating bridge. There is no post tliat seems to me very satisfactory for an Admiral. The control station seems to me his })est j)laco for a general view, 'i'hat of (ho Q. E. was being altered, and 1 think that Beatty is prepar- ing for himself a bridge like that of the IJon. The smart appearance of the flagship is partly due to the fact thai she is an oil ship, but my guide said that when no coaling i8 THE GRAND FLEET had to be done the want of hard manual labour was much felt, and that the men were getting beefy for want of it. The men looked well, but not so hard, fit, and bronzed as our soldiers. The Admiral told me that the men were not sufifering from strain now, and they certainly showed no signs of it at all. They looked in fact as if a twenty- mile route march would have done them a rare lot of good. The battleships only put to sea once or twice a month, but work of different sorts goes on of course every day. Beatty told me that the blowing up of the Vanguard in the midst of the Fleet, leaving not a wrack behind, had been most terrible, and that he was not sorry to divert men's minds by a change of surroundings from Scapa to the Forth. Sailors prefer Scapa, or at least the officers do, because neither drink nor women can be found there, and all the training can go on. I must try to see Tyrwhitt and the light craft to find out whether the strain on them is great. I must say that so far as the Grand Fleet is con- cerned, a soldier seems to me to endure more in a day than the average sailor does in a month. Such intelligence service as the Q. E. has is confined in a small dark den. I had a talk with the few officers there and thought the intelligence seemed elementary. Every ship comes into dock every nine months for overhaul, and the impression left upon me by the material is that it is in very good order and not at all worn. I do not see, from the point of view of naval material or men, why this war should not go on for ever. I went off next to the submarine K 7, Commander Kellett, which is one of the latest type. She is 339 feet long, and I think 1300 tons displacement, with 4 bow and 4 beam tubes, and with sixteen 21 -in. torpedoes carried in all. She can submerge in 2| minutes, and her speed is 24 knots on the surface and 10 submerged. Her class is intended to accompany the Fleet, which will thus have many fresh advantages if it fights again. I was taken round the ship. There is a very narrow gangway in the interior, only just enabling one man at a time to pass along it. We traversed compartment after compartment, 1917] THE K SUBMARINES 19 each a complete box of tricks . There are only two periscopes from which one obtains what seems to me a very moderate view of the sea and objects on it, and they seem to be capable of great improvement. The periscopes are near to each other, and there are no spare ones. The two masts for the wireless disappear into the ship on the pocket - pencil system. There is only one 3-in. gun on deck, and it remains where it is when the vessel is submerged and seems to come to no harm. There are positions for two 4-in. guns, but the guns have been removed for the arma- ment of merchant ships ! I was told by the commander that the torpedoes are bad, and that recently he had a sitting shot at a Grcrman submarine and that his torpedoes ran like porpoises, jumping up and down, and finally diving under t he hostile craft . I was amused by stories of Sir W. Robertson aboard the submarines. After seeing a small tj^e in which he could scarcely move or breathe or stand, R. worked his way aft and out. He then turned to the commander and asked if he liked the life. The commander said he did, where- upon R. gave a grunt and a glance, and said, ' Umph, well you 're d — d easily pleased.' In visiting the K 7 R. stuck in a tight place where I had a difficulty in wedging my way through a narrow spiral kind of hole. The com- mander, who was in front, seized R.'s leg and tried to plant the foot belonging to it in the right place, but R. resisted stoutly and would not let the leg go. There was a tug of war for the leg, and at last the commander had to let go owing to the explosive language of the G.I.G.S. which threatened to sink the K 7. Captain Little, of the mother boat of the flotilla, came on board with his wife, and we all had an excellent tea in a very decent ward room, alias gangway. There were heaps of cakes and jams. There is even a bathroom for f he crew on this boat . The men get 2s. Cd. a day extra l)ay, and only one or two fresh hands arc taken on at a time. The boat is said to roll fearfully in a seaway, the roll only takes 2] seconds. I am told tliat tiie director system of VOL. II. c 20 THE GRAND FLEET control was only fitted to a few ships at the outbreak of war, whereas every German ship had it, and their fire was faster, more accurate, and better concentrated on objectives in turn than was ours. Our battle cruiser squadron fire, for example, is now said to be 60 per cent, better than it was. Our submarines now go and lie up on the probable routes of outgoing and incoming German submarines and try to catch them. Here the microphones are valuable. The officers thought that if we had possessed good mines we could have prevented the German craft from putting to sea. Now we have a few good mines which cannot be swept, and they go off, at any time an hour after being placed, by the vibration of the engmes of ships passing within their zone of explosion. This ought to worry the Huns a good deal. I asked why it was, since the submarine was known before the war, that nothing had been done to overcome her. The Admiral had told me that Winston's claim to have overcome her was an idle boast, as the submarine was not a serious menace at the opening of the war. The sub- marine officers thought that their service had not been in existence long enough to bring to the top of affairs men who understood it, and so their standpoint failed to secure adequate recognition and understanding. It is thought that nothing larger than the K 7 will be built during the war. The 21 -in. torpedoes range up to 7000 yards, but the endeavour always is to secure a 1000 yards range before firing. I should mention that on the Q. E. all the 15-in. guns can be fired together from the control station, or by individual pairs of guns, or by single guns. In case the control is carried away there are other methods of firing, but the central control gives by far the best results. The splash of hostile sheUs which faU short drenches the conning tower and bridge with spray, and the comiing tower is not a very good place from which to handle a ship in action. The periscopes of the submarine are not obscured by being under the water, which rather cleanses them. They are only obscured by spray, and submerging cleans them. 1917] OUE TONNAGE LOSSES 21 Tuesday, August 7. Another talk with Hardinge this morning. We discussed our tonnage losses. We have lost over 1500 merchant ships and nearly 600 fishing boats since the war began, with a net tonnage of 4,774,000. Over 2,000,000 tons have been lost in the last six months, February to July 1917 inclusive. Our other AlKes and the neutrals have lost between 1,000.000 and 2,000,000 tons. The total losses of Alhes and neutrals are 8,105,000 tons since the war began and up to the end of July. These figures are at present quite unknown to the countr3^ The great mass of the loss is due to submarines, and I think that about one-fifth is put down to mines. The losses due to enemy cruisers is insignificant by comparison. H. thinks that 50 per cent, of the Territorials sent to India had D.P. rifles only. They were without a change of clothing. Their 15 pr. guns had ammunition marked ' not to be used for practice, and to be regarded as an extra war risk on service ' ! The Territorials became fine troops in six months. Hardinge asked my opinion about the Dardanelles and Bosphorus and a possible American guardianship. I said that I was for it, as the least dangerous of all the solutions, and he was for it too. He saj's that the Cabinet cabled to him in September 1914 that they had agreed to place all the mihtary resources of India under Lord K. Hardinge had protested, and had said that they had heen placed under him l\y Act of Parliament and could only be withdrawn from him by another Act, but in this case he would refuse to be responsible for maintaining order since he would be deprived of the means for doing so. This caused the Cabinet to collapse. H. telLs me that he visited a small shipyard yesterday and found all the materials arriving for the standardised ships, each part plainly marked, and he was told tliat if the engines could be obtained the ships could be built in five months. In the afternoon we motored over to see the Torby girls and their husbands. A jolly i)arty in tiie garden of a charming house, and with them were tiie yoimger Battenberg and Michael Torby. I found it difficult to remem))er all their new names, but Nada Torby who married Print o 22 THE GRAND FLEET George of Battenberg is now Lady Medina, and on his cabin is the name Lieutenant Medina. They say that some one introduced her the other day as ' the late Princess George of Battenberg.' We ate fruit in a fine kitchen garden. There is only one gardener : the house party have to garden also. Coming home Magdalen Ry croft drove the small Ford car ; we nearly killed two cychsts, and M. R. said unconcernedly that the car had run away with her. Wednesday, August 8. Lady Londonderry — who joined our party at Alloa on Sunday — Lord Hardinge, and I motored over to Rosyth, and were taken to the Lion battle cruiser in a launch by Flag -lieutenant Spicer. She was lying below the Forth Bridge, and this great structure looked colossal as we passed under it. Lunched with Admiral Pakenham, his staff, and some ladies. Hardinge and I went round the ship afterwards. The ' Battle Cruiser Fleet ' has now become the ' Battle Cruiser Force,' which will amuse Arthur Balfour, who wondered what Beatty would do about it, and whether he would preserve the two separate fleets. It has two divisions of battle cruisers and four of Hght cruisers. To the latter Admiral Napier has just been appointed, and it is a popular service. There are destroyers and K submarines with the B.C. Force. An interesting captain of the Lion ; and I also met Captain Heaton EUis who has been naval attache at Paris and is returning there. The Admiral was very flattering about my articles and about old papers which I had written while mihtary attache years ago. The captain of the Lion had been with CaUaghan when the latter tried to defend England in the manoeuvres of 1912. He said that my ' Colonel von Donner und BKtzen ' letters had correctly represented their view of their case in the problem set to them — an amusing commentary on the sneers of the amateur naval strategists at the time. The anchorage below the bridge is said to be very bad in November and later, and very rough at times. Scapa is preferred as it is not so crowded, whereas here, if an anchor drags, a ship taken by the tide may be on the top of her 1917] THE LION 23 neighbour very quickly. I asked the captain about the torpedoes. He said that they were all right, but that when fired from a submarine tlie boat must be absolutely trimmed, otherwise, if the nose of the submarine is pointing upwards, the torpedo will rise to the surface and begin to jiorpoise. The captain and Spicer took us round parts of the Lion. Beatty fought the first part of the Dogger Bank from the conning tower, where there are usually some twenty people during a fight, but he fomid the view too restricted, and the splash of the enemy's ' shorts ' made it difficult to see. So he went up to the bridge which has no armour, and only gome mattress protection, and there also he fought the Jutland fight. No bridge or mast has yet been carried away. The Lion is not so smart as the Q. E., but she takes coal, and that makes a lot of difference. I saw the new ' ott^r ' torpedo which is being used as I suggested in Blackwood in 1910. It is smaller than the ordinary torpedo, and I am told that the system works well. Pakenham looks hke a Spanish grandee. He always sleeps fully di-essed, A\ith stiff collar and shirt and all. Napier is said to be a big man in appearance Hke a Viking. In the evening at AUoa we discussed the Prince of Wales's marriage to a non-royal person. H., Mar, and the Ladies M. and L. strongly opposed it, affirming that it would ultimately mean the ruin of the INIonarchy when all the shabby relatives — there always are such people — of the family honoured, claimed cousinship with the King. I thought that if King Cophetua married a beggar maid it would be immensely ])opular, but I was in a minority of one. We began talking of Germany. Hardinge told us that after my divulgation of the Kaiser's letter to Tweedmouth ^ he was authorised to jmy a large sum for tlie original, but that he was just too late, as it had been already sold. The F.O. had the letter now. II. said that my action in revealing the letter was not only correct but a very great public service, and that had the letter been pub- liBhcd at the time, tlic Asquith Government must have been ' For the text of this lett«, see Vestigia (CoriHtuble and Co.). 24 THE GRAND FLEET upset as the letter was so much worse than any one imagined. Hardinge said that after this affair he had accompanied King Edward to Germany. The King had been commis- sioned to speak to the Kaiser in the sense of a paper drawn up by the Cabinet, telHng the Kaiser that if he interfered any more with our naval matters, war might result. King Edward was with the Kaiser all one morning, but he had talked of everything else except the famous letter, and had then told Hardinge to do the work for him. So H. had taken it on and had spoken to the Kaiser very plainly in the sense of the Cabinet minute. King Edward looked on from a distance, watching the scene closely. I don't think that Hardinge minced matters. The Kaiser was extremely angry, and his suite saw his anger and would not speak to H. But eventually the Kaiser calmed down, and in the end gave H. the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, which H. did not want but thought it politic to advise the King that he should accept. Thursday, August 9. I talked Paris with Hardinge in the morning. I said that I had been surprised to hear him say that Frank Bertie was the best -informed man in Paris. H. said that M. Cambon was of the opinion which he had stated, and that Jules Cambon also agreed with it. Bertie, he said, wrote home a great number of excellent letters. He was heart and soul for the war and for France, and H, thought it right to support him if only for this reason. H. also thought that international finance was opposed to Bertie and fostered the intrigues against him. I said that the Paris Embassy showed no sign of life, and that it ought to be and might be made a centre of social and political life in Paris, and that what was needed was a grand seigneur who knew how to do things properly and had the wherewithal to do them. H. said that there was certainly no diplomatist of out- standing merit in our service, and we agreed that the danger was that some used-up politician might be un- loaded into the Embassy to get rid of him. H, asked whether any one was in my mind for the post. I said Lord Londonderry, who had the means necessary to 1917] THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS 25 make the Embassy all it should be, and that he and his wife presented well and liad the qualities necessary for the work. We agreed tliat a great diploniat de carricre was not needed now, as missions went over the water on every sort of occasion. Even then the Embassy did not take them in, not even the P.M., and that it was quite Avrong. H. said that Bertie ought to insist upon L. G. going to him. We then talked of Hardinge's own position. I said that I did not see how he could be spared from the E.G. until the completion of the peace negotiations. H. agreed, and said that he was busy preparing the machinery for the Congress. He had listed secretaries, clerks, and typists who knew French, and he had ready a complete printing press to take over, and even safes for documents. AU was ready. He had even made preparations for a separate peace with Turkey, and had di'afted a memorandum to serve as a basis for negotiations. I said that this news pleased me very much and that it was good stafif work, but that the names of the negotiators must be a great worry to him. H. thought that L. G. would insist upon going to take the lead and would not trust any one else. Balfour should certainly go. I said that Lansdowne would be invaluable, and ought to be kept in cotton wool for the event , H. agreed, but said that Austen Chamberlain spoke French well, and had never been used at the Conferences. H. thought that L. G. had intended to send Chamberlain to Paris, but that now he was out of the Government he might not worry about him, and H. did not know how the matter stood at pi-esent. Respecting the Embassy itself, H. admitted my idea that it should become a great social centre, but said that £11,000 a year was allowed for the Embassy, and that this was enougli to enable an Ambassador to do things well. The E.G., he said, was now pretty well manned. Crowe was fit to take H.'s place, but owing to his German relatives he could not, in the present state of public opinion, be given the j)ost nor 26 THE GRAND FLEET be sent abroad as Ambassador. The F.O. contemplated a great trade department after the war with Crowe at its head, and H, believes that the Associated Chambers of Commerce would support the plan, even if the Board of Trade fought it. H. said that he had called home Ronald Graham from Egypt. He was a real good man, and if H. eventually went to Paris, Graham could succeed him after another year of training. Sir George Clerk was also an excellent man, Vansittart quite good, and Max- Muller very clever. Drove with Lady Mar to see her open a bazaar near by. She made an excellent speech and was very well received, many nice things being said about her work for Clack- mannan and Kinross. Miss Christie, lady of the manor, and a great traveller in Central Asia, presided. Friday, Aug. 10. Took leave of my kind host and hostess after a most enjoyable week and with real regret. Travelled as far south as Carlisle with the Hardinges, and the Mars sent with us a sumptuous lunch. I like Hardinge and trust him. I put him down as a straight fearless man who is working for the good of the country alone, and I am glad to have met him away from London and to have exchanged ideas with him. CHAPTER XXIV THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES, SEPTEMBER 1917 Sir W. Robertson on the horrible Low Country positions — General P^tain's victory at Verdun — Italian successes — The American arrivals — Colonel Jlola on Italy's need of steel — A talk with Russian friends on Russian affairs — A bad raid on Chatham — Down to Parkeston Quay to visit Commodore Sir R. TjTwhitt — The Centaur — System of naval command on the coast — Tyrwhitt's forces — Glerman and British minefields — They fail to stop Grerman submarines, but they stop us — The Dutch trade convoy — The new light-cruiser class — Tyrwhitt's formation while cruising — ^The Porte flying ships — An early Council of War at the Admii-alty — The Commodore not informed about our mihtary arrangements. Sunday to Sunday, Aug. \2 to 19. On Wednesday the 15th, appeared in the Times my article about the Grand Fleet under the title of ' The Vigil.' Monday, I saw Montmorency, R.F.A., who is back to claim the Franlv- fort peerage. He said that his battery fired 35,000 shells in the Arras - Bullecourt operations, and that guns now held on for 14,000 rounds instead of the 6000 we expected formerly. Tuesday, I lunched with Lady Cunard : the Duchess of Marlborough, Lady Gwendoline, Wolkoff, Sir A. Sinclair, and A. Keri'-Clark. Dined wilii Lady Randolph the same night. Winston there, looking a different man since he returned to office. I never saw any one so changed, and to such advantage, in so short a time. On Wednesday, the Canadians took Hill 70 and a good slice north of Loos, with 3000 casualties as it turned out. I dined Wednesday at Mrs. Leeds's again. A fresh attack on our part east of Ypres on the IGtli, Thursday, I^ngcmarck and other points taken, but on our right not much progress. I saw Islington at the India Office the same VOL. u. I) 28 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES day, and we discussed the question of the King's Commis- sions for Indians, which I propose to support though every one in the Army hates it. It is a political necessity. Dined with Lady Cunard on Friday 17 : General Brancker of the Flying Corps, the Italian Ambassador and his wife, Lady Gwendeline, the Duchess of Marlborough, and Sir Thomas Beecham. The latter played well after diimer upon a hard and unresponsive piano. Saw a Revue on Saturday called ' Round the Map.' In spite of our great losses lately, especially in officers, the house was full, and people who wished to get tickets for the evening were being turned away in shoals , War has become part of the natural law of our being, and people go about as though no war was. Monday, Aug. 20. Lunched at the Bath Club with Sir- W. Robertson. He had been over to France for twenty-four hours and returned on Friday last. He admitted that the Low Country positions which I had warned him and others about were pretty horrible, but of course they had been made worse by the rain. All had been ready to go on after the attack on July 31, but since then the rain had prevented the movement, and of course the enemy had been able to replace his beaten divisions and to wire his new ground afresh. This was hard luck on Haig. The Germans had withdrawn 22 divisions for repairs, of which 11 had been withdi'awn on the Langemarck front, which was only one- third of our whole front of attack. We had withdrawn 11 on all our front, mainly because of the drenching which they had had, and of course some of the German withdrawals may have been for the same reasons. The French this morning had attacked on both banks of the Meuse at Verdun, and up to 8 a.m. had taken 2000 prisoners. R. hoped that the number might be increased to 10,000 and thought that Retain, who had 18 divisions in the fight, and more hanging about, had a good chance of a fine success. The Itahans had taken 4700 prisoners : their right had done better than their left. Only the 1918 German class had yet been found in the field. G.H.Q. had reported the 1919 class among the prisoners, but on cross-examination it turned out to be 1917] BATTLES AND MEN 29 one man only, and he could not be found. But the French had not yet put in their 1918 class. Though the Germans weve putting in theii* boys of 18, R. did not wish us to put in ours of 18 years 8 months, as some people wished. He would wait till they were 19, and he judged by his own boy who was still only a boy. I agreed and added that it would be better now to keep them at home in barracks till the spring, and send our B and C men into the trenches. If the boys were sent into the trenches for the winter, I thought that many would crack up and \\ould lose their fire by the spring. R. thought this a good idea, and I added that of coiu-se it all depended on how we were ofiE for men, and that I had not inquii'ed into this matter lately. R. said that we were about 50,000 infantry down in France in the aggre- gate, but this meant a larger deficit proportionately at the actual front. If we were not more down it was because of our estimated losses of 100,000 men a month had not been reached lately. We had only lost 50,000 since July 31. But we would certainly be much more down before the end of October, though he had just scraped up 21,000 men of aU sorts at home and was sending them out, and was not enhsting men for cavahy and engineers. I asked about his 500,000 A men by August. He said that everybody knew that they had not been obtained. I denied this, and asked how people could know if they were not told, and that I did not know. R. said that nearly two-thirds had been obtained. Smuts and Milner formed a sub-committee of the War Cabinet to look after Man-Power, but Milner was all for men for agriculture, and we were just giving him 80,000 whom he said he could not do without. The War Cabinet tried to make out that the country could not find more men, but R. did not agree with them. K. adiuitted L. G.'s chlliculties, but still we could not win battles without men. R. said, in reply to a question from me, that the War Cabinet were all right about jx'aco and meant to see tiie thing through, but war was a hard business, and the Cabinet was not very well numned for waging war. I told him that the W.O. and Derby would soon be attacked 30 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES on the subject of men. I said that I knew that the G.S. had warned the War Cabinet time after time and no later than Saturday last, but this had been going on for ten months, and the question was why the Army Council did not insist. However, I said that Lovat Eraser was just off to France, and I would see whether we could not concoct something. Munitions, said R., were coming along well, but the 18 pounders were still behind owing to the arming of the merchant ships. The Americans had only 25,000 men in France, and the French idea that there would be 500,000 in the spring was absurd. Ten divisions was all that R. counted on, and that would only be half the 500,000. He said that the French were planting down the American divisions at different places, as they had wished to plant ours. The first American division was not expected to be fit to go into the fine before Christmas. I asked about Salonika. R. said that he was getting another division away and that it would arrive at Gaza next month. Allenby had wanted it this month, but it could not be done. Allenby would get all the men and guns that he had asked for, and R. hoped that he would give the Turks a good leathering. It was not yet sure which way the Turkish divisions at Aleppo would go, Ga,za or Bagdad. It was not true that there were any German divisions on these fronts. There were only some German leaders and a few machine-gun companies. Maude was all right, and had been pretty well fitted out as he wished. Maude had nowhere to go to now, and R. doubted how the Tuiks would feed their men, in spite of the talk of motor transport for them. We then discussed the Navy, and R. agreed that it would be good to have a smart Haison officer with Beatty, and promises to see to it. He should be a man able to help Beatty in organisation. I told R. about views regarding invasion, and of the improbabihty of Beatty doing anything but hunt the German Navy. R. said that Beatty wanted to be a member of the War Staff, and R. totally disagreed with this view. R. thought that there was nothing for us but to go on. 1917] COMMISSIONS FOR INDIANS 31 Haig thought that he was killing a lot of Germans. The armies were ready to go on to the Rhine, but R. had found sane views to prevail at G.H.Q. at his last visit. By only advancing 1000 yards at a time we covered our men weU by our gmis. and when the enemy counter-attacked he suffered severely. The German guns, being kept far back, did not help so much as ours. The Russians were counting upon us to go on, and so were the Italians. It was not worth wliile A\ aiting till the spring if only ten American divisions would then be in Hne. We must keep on hitting the enemy, and should in time get to the bottom of him. R. has views for Murray in Home Defence, and seems disposed to make clianses here. He also wonders whether he should not make some changes at the War Office, where men had been working aU the three years without a break. We discussed King's Commissions for India, which I have supported in the Times of this morning. We both disliked the idea, and did not conceal from ourselves that it was a revolutionary change. The Army Council had been consulted, but had not expressed any opinion, as the Cabinet knew the whole matter and it was one for their decision. Carson and Long in the Cabinet were against the change, and Curzon strongly for it. In any case the Cabinet had approved the change. Tuesday, Aug. 21. Lunched at the ItaUan Embassy in Grosvenor Square with the Imperiahs : Ansaldo Pallavicino, and two de SaUs boys, back wounded from France, also there. A good talk with the Ambassador. He was very sarcastic about the Russian Revolution and our delight with it when it came about. We were all dehghted with Cadorna's success this week on the Carso. The eldest de Sahs says that Cardinal Gasparri is the centre of Papal activity at Rome, and that Father Langdon, Cardinal Gasquct's secretary, is very capable. Imperiah thought that the Pope wishes to dish the Socialists by taking up his j)rcsent attitude about peace. Pallavicino said that Cadorna had diverted much of the Isonzo into another river, and that consequently the Itahan troops were able to cross the river on a broad front and to wade it in parts. A lot of talk of British and 32 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES Italian politics. In the evening I went down to the Times and arranged with Lovat Eraser, who goes to France on Thursday, that he should look carefully into the question of men, and that the Times should then, if necessary, commit a calculated indiscretion. Geoffrey Dawson — as our editor now calls himself — joined us, and I told him that people doubted whether he would help owing to his intimate re- lations with Milner, who was on the manning sub-committee of the Cabinet. I told him how the Army stood for men, and it was agreed that Eraser should go over, ascertain all the facts in France if he could, and then see IVIilner and Geddes after his return. We shall see. I do not much care for parleying with the War Cabinet when we may have to attack them. Wednesday, Aug. 22. Lunched with a friend at Claridge's. In the dumps because her sitting to Laszlo this morning had been a failure, L. had been in a fury about something. The dress chosen by L. was all wrong, and everything was wrong, and she was in despair about it. Dined with Mrs. Leeds at Kenwood. Only Lady Paget and Lady Sarah there. Lady P, and I doubled hearts and put the others .700 above the line in one hand. A story of Laszlo 's arrest. No smoke without fire, and something must have occurred to account for L.'s temper to-day. Friday, Aug. 24. Wrote an article on the military situation on all fronts. Drove down to lunch at Cam- bridge Cottage. Stopped to see Baron de Forest's house and pictures at Hurst House, Coombe Warren. A very pleasant house with fifty-two acres of attractive grounds and a fair view. Some quite fine pictures including three by Vandyck, a good Franz Hals, a great picture of Lot's wife by Rubens, two splendid portraits by Flinck, an attractive Holy Family by Murillo, and a great many other fine things, selected with good taste. The large Vandyck of the Buckingham family and the Rubens came from Blenheim. Much of Baron Hirsch's racing plate about. Saturday, Aug. 25. Among the cuttings sent me to-day there are two columns from the New Age of the 23rd, 1917] ITALIAN CAIMPAIGNS 33 entu-eiy on the eight lines of the firyt paragrapli of my article on * The Vigil ' ! A literary disquisition on my stj'le, endeavouring to tear it to pieces, and very amusing, with much about onomatopoeia, spondees, amphibrachs, etc. The -WTiter, R. H. C, discovers apparently that my prose is verse or blank verse, I am not sure which. He reminds me of Demetrius of Scepsis, who WTote sixty books on twent)' lines of Homer. In the midst of this desolating war R. H. C. attaches values not at all to the matter but only to the style. But he is amusing, and he says that the Government, he is given to understand, trembles at my periods. Perhaps because they do not know what an amphibrach is, anj-^ more than I do. Lunched at the Ritz with Colonel Mola, head of the Italian mihtary mission, Count Pallavicino, and another Itahan officer. I gather that Cadorna would like to move on Laj'bach if he had enough troops, but, failing them, will try to take Trieste. Cadorna thinks that the winter will not permit the offensive on his southern front which I suggested, but Mola thinks that if we could reinforce them with guns and a few English divisions next March, much might be done in that month, and then our forces could be back in France by April for the work of next spring and summer. Mola is going to send me a memorandum on munitions to show to Winston. The Italians are still anxious about them, and think that our people are not helping them enough, while coal continues a dangerous difficulty to them. The officers were a trifle sarcastic about GJeneral Porro, and want mc to go to Italy and talk with Cadorna again. They say that Boroevic has only three divisions left in reserve on the Italian front. Saw Maurice in the morning. He says that we Allies have now knocked out 25 German divisions, and tiiat tlie eucmy has only 5 left in reserve intact. He says that Petain lias concluded his operation at Wrdun, and that ho will now move his guns to the Aisiu^ and knock the GrcrmanH there We shall soon start an attack again on a broader front, and he is not surprised that the enemy 34 THE HARWICH NAVAL FOECES should make such efforts to bar our approach to the Passchen- daele Ridge. He thinks that Mackensen wished to seize the mouths of the Danube in order to bring submarines into the Black Sea, dominate it, and starve the Russians in Armenia, He told me of the capture of Monte Santo by the Italians, which is good business. Went by train to Marlow in the afternoon and lunched with Mrs. Kay-Shuttle worth and Mrs. Bewicke, Mrs. Turner, E., and Trotter of the R.B. We then went down the Thames on a motor launch to Maidenhead, dined at Skindles's, and returned later. The river very lovely with the setting sun on the woods. This is the second time only I have been on the river since the war began : there were many more people, and plenty of khaki. Marlow and Maidenhead full of parties, but not the old stamp of people one used to see. I heard some interesting things about the endeavours of socialists to intrigue with soldiers in the camps, and about our difficulties in getting our authorities to take action against suspicious characters, chiefly aliens, of all sorts. It is due I fancy to the number of channels which reports have to go through before any executive action can be taken. Monday, Aug. 27. Spent the afternoon at Kenwood to help Mrs. Leeds entertain forty wounded soldiers. Started them out in the grounds, but presently twenty of Mrs. Leeds's maids trooped out, many of them pretty, and each took two soldiers in hand, whereupon I thought my room preferable to my company, and went in to talk and have tea with Mrs. L. Lady Sarah and Tony Drexel turned up. Rain came on and the soldiers and maids adjourned to the servants' hall, where the men had a great dinner, called tea, provided for them. Meat and vegetables, tarts and puddings. Then they played whist and sang and smoked, the girls playing up with zest. We went down to see them at ' tea.' They could hardly tear themselves away. Tuesday, Aug. 28. Geoffrey Dawson lunched with me at the N. and M., and we had a long talk about pubUc 1917] ITALY'S NEED FOR STEEL 35 affairs. It is agreed that I write on the Itahan battle and on Verdun, and go to France in two or three weeks. Eraser's journey to France somewhat of a failure. He had not seen any generals nor had he learned anything about the men. He is very ii'ate at his treatment, and thinks that G. A. has queered his pitch. Wednesday, Aug. 2d. An exasperating experience. Wrote a good and long article about the Verdun victory. A Times boy messenger came for it, and lost it on his journey back and could not remember where. Later Geoffrey asks me to attend the boy's funeral, fixed for Saturday, after his execution. Thursday, Aug. 30. Wrote an article on Cadorna's success and sent it off. No news of the Verdun article. Colonel Mola sent to me this morning a short paper on Italy's need of steel. It says that the use of medium-sized guns has greatly increased and that the number of rounds wanted is very large ; that Italy does not produce all the steel required for these shells, but that there are some factories in a position to forge the billets and a great number to machine the forg- ings if the raw material is supphed. He says that the dehveries of the quantity asked for the first half of 1917 has been ncarlj'- completed, but that the requirements for the two last quarters of this year, i.e. 23,280 tons of shell forgings and 32,720 tons of shell steel, put forward to the C.I.R. on July 3, and definitely on Aug. 11, have not yet been allocated. I saw Winston about this to-day, and he kept three copies of the paper which I am sending to Carson to-night, as it is the War Cabinet, according to Winston, which decides between rival claimants. I found Winston and Eddy Marsh at the Munitions Ministry. It was quite like old times. Winston in a worn grey frock- coat. Evidently delighted to be back at work and is working hard. He is fairly happy about guns and shells, and says that there will be a great further rise in the supply, and that new devilries are being invented to tease Huns. He is getting out full statements of tonnage and output of steel, and is a shopman at the orders of the War Cabinet. 36 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES He finds it all very different from the old political times, and rarely meets his colleagues. He just works all day in his office, and the work keeps him from worrying about the war. He says that the trouble with the engineers is that they do not want to fight at the front, and that, if they are made to, they will strike and upset the whole national apple-cart. President Wilson's reply to the Pope's peace letter out to-day. A smashing indictment of Kaiserism. Winston says that Wilson personally feels a passionate fury against Prussian militarism. He has now certainly put America in up to the neck. Friday, Aug. 31, to Monday, Sept. 3. Spent a delightful week-end at Seaton. Weather clearing up. The little house looking very pretty. Mrs. Harbord and her boy dined on Sunday. Went to look at Knoyle. A nice little house, high up with a lovely view eastwards along the coast. The trains crammed. Returning to London, find a nice letter from M. Cataigi, secretary of the Rumanian Legation in Paris, thanking me for my recent references to Rumania — vide the Times of last week — and saying that justice is not often done in the Press of the Allies to his unfortunate country, and that he conveys to me the deepest gratitude of his people. Also a letter from Lady Ridley from Blagdon. She gives me her views about the Stockholm Conference, the Labour Party, and the Pacificists, and declares that the serpent is not slain. She also says that she feels strongly that it is time that the Allies published to the world some rather definite terms in which they would treat for peace, and that it is clear that the public will not tolerate being shut out of tlie con- ference chamber, so secrecy is of no avail, and she thinks that a reasoned statement would clear the air and bring nearer the peace we want. She says that wo cannot go on for ever with vague, hazy speeches, and if the Govern- ments will not act, the democracy will. Dr. Scott-Keltie writes to ask me to take on the militarj^ sections of the Statesman's Year Book, but I shall write and say that enemy 1917] RUSSIAN AFFAIRS 37 armies are a matter of conjecture, and Allied armies organisation not suitable for publishing. Tuesday, Sept. 4. Lunched witli Nabokoff, Wolkoff, and General Dessino at Claridge's. We had a great talk about Russian affairs. Nabokoff considers tliat Kerensky wi)! soon be a page of liistory which we shall turn over. He thinks that a conflict between the better elements and the Maximalists must come, and that a military dictatorsliip under Kornilott' or some other is probable. We discussed the German capture of Riga, reported yesterday. Dessino thinks that the Huns want it for winter quarters, that bad weather comes on usually about Sept. 15, and that the Russians ^vill destroy the railways. All of them spoke openly of the cowardice and want of discipline of their troops. A feehng prevails among them that peace wiU come soon, and Queen Wilhelmina was suggested as a hkely channel for opening negotiations on behalf of the womanhood of the world. They think the Germans are greatly exhausted and will snatch at peace. Colonel Knox back from Russia and very pessimistic. Nabokoff declares that Russia does not want Constantinoj^le and would not know what to do with it. He approves of the idea of an American guardianship and guarantee. Wolkoff wants Armenia to be independent, and Nabokoff is for an independent Poland. He thinks that the German African colonies are the real obstacle. I think Alsace-Lorraine, but N. thinks that this can be settled. N. says that L. G. is very nice to him, but in reply to my question how they were being treated generally he was less emi)hatic. They say that the Maximalists at Petrograd are now detested. It is probable that the loss of Riga will hasten their downfall. Dessino has given Sir W. R. the dates when the Russian offensive to help Maude on the Persian side will begin, Dessino says that Sukhomlinoff, the ex-War Minister who is being tried, is not a traitor, but married an extravagant wife who wanted money, so S. accepted bribes, and once having begun, went on. Mrs. Leeds and the Grand Duchess at the next table. 38 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES I had a talk with General Shaw and Brinsley FitzGerald at the Horse Guards afterwards. Shaw admits that there is no touch between French's staff and the Navy, and that there should be. The Admiralty say they will inform French's staff if there is anything that will interest them, but everything interests them, and they get nothing. I said that I thought that Tyrwhitt was the cavalry division of the Home Defence forces and ought to be in close touch with them. Shaw tells me that at Chatham last night there were 100 sailors killed and nearly as many wounded in a drill hall where men were quartered. One bomb did it all. From what Brinsley beUeves I expect the F.M. is not happy about our Flanders offensive. The French Ministers and Foch are over here for another conference. There is a good lot to talk about just now. I hear that some of Gough's troops have been taken from him. Our Yser offensive seems to be in the wind. At 11.50 P.M. to-night a heavy humming of aircraft heard, a rather deep metaUic note, and our guns opened in this district. For a quarter of an hour a good deal of firing, and the servants came down from their rooms to the basement. Then again at 12.35 a.m. more humming and more firing, lasting till 12.50, and the servants came down again, not in the least alarmed. The harvest moon made the night nearly as bright as day, and there was very httle breeze. I went out and could see nothing of the enemy. Wednesday, Sept. 5. Went down to Parkeston Quay, 10 A.M., to spend the day with Commodore Sir R. Tj^rwhitt, R.N., commanding the Harwich naval forces. On the way to Liverpool Street I saw some of the damage done by last night's raid. A house in the Strand was wrecked and much glass broken : one bomb had fallen in a narrow street before the Charing Cross Hospital, which had just been missed. The poHce prevented me from going along the Embankment east of Charing Cross, so there must have been a mess there too. A large house in Queen Victoria Street near the Times office was internally wrecked. Stratford, and other places eastward, reported much 1917] TYRWHITTS CmOlAND 39 damaged, but only 100 killed and wounded reported at present. Tyrwhitt met mo at the station. A very attractive figure. Parkeston Quay is now given up to the Navy : the quay is lined ^^ith cranes, and various ships were along- side. We went aboard the Centaur, which is T.'s flagsiiip, and had hmch. I went all romid the ship with, the flag heutenaut. She hes at the head of the line of hght cruisers nearest to the open sea. A long talk with the Commodore alone after lunch over the charts of the North Sea. Then we went on to the Porte flying-boat yards, and saw these new aircraft put out and come home. Tyrwhitt took me back to the station and I caught the 5.39 p.m. back to London. T. is under the orders of the Admiralty directly, but he has a working agreement to act under Beatty if they are out together, and he and Bacon of the Dover Patrol help each other. There is an Admu'al of Harwich whose job is to sweep certain channels of mines, but ho is not able to give T. orders. There is a flotilla of submarines in Harwich harbour also not under T., but they again work together. The day of Jutland T. got no orders, so put to sea with all his force and made for the area which he would have reached at 4 a.m. the morning after the fight and probably have mopped up much, but tho Admiralty recalled him peremptorily, and he got into trouble over it. He thinks that they forgot him. A most extraordinary system of command, as there are also commanders of destroyer and submarine divisions, e.g. at Hull, who are also on their own, and there is no assurance of co-operation. T. says that there are a lot of rajahs along the coast each with his own domain, and he thinks that there should be an Admiral at the Noro in command of all tho East coast. But ho thinks that Bacon's job in the Straits should be separate, as it is. Roughly, Tyrwhitt's domain extends from latitude 54° 30' N. to about 51° 30', right across the North Sea to tho Dutch, German, and Danish coasts. Ho has 9 light cruisers and 24 destroyers. Bacon has 3G destroyers and tho monitors. Usually om hght cruiser and a couple of 40 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES destroyers of Tyrwhitt's force are under repair, and the command is ofificially designated ' The Harwich Forces.' In Tyrwhitt's cabin there hangs a small board on which is shown, by Httle brass labels, which are detachable and hang on hooks, the position of each vessel under him — about 41 in all. There are the four or five divisions in the two destroyer flotillas, also the flotilla leaders, the Ught cruisers, the ships detached, and those under repair locally at a naval port. It is ' form at a glance,' as T. says, and the exact situation of the whole command can be seen in a moment. I told Tyrwhitt that Petain would be pleased. It was just his plan of the graphics in his office. After explaining the general situation as regards command, Tyrwhitt showed me the North Sea charts on which are marked the positions of the German and British minefields, so far as they are laiown. There are two large German mine- fields off Harwich, in the region of the Galloper Light and to north of it, and various channels through or round these are kept open by our mine -sweepers. There is also the long main channel, N. and S., suitable for aU craft, which is kept open all up the E. coast. All these are swept every day, but three times a week the Germans mine them mth their submarines, and, shortly after I came on board the Centaur, one of the mine -sweepers returned with the sur- vivors of another that had been blown up. These German minefields are not, however, the main obstacle to the activity of om- light cruisers and destroyers in the North Sea. The real obstacles are our own minefields, which extend in a semicircle across the German North Sea shores, from about Blaavand Point in N. latitude 55° 30' off the coast of Jutland, to the Dutch territorial waters off the coast near the Texel. It is a huge minefield of patches, not a regularly and uniformly mined area throughout, but the object has been to create a barrier, and it certainly is a barrier to us. Thus Tyrwhitt can no longer get into the Bight of Hehgoland, and moreover our ships escorting or towing the new Porte flying boats cannot take them within 120 miles of the German ports and towns overdue to be bombed. These 1917] NORTH SEA MINEFIELDS 41 minefields no doubt obstruct the German Navy too, and have probably caused the loss of many ships and submarines, especiall}- as the trend of the current takes mines which break loose towards the German and Danish coasts, but the Germans can sweep channels if they Uke, and the main object, namely, the barring of the road to the submarines, has wholly failed in its purpose. I said that these minefields seemed to me antagonistic to the jirinciples of Nelson, who alwaj-s gave every opportunity to the enemy to put to sea, because it was there he ' ex- pected to reahse the hopes and expectations of his country.' The Germans could only put to sea with difficulty, except round by the Skaw, while we were blocked out, and could neither scout nor harry his coast towns and docks with our Porte flying boats. T. said that that was the position, and he could not be off the German coasts with, his hght craft because he could not now get there. In fact liis instructions to his officers were that he did not expect them to cross the fine of the mined area, leaving it thus open to them to take the risk if the occasion warranted it, but covering them if they did not. He knew that the pubhc thought that he was always off the German coasts, but he was not, for the reasons stated, and he could not range beyond Terschelhng. From this point to Wilhelms- haven was 120 miles, so that the Porte boats, if sent to bomb the German dockyard, had nearly 240 miles more to cover than if our mines had not been laid. There was even a question now of sweeping our o\^'n mines away. One of his duties was to convoy the Dutch trade across once a week. It came in with its destroyer escort while I was on the Centaur, and later I saw a small crowd of young Dutchmen or Belgians — I hope our spies and not the German — on the railway ])latform. \Ve had extended our mined area to southward to points ol! the Dutch coast which were outside territorial waters, biil inside the navi- gable waters. Tliis had prevented German vessels passing from Dutch ports to German, but we iiad allowed the Du1( h trade a safe road, roughly, so far as I remember, on the 42 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES meridian of 4° E., and this line was marked by Dutch Hght- ships. Tyrwhitt thought that these helped the Hun sub- marines as they went home, for they picked up one of these ships, and then received instructions from home how to proceed safely. We have therefore, it seems to me, com- pletely muddled our North Sea strategy. I hked the new hght-cruiser class. They are about 4000 tons, 30 knots speed, and armed with five 6-in. guns upon the centre hne, besides a couple of Archies each. These are the latest, for some have fewer 6-in. guns and less well placed. The Centaur was as spick and span as the Queen Elizabeth and the same Ught-grey colour. So smart does she look that when some American sailors came on board the other day they said ' I suppose you never go out of harbour ! ' It is the oihng that allows the ship to be so natty. A great part of the cubic space is taken up by the engines, but the accommodation and Hght are infinitely superior to the conditions on board a battleship, and the crew are most comfortable, as are the officers. I asked Tyrwhitt about his formations when cruising. Line ahead, he said, gave the submarines too good a target by day, so he usually moved in certain formations which he explained to me. The day formation was very supple and he could turn in any direction. He never steamed less than 20 knots. By day the enemy's torpedoes could usually be seen, and it was quite easy for any single ship to avoid them. AU ships had depth charges which they let go over a submarine if she submerged. It was odd now to think that at the opening of the war he used to be off the enemy's coast with a 17 knot ship, and that the Grand Fleet cruised about the North Sea at 8 knots without destroyer escort. The destroyers had done grand work, but Bacon worked them hard, sometimes keeping them out twenty -two nights in succession, and they returned to T. much used up. Bacon's barrier extended across the Straits from the South Foreland to about Dunkirk, but the storms often displaced mines and nets. We had no mines at the Skaw. This area was watched 1917] THE PORTE FLYING SHIPS 43 by the light -cniiser divisions of the Grand Fleet. They had baby seaplanes on board, and the other day one was loosed at a Zepp., and the yonng fellow in charge rose, destroyed her, and was back on board all in fifty-eight minutes. For T\Twhitt the Zepp. is finished. He prefers the Porte flying ships, which have a range of 600 miles, take five men, and can drop 1000 lbs. of explosives. This is for the large Porte with, I think, 230 feet spread tip to tip and weighing five tons. The smaller sort is only 80 feet. We visited the sheds, which are of immense size and cover a large area near the sea on the east side of the harbour. The boats are hke canoes in appearance, but broad and on fine fines. T. tliinks that there is too much boat. There are floats below each wing to prevent an upset when on the water. Two bombs are hung on each wing. They have two 250 h.p. Rolls-Royce engines, but new ones are being built with three 350 h.p. engines. We saw one launched from a wooden pier of which the sea end floats on the water. She took the water easily and after getting up speed rose well, but is not a very rapid chmber. We also saw one come down fike a duck into the water. This pier was patched because it was bombed the other day. These Porte ships have only been in use three months. They are the terror of the submarines, of whom they have already accounted for six. They do a nose dive at them and let the bombs go about 600 feet from the sea. Har^\ich and its surround- ings have been constantly bombed, but no real damage has been done and the great sheds are untouched. It is prob- able that the Archies ashore and on the cruisers make the Huns wary. We both laughed over an amusing Council of War held by Wiaston early in the war. All the Admirals were present and asked to make suggestions for offensive operations. One wished to attack Wilhelmshaven and to send in the destroyers first. Another was for the attack of Heligo- land but had no practical suggestion to make how it should be accomplished. A iliinl wished to attack Kiel and was for sending the light cruisers and destroyers in first through VOL. n. B 44 THE HARWICH NAVAL FORCES the Belts, Tjrrwhitt was then consulted about the latter project, and said that he would certainly carry out any operation ordered, but in this case would not expect to bring any of his ships back. I told T. that all our officers who had been with the Navy on manoeuvres before the war were of opinion that the officers and men were fine, and their seamanship and technical knowledge remark- able, but that one and all agreed that the Navy had no knowledge of war, knew nothing of staff work, and had worked out no schemes of operations or even the tactical evolutions needed in battle. They had also published nothing worth reading on the higher branches of the art of war. T. agreed that this was so, and the position in the North Sea now was the result. Like Beatty, Tyrwhitt knew nothing of our military arrangements ashore, and wished that he did. He only reported to the Admiralty, and usually made his plans after a telephone conversation with the First Sea Lord. I said that I hoped it was a private wire and he said it was. We agreed that the Admiralty information was excellent. Winston had offered to tell T. how it came, but T. said that he did not want to know. If the weather serves. Bacon is to attack Zee- brugge again to-morrow morning, and Tjrrwhitt is taking four of his light cruisers to stand by if help is needed. One of his officers told me that T. never leaves the bridge while at sea, and spoke with enthusiasm of him, adding that he was a bit of a tartar. The demeanour of all who came to him to report showed me that they knew who was the master of the Harwich Forces. I could not have been more courteously received. Domvile was there, and we had some chaff about the old Invasion inquiries before the Imperial Defence Committee. CHAPTER XXV EVENTS AND OPINIONS Th? attempt of General Komilofl to seize power in Russia — The Liixburg case — The Russian railways — The internal state of Rxissia — A visit to Wilton and Cranborne — ^The hospital at Wilton — Charm of Cranbome — Our troops in Flanders half drowned — Mr. Montagu and Sir Herbert Cox on Indian affairs — Raising of fresh Indian forces — A row at a Cabinet meeting between Lord Kitchener and Mr. Lloyd George — A talk with Mr. Balfour, Greneral Smuts, and Sir W. Robert- son — General Maurice on the situation — The question of the transfer c4 German forces Wegt in the spring — Probable rate of arrival — Eastern campaigns — Need of a War Chair at some University to teach budding statesmen — Colonel Fagalde's ideas — The aeroplanes at Gibraltar — Visit to Wilton — Talks with Sir W. Robertson. Thursday, Sept. 6 to Sunday, Sept. 9. Not many people in town. Went to Kenwood on Thuiisday and found the Grand Duchess and all her party and various other people. Saw a good Laszlo portrait. A long sitting of the Ti-ibunal, Friday. We are getting down to the crocks now. The Town Clerk, Mr. Johnstone, has had amusing correspondence with various food controllers and directors, displaying the amazing chaos in these departments. Also heard that Lord Rhondda has suddenly discovered that he can't dis- tribute the food he has bought abroad and has asked the Army Council to a meeting to ' co-ordinate ' mechanical transport, which means to annex it, as the Army has nearly all of it. It would be less trouble if Rhondda went home and left the Aimy authorities to feed and ration the people. Farmers up in arms against the prices fixed. A glorious general muddle from amateurs trying to interfere with the delicate balance of supply and demand. Winston has made good at once the Italian Munition losses due to the explosions at Udine and Rome ; a good 46 EVENTS AND OPINIONS mark to him. Colonel Mola and Count Pallavicino came up late Saturday night to ask me how to get some tanks which General Dall' Olio requires for the Carso. I investi- gated and referred Mola to Colonel Buckley, M.I. 2. Lunched with Mrs. Denistoun, Saturday : Lady Loughborough, Sir John Cowans, and Miss Mozley also there ; the ladies good-looking, the latter half Spanish. The military news of the week is that L. G.'s plan of sending an army to Italy is once more temporarily aban- doned. This was the main question before the Conference, and Haig has had to come over again to help about it. There has also been defeated a plan of taking part of our Army away to the French front. All these things entail a vast amount of unnecessary work, but I do not think it bad that the railway projects of a move to Italy should be ready, as they now are. We remain much down in numbers in France, 64,000 in the aggregate, but in the divisions it is 104,000, or was a few days ago, and we may have 10,000 casualties a week. Drafts are going out at the rate of 4000 a day, and it is hoped that Geddes will get the men right if the Government do not impede him. Haig is still bent on getting the Passchendaele Ridge, but not just yet. Glass rising, but still rain and drizzle con- stantly. Sir Adam Block guarantees X. just back from Constantinople, who vows that 60,000 Huns are nearing Aleppo, and that she saw them in the train on her way to Belgrade. Some believe her, but the G.S. do not. I saw Margey's new house on Sunday. Very nice as usual. Freddy looks well. An air-raid warning, but it came to nothing. I was asked to Knebworth by Lady Strafford but could not go. Monday, Sept. 10. Heard that all my references to mines have been cut out by the Censor from my article on the Light Forces of the Navy. I did not think that they would pass such a show-up of Admiralty bungUng. Lunched with General Dessino and Colonel Baron Gravensky of the Russian mission. Gravensky had the evening paper, with the first news of the rumpus between Korniloff the Russian 1917] KORNILOFF'S ATTEMPT 47 C.-in-C. and Kercnsky the head of the Provisional Govern- ment. It is evidently civil war. Nabokoff and Wolkoff joined us. Neither had heard the news and read it with stupor, though it is pretty well what Nabokoff had pre- dicted. Most of the party thought that Korniloff would win. Kaledin and the Cossacks with their 250,000 men will back Korniloli. Dessino says that Klembovsky, whom Kerensky has made C.-in-C, is a clever fellow but of no character. Korniloff is evidently marching on Petrograd. It is very Napoleonic and quite justified. The Moscow Conference pointed to it. Kerensky has not been able to remove his roots from the wretched Soviet, which has been the curse of the Revolution. Gravensky says that the Russians on the Dvina were twice as strong as the Germans, and yet gave way. It is thought that the real German effort will be in Moldavia, and the Rumanians are reported to be shaky. We talked of the Swedish affair. The German Charge d'Affaires in the Ai'gentine, Count Luxburg, had been sending cipher messages to Europe through the Swedish Minister at Buenos Ayres, and among other things advised that the Argentine ships should be spurlos ver- aenkt. The Swedish Foreign Ministry seems compromised. Luxburg used to be Consul General in India, where Nabokoff knew him well. N. says that the Germans sent their best men. Councillors of Embassy, etc., to Lidia to foster intrigues. Luxburg is a small bald- headed man resembling Lamsdorff. Nabokoff wonders whether 400,000 Swedes will now occupy Finland. All very serious, but we imagine that Sweden will give us satisfaction. Finished the South African chapters of my memoir and forgot all about the time and my dinner witli Colonel 'ShAix. Telephoned, and went after dinner to Queen Anne's Mansions. Madame Mola is American. A })leasant daughter of seventeen. General Pliillips there, our Mihlary Attache at Alliens. He says that the Greek Army is no good, and that I can wi}XJ it off. lie disbelieves the 00,000 Germans story. He diblikes Sarrail, who had done no ^ood 48 EVENTS AND OPINIONS in command, but P. wants to continue the occupation even though he admits that an offensive is impracticable. He is an Easterner who really knows that the West is the main thing. Ansaldo there, and a few others including the Duke of Something and a handsome wife, a Colonna and attractive. Tuesday, Sept. 11. Lunched with E. and Doris Keane and heard all the news of their holiday on the Cornish coast. They are both looking very well, Lydia Kyasht could not turn up as she has to give lunch to her Coliseum manager and people. Thursday, Sept. 13. Dined with E., who later tele- phoned to the Savoy for Mi\ John Kennalley, secretary to Colonel Boyle, alias ' Klondyke.' KennaUey left Boyle at General KornilofE's headquarters only about a fortnight ago and told us all about the situation there. He is convinced that KornilofE will be master of the position. Their special job has been railways. Kennalley says that the permanent way is all right, and rolling stock not too bad, but better repair shops are badly needed, and he has come back to help to get the tools and plant. But the real trouble is defective organisation. One authority controls normal- gauge lines and another the light lines, while the Army zone and rearward zone are not well defined, and all the trouble comes where the different authorities clash. Korniloff is accepting all Boyle's plans, and has sent him off to the Rumanian front to continue his work. Kennalley does not find that bribing is needed. Friday, Sept. 14. Saw Seymour Fortescue. He told me that he had sent on my North Sea article to the Admiralty, which had cut out all my criticism of the mine strategy. He says they believe that Beatty and I concocted the criticism between us. Lunched with Lockett and Colin Agnew, and we had a talk about our respective doings since last we met. Lockett has only made half his usual bag at Fetteresso this year. Dined with Lydia Kyasht at her house, 74 Knights- bridge, her old house in Avenue Road being let for a term. 1917] WILTON AND CEANBORNE 49 Very pretty, and everything weU done as usual. Lj^dia in despair about Russia. In her husband's regiment the men have just kUled the colonel and two other officers because they did not like them, and all the officers at Oonstadt, ordered by the so-called Government to be released because innocent, have been clapped back in pnson again. Prices awful, the exchange gone to nothing, and hard to get necessaries. Paper money being turned out regardless of consequences. Petrograd will probably both freeze and starve this winter, and any Government in office then will be hated. Lydia fears that Kornilofif has started to govern too soon and has not enough troops, but we shall see. The Ragosin property has been taken from the owners and distributed among peasants, who have cut down the orchards which produced 10,000 roubles a year. A story generally of complete chaos, and dreadful to hear. Lydia looking very pretty and has still her child-like naivete and charm, but looks very worried, and I don"t wonder. Saturday, Sept. 15. Started early and arrived at Wilton in time for luncheon with Lady Pembroke and her children. Walked round the grounds and saw the armour, and then the glorious pictures again. Bee also took me round her hospital in Bachelor's Row, the ground floor in the front of the house. She takes in forty officers, and the hospital is very well done, and the wounded officers are very happy. We had a good talk about various public and private matters, and she showed mc M. de Cosson's opimon on the armour, refuting the criticism made of it just before the late sale. But this criticism cannot have had much effect as one of the suits brought an offer of £14,500. Motored over in the late afternoon to Cranborne, the Salisburys' place about sixteen miles from Wilton, now lent to the Lyttons. A delightful old place, mainly Tudor, but the centre part and bamjuoling-hall dating from King John. The portico back and front and tlie gate-house arc very interesting. An ideal little old-world place, with gicat dignity and charm. Sunday, Sept. 16. Long walks morning and afternoon, and a good talk with my host and hostess. We talked 50 EVENTS AND OPINIONS about the Ministry, the Admiralty, Russia, disarmament and obligatory arbitration, education, and public affairs of all sorts. An interesting day, and I liked both the Lyttons very much. Four very jolly children and young Lord Knebworth very promising. Monday, Sept. 17. Returned to London via Daggons Road and SaUsbury. Train crammed as usual and most uncomfortable. I had a slight touch of fever, so did not much appreciate a noisy baby in my carriage. I saw Sir W. Robertson in the evening. He teUs me that Plumer has succeeded Gough in command of the Ypres front, and that in a short time, Haig, Retain, and Cadorna will all attack. R. must feel that my view that Flanders is unsuitable ground for a great offensive has been justified. The troops have in certain parts been literally flooded out, but none of them would listen to me about this point, perhaps because I had been Military Attache in the Low Countries and happened to know this district. People who know are not much accounted in this war, as Curzon once said to me. R. cross with a Times leader of the 15th criticising failure to publish despatches, and says that no other country pubUshes despatches, and that ours have to be in two sets, one for publication and one not. It was also impossible to publish Murray's last despatch until Allenby had struck his blow. R. is inclined to think that all despatches should remain secret until after the war, and I agree. The news from Russia is that the Korniloff coup d'etat has failed. Lydia was right about it. Thursday, Sept. 20. Lunched with the Edwin Montagus. General Sir Herbert Cox, Mihtary Secretary at the India Office, also there. We talked India first. Montagu full of his coming journey to India. He starts next month, and will be away six months. Army matters occupied us first. M. wishes to present some new organisation to satisfy people. I told him that nothing new was needed, only the proper carrying out of the existing scheme which was that of the Esher Committee and our War Office trans- 1917] THE ARMY IN INDIA 51 ferred to India. Cox objected that the C.-in-C. could not get away enough, I thought that he could, and that Moni-o had, but I saw no objection to the C.-in-C. deputing a man to represent him as Robertson was represented by \VIiigham on the Ai-my Council. If M. could show and explain tlie worldng of the system every one would be satisfied. It was from the ignorance of people and from the dust of the old Curzon-K. controversy that confusion of ideas had come. As to the part that our G.S. here might take, I was for limiting it to the control of operations outside India. Cox said that the G.S. claimed much more. I said that I knew this, but that I did not support the claim and did not think the pubUc would, and had so told Robertson. But I said that the amount of force which India could place in the field was of deep interest to the G.S., and that steps must be taken to learn the views of the G.S. upon all large questions of reorganisation, and that the commands in India must not be allowed to fall again into the hands of men passed over for promotion. We were agreed about King's Commissions for Indians as a political necessity, and all three of us were for the training of cadets in India. But I told M. that I did not really see the white officer obeying an Indian, and that I should recommend regiments wholly officered eventually by Indians, as in Egj^Dt some are by Egyptians. I was told that the Indian Government objected to have any second-grade troops. I thought this absurd, as there had always been such troops and always would be. But in any case there was no need to lay down hard and fast rules. It would be long before the cadets would come on for senior duties, and in the interval experiments could be made and time gained. 1 think that the deep and in- scrutable M. agreed with most of this. He then spoke of the larger projects of Indian Government development, and seemed inclined to go in for Federal arrangements and devolution of central responsibility. He thought that Simla might give up some powers if the India Cilice did also. Al present the latter rather criticised than 52 EVENTS AND OPINIONS created. M.'s difficulty was to find means to attract men to India if they were liable to be upset in their work by the votes of popularly elected bodies, which could not themselves find men to do the work. When he mentioned some of the immense difficulties in his way I remarked that he would feel much more gay if he kept firmly in his mind that the eternal rule of 300,000,000 Indians by 200,000 whites was a wholly impracticable proposition. It was no use, I thought, to attempt perfection in attaining the impossible, and there was no counsel of perfection for him except to do his best. Even Balfour, I told him, had once admitted as much to me, and had seen no way to solve the problem. We talked of Dilke's Autobiography, out to-day, and M. and I agreed that D. would never have been Prime Minister, as some of this mornmg's papers suggest. M. truly said that Dilke's speeches were more crammed with facts from the past than with practical guidance for the present and the future. M. and Cox said that the Amir was behaving admirably. A long tribunal in the afternoon. Another of our clerks found trying to borrow money from men hable to service. Why do they not pay these men better and keep them out of temptation ? Heard an amusing account of a great row between L. G. and K. at a Cabinet early in the war. Winston or L. G. had demanded the facts about the Expeditionary Force. K. had refused them, but Asquith had decided that they ought to be given. So K. gave them, but only read them out, and his colleagues took notes, K. demanding secrecy about them. Soon after Von Donop gave the Munitions Committee — on which eat L. G. with Balfour and others not in the Cabinet- details of numbers, guns, shells, etc., when L. G. whispered that the figures were different and they did not agree with those given by K. He said so also to Von Donop, who was very surprised and said that he knew nothing of the figures which Lord K. had given, and must refer to K. on the matter. At the next Cabinet Lord K. opened a furious attack on L. G. and others, accusing them of violating the 1917] AN OLD CABINET ROW 53 Becrecy of Cabinet debates, upon which L. G. turned on him white ^^'ith rage and tore the figures to pieces. K. gathered up his papers, said that he saw no reason to go on if he did not possess the confidence of liis colleagues, and walked towards the door, whereupon various Cabinet Ministers dragged him back by the coat tails and made him sit down again. Asquith and then Grey spoke calming words and the thing blew over, but K. told his colleagues that no one in the War Office knew the real figures or what he was doing as he kept everjrthing in his o\vn hands. Friday, Sept. 21. Went to the Foreign Office in the morning to take Hardinge my diary of my last visit to France as promised. Had a talk with Hardinge. He is not C]^uite sure what there is in the mmds of soldiers in this renewed offensive of ours in the Ypres district which recommenced yesterday morning at 5.40 a.m. To what object is this operation ? I could not cnHghten him greatly, except that Haig was out for the Passchendaele Ridge and to dominate the Belgian plain. H. considers the Russian position as bad as the rest of us, and only hopes that there will continue to be a mess of Russian troops on the borders to tie up a good many German divisions. He thought that some 10,000 Germans were on their way to fight Maude, and that they were taking motors for transport. Lmiched at Mr. Balfour's house -with him, General Smuts, and Sir William Robertson. We lunched at a tiny table with ju.st room for the four of us, as our host said that he was becoming rather deaf. We discussed Germany's position, and were agreed that Germany was all for peace. We imagined that she had some difficulties which we did not fully know, but we thought that want of men, raw material, and especially wool, transport, food, and so on were quite enough to account for her chastened mood. Smuts de- veloped hi.s recent speech in which ho had said that we had won tin; war. This opinion he had given because the Journal man who had come to him hae done at Salonika. K. thinks that Sarrail has character . ll was necessary to send back some of the older chiKses for the sake of agriculture, and to give as many troops as possible a good rest ; not necessarily for longer than the winter, he added, in lOKponse to a question of 74 THE FRONT IN FRANCE mine. Le Roy pointed out that mucli depended on the Boche strength in our front. I said that I would endeavour to study this question at Petain's and Haig's headquarters, and Painleve said that I could not render France a greater service than by supporting the French view. Saturday, Oct. 6. Wrote in the morning. Lunched with Le Roy and Mr. and Mrs. Addison of our Embassy. She is a pretty woman with reddish hair : they hve at Passy. Went off afterwards to call on M. Clemenceau at his rez-de- chaussee in No. 8 Rue Frankhn. Clemenceau is seventy- seven and as full of Ufe and fire as ever. We sat down opposite each other at his writing table. I said that he had not written much about the war lately and that I wanted to know his views. He said that he had not written much about the war because one had to tell hes, and this was uncongenial to him. He approves of Petain, whom he thinks the man for this phase of the war. I said that because Petain was doing the right thing now this was no reason why he should not do right again when circumstances justified a change of tactics. C. Ukes Foch. C. and I agreed that no better men could be chosen than these two. General Mangin had just left Clemenceau, who has a high opinion of him as a soldier, and says that he has been comphmented by the Court of Inquiry on which Foch, Brugere, and Gom-aud are assessing the April offen- sive. He had tried to induce Mangin not to refuse the command of an Army Corps. Clemenceau thought that the French could go on, but that we should take two years more to win the war. The Enghsh took their* punishment in silence ; the French made too many gestes and grimaces ; the Boches were hke dogs, who came to heel when kicked and always would. He had no hope of peace coming through any influence in Germany outside the governing class, but when the Kaiser had had enough of the war it would stop. He was sure that the war would be decided on a stricken field on the Western front, as it was for Napoleon on a battlefield no larger than the Place de la Concorde. He and I had been 1917J A TALK WITH CLEMENCEAU 75 right about Salonika from the first, but he said that he was ahiiost the only man in France who had opposed this folly. He said that the Japanese had refused to send troops to jNIesopotamia, and we discussed alternatives only to reject them. The real trouble in France, continued Clemenceau, was want of wheat and the staleness of French troops on their too extended and too weak front. The French peasant could do without meat, but he Hved on bread. France had only grown 35,000.000 hectohtres of wheat instead of 85,000,000 before the war, and had no wheat beyond February next. The reduction in the harvest was due to want of labour and manures. All the fields were cultivated, but not well. The Argentine crop in December next fortunately promised well. The troops were also tired, and if the French were to go on in 1918 we must take over more of their line, and permit some Frenchmen to get to work on the next crop and others to rest at their homes. He had been round all the fronts constantly and had spoken to many generals and officers and men, and he was sure of his ground. What did I think of it ? I said that one could not regard the matter from the narrow point of view of so many men per yard, as if we were the garrison of a defensive fine. The character of the country and the strength of the enemy also entered into the problem, and on many parts of the French front the enemy only retained a screen. But more important still, I thought, was the plan for 1918, which should be made directly our present attacks were arrested by the weather. We should then agree, let us say, to attack on a joint front of 100 miles in districts where the ground was open and suitable to our superior artillery, and allot the neces- sary troops to this front. Then the minimum needed for the defensive occupation of other parts of the front could be settled amicably. Clemenceau agreed with this point of view. He also told me that Iato(l by Iohh than half that nunibiir. Gl. 86 THE FRONT IN FRANCE to reports other than those from the Mission. These officers agree that our attack in 1918 should be co-ordinated with that of the French, and it was suggested that if Haig and Petain could not agree, Foch and Robertson should be caUed in. CUve favours Haig's projects in the North. He says that if we are to win with the French, we must win in 1918, because the French will not be able to go on longer. Clive thought that Haig and Petain were like horse-copers, one of whom is prepared to give more than he offers, and the other to accept less than he asks. Clive says that it is all a question of how much we are all pre- pared to spend in casualties next year. Petain had expended 40,000 men in his last push at Verdun, and Clive does not place a French class now at over 140,000. Clive wants 500,000 drafts assured to enable Haig to go on. Motored back to Paris. Found Mrs. Astor and Lady Essex just arrived, and Mrs. Leeds and Lady Paget coming to-morrow. Dined with the Comtesse Jeanne de Salverte. She was very gay and amusing, but we did not talk affairs at all. Tuesday, Oct. 9, to Thursday, Oct. 11. Motored via Provins and Troyes, 170 miles, to Chaumont, the Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Force. Went into a book- seller's shop at Troyes and was taken for a Yankee. ' Vous venez nombreux. Monsieur ? ' he asked with obvious anxiety. 'Quelques miUions, Monsieur,' I rephed cheer- fully, and never saw a man look happier. General Pershing's Greneral Headquarters are established in a barrack built round three sides of a quadrangle, and they are convenient for the present scale of the estabUsh- ment, but will soon prove too small. Pershing was created a General yesterday. He is only the fourth American general since Washington, the other three having been Grant, Sheridan, and Sherman. His Staff includes Brig. -General J. Harbord, Chief of the General Staff, a cool and capable man, self-possessed, and somewliat like the late Sir Charles Douglas ; Brig. -General B. Alvord, Adjutant-Greneral, a pleasant man, not very strong looking, and rather old ; 1917J AT PERSHING'S HEADQUARTERS 87 Brig. -General Rogers, Q.M.G. ; Brig. -General Bradley, head of the Medical Services, a clever man and a good doctor ; Major-General Blatchford, Commanding General of the Line of Communications, an oldish man with whiskers, and his troubles with the French seem numerous. The Chief Signal Officer is Brig. -General Russell. The name of the Chief of Aviation Service is Kenley, of the Ordnance General Williams, and the J.A.G. is General Bethell. I\Iajor Robert Bacon, who was once Secretary of State and also Ambassador in Paris, is serving as a honne a tout f aire on the Staff, and nominally as Commandant at Headquarters. A pleasant Captain Patton is in command of the head- quarters' troop of cavalry, and I think of a company of marines also here. The A.D.C.s, or aides as they are called, are Captain Boyd who seems to be much in Persh- ing's confidence, and Captain Shallenberger, a strong hardy tyi^e. There is a large French Mission, under a general, to help the Americans in their deaHngs with local autho- rities of all kinds, and we have, or rather Haig has, a liaison officer with Pershing, namely, Colonel Cyril Wagstaff, a good practical man and a typical English soldier, who appears to me to carry out his delicate duties \x\i\\ great tact and good sense, and to make himself helpful to all. The American officers are constantly seeking his advice. They come to his room one after another without ceasing. They know very little of practical soldiering. One came in one day while I was in Wagstaff's room and said, ' Say, Colonel, when you have to move troops by rail what do you do 1 ' Wagstaff had to explain the whole process from A to Z. The present Staff is merely a skeleton of what it ^\^ll be. There are, for example, only four ofKcers in the A.O.'s Brancli, and there are to be 60. There are only 1000 doctors arrived out of 20,000, and so on. Pershing and his chief lieutenants are in what tliey call a ' formative ' state, that ifl to say that they are busy buikling up an organisation ; and never having done anything of this sort before, they are groping'thoir way about in the dark, and are searching 88 THE FKONT IN FRANCE for models in our Army and the French. The H.Q. Staff is at present out of touch with the American troops, namely, the 1st, 26th, and another division now arriving, and it will be the divisional commanders, for some Httle time, who will have to pan out for themselves. General Sibert's 1st Division, largely Regular with 20 per cent, of old soldiers, is at Gondrecourt, some two hours distant by motor. The 26th is arriving at Neuf chateau, also some way off, and the Staff is at present too busy puzzhng out and creating the organisation to be much with the troops. All the big ships, owing to their draught, have to go to Liverpool, where they break bulk and the men come on by Southampton and Havre. The last arrived division lost all its belongings on the way, and 10,000 of them reached Neuf chateau before their divisional commander and his staff, with only their personal effects, and without anything else, not even doctors or rations or bedding or cooking utensils. General Bradley said to me that it was ' worse than in 1898 ' — the war with Spain. I do not think that the American Staff realises, as it will later, that it is the servant and minister of the troops. It is impossible to admit the system which makes the Chief of Staff and his secretary the narrow neck of the bottle through which all papers reach Pershing. It is our old ' Chief Staff Officer ' system, and instead of the Chief of the Staff dealing only with Operations, Intelhgence, and Training, as he does with us, he is here the intermediary between some 17 American departments and the general, and these 17 branches are not grouped under group com- manders, so that Pershing and Harbord have an intolerable number of people to see, and an overwhelming mass of administrative matters to attend to apart from all their difficulties with the French, The Americans do not yet understand what a General Staff means. It has been ignored or snubbed in the past, and, having become academic, it stands apart from the troops and is not, Pershing says, too popular with them. Though we send Americans all our InteUigence reports, not one has yet reached the 1st 1917] SITUATION OF THE AMERICANS 89 Division, and the divisions know Little or nothing of what is going on. What is needed is to group all the Staffs under a few chief men, for the latter alone to see Pershing, to take responsibility on their own slioulders. and to leave Pershing more free to exercise command and have leisure to follow the operations and then to direct them. I hope tliat this may come later. l)ut it has not come yet. The American Arm}' have always been much scattered, and are not well known to each other unless they happen to have served together in the same regiment or post. They have no common doctrine of any Idnd. They are taken aback by the immensity of the problem before them, and find themselves in a child's suit among Alhes com- pletely armed in mail. They are largely ignorant of the practical side of soldiering, and whatever they do they find before them a French wall of difficulties which they have to get over, under, or round. They have no control over railways or any part of the country. If they want to build a hospital the indent for the ground has to go to Compiegne, and then the engineers have long discussions with the French Mission and Frencli pubhc departments how the building material is to be obtained, where the wood is to be cut, and how it is to be brought up. All this takes time. Besides, each American Department scheme has to be argued hke a legal case with tlie other sixteen departments before Pershing can settle it, and, in fact, the peace system of an out-of-date Army is being subjected to the teiTilio strain of a great war. The men even bring their kit boxes and beds from America, but this can hardly continue. All the same, the West Point officers are very good, all the departments are filled with keen, intelh- gent, and zealous men, and I feel confident that all these difficulties born of inexi)erience will be overcome if time allows. They would be overcome quicker would the Americans ask us frankly io help them more, but Wagstaff and all our peo])le wait until they are con- sulted, and rigiitly, and so things are going very slowly. No one in this world learns from the |experience of any- 90 THE FKONT IN FRANCE body else. It will not do to try and force things on the Americans. The Americans are enormously impressed by om* Army and its operations. Many have gone up there to see the fighting and have returned full of enthusiasm and admira- tion. They begin to reahse that instead of dishke or jealousy we all feel a deep and semi-paternal pride in them and are longing to help them. But we fear that they may mistake our feehngs for condescension. So we take no initiative. They attend all our schools and special courses, some American officers insisting upon going through as privates, as Colonel McAndrew did in our 2nd Army bomb- ing school, and then the officers who are thus instructed conduct divisional schools of their own in the A.E.F., and here are formed instructors for the coming American Army schools in all the different speciahties. These will prob- ably be at Langres. In general, they are taking the French regulations for the battery and battaHon, since the French are training them, but our system for all larger units, for the General Staff system so far as theory is con- cerned, and for all schools. The language link is too sohd to be broken in a time of stress. The InteUigence system has been taken word for word from our organisation, but, of coiKse, this is not the same thing while Pershing acts as a sort of Secretary of State. Colonel Walker has Opera- tions, with Colonel Fox Conner as an efficient second ; Colonel Nolan has InteUigence, and he appeals to me ; Colonel Malone, Training ; and Colonel W. Conner the Co- ordination Branch. InteUigence, under Nolan and Lieut. - Colonel Conger, is divided up precisely as with us. All these General Staff organs are already at work in embryonic form, and I went round them. They have but to grow to be aU right, but the character of the American Staff CoUege training has been academic, and faults wiU persist until the General Staff have a more proper and assured position, are kept in closer contact with the troops, and Brig. -General Harbord ceases to be also an intermediary between Pershing and all the administrative branches. At my suggestion 1917] THE OCEAN PASSAGE 91 Harbord rode over to the Frencli Mission and asked for a copy of Petain's citation of the 2nd Army Staff. It will explain to the Americans what a General Staff of an Armj'^ has to do in war. At present all is much too amateurish for the Ai'my to be trusted in operations, and Pershing's mind is not free enough for the business. Jofifre \\as right in his doubt on this point, and Pershing, in plainly hinting to me that little could be effected until late in the summer of 1918, seemed to me to have a correct perception of his wealoiesses. It would be folly, if not murder, to hurry him into the fighting line, good though I think his regular men and officers are individually. General Pershing put me up at his house, and I dined with him and eight of his chief officers, including Robert Bacon, who is an attractive figure. I sat next to Pershing. There was only water to drink, but the Chaumont water is first-rate. Pershing told me that tonnage was his principal anxiety, and he is far from assured about the submarines, feehng uncertain whetiier the U-boats are sparing him by order. He tells me that from 7 to 8 tons a man are needed for the Atlantic passage, including everything belonging to the divisions. The first circular trip of the transports took 55 days, but this has now fallen to 41. The time taken for the actual passage in convoy is 13 days. With these data any one can calculate the useful output of 400,000 tons gross of shipping, and this output is evidently quite inadequate, but Pershing hopes that the tonnage will much increase by March next. I suggested that Japan should be asked for 400,000 tons, which she can spare, and on returning to Paris found that this had been arranged, but apparentl}' only for ships to be built, which i.s quite a different thing. The Americans have 16 camps in the U.S. with 32 divi- sions, and otlier divisions form as divisions come across. ThfTc are 1 ,500,000 men in training. The troops bring every- thing with them to Europe except the guns which are being made by us and the French, and only draw ujx^n the French for eggs and fresh vegetables. Even the milk comes from America in tins, and the meat is frozen or tinixtl. I l( imd VOL. II. H 92 THE FRONT IN FRANCE that I had been misinformed on this matter. There is no doubt about it, for I inspected the white flour, saw the American frozen meat and its labels in the cook-houses, and had opened for me the iron rations and tinned milk. The flour makes the best white bread that I have eaten for many months. The French are certainly not feeding these Americans, who are trying to build up a reserve of food. I do not feel sure that the promised French guns will come along, and I gave Colonel Nolan a warning to watch the construction, and he promised that he would. He says that if the French monthly surplus output of 75's is 300 guns only, as I was told by Fagalde, it will not be enough. Pershing hinted to me that he did not expect to have a serious Army for offensive operations before the autumn of 1918, and I doubt that he means to go into the line before he has 12 to 20 divisions ready and trained. I am not sure whether it is understood that units must go into the line to train. He tells me that he is not taking over French railways because these supply certain French districts, a task which he cannot assume, but he is bringing over engines, rolling stock, and rails for sidings, and will lay his own light lines in advance of his railheads when he comes into the line. At present his troop-trains take three days to arrive from St. Nazaire instead of the ten hours that they would take over the same distance in America. Pershing laid stress upon the fact that the whole of his organisation had been entirely created here since the arrival in June last, on the 13th I think it was. I did not ask him where he proposed to take over a part of the line as I learnt from his officers that he was keeping an open mind about it, and his A.G. told me that the reinforcement troops would be so placed that they could come towards us if Pershing decided to take over the line nearer to us. 1 think that the majority at least want to be alongside of us.^ Before they arrived they all thought 1 This question was ultimately decided by the trace of the French railway system and the necessity for good communications from the coastal bases to the Army at the front. 1917] PERSHING ON A GEXEBALISSIME q3 that the French had been doing all the fighting, and our Army is a complete revelation to them. Tlie point which I made with the Staff and with Bacon, witli whom I had long talks, was that from all I saw and heard, the Americans would not be able to do anything serious before next autumn, or an^-thing big before 1019 ; that, in the interval, the French might become automatically so reduced as to be incapable of a great offensive ; and that, therefore, we and the Americans must then make the great effort together, and so must be in a posture to co-operate, and not too far distant from each other for such purpose, I found a strong approval of this point of view, and, generally speaking, a steady increase of the pro-English sentiment. But surtout point de zele is a good maxim for our dealings with the Americans. I had a good talk with Pershing about Joffre's ideas of an Inter-Allied Staff and about Petain's views of a commission of studies. Pershing realises fully the German advantage in this matter, and there is this further difficulty, namely, tiiat President Wilson is still attempting to keep up a show of inde^x^ndence of the Allies in his Army, and I believe — without Ix-ing certain — that Pershing is not supposed to join inter-Allied military conferences, even for the prepara- tion of next year's campaign ! But after we had talked all round the ideas of Joffre and Petain, we came to the con- clusion that nothing but omnipotence would serve in the Higher Command of the Allies, and that this could not bo secured, since no Army was prepared to accept a subordinate position, and even if it did, its Government would not do so. So we must go on as we are, and trust to commonsense and the tact and experience of the Allied generals to keep things straight in the field. General Pershing inspires me with complete confidence. His Staff told nic that in his talk with me, prolonged until lute in the night, lie had been more drawn out, had covered more ground, and had sj)oken more, and more freely, than on any previous occasion. He is naturally reserved, l)ut frank, clear-headed, wise, unconi- mouly determined, and witjj an obvious intention of not 94 THE FRONT IN FRANCE allowing himself to be rushed into any folly by anybody. I am not sure whether he is always invited to the Confer- ences about the Western front, and am sure that it is a great fault if he is not. One of his anxieties is about the Greneral Staff at Washing- ton and the advice which the President may receive from officers who have no experience of the real conditions here. Greneral Biddle has gone from France to the U.S. to be assistant to General Bliss, the Chief of Staff at Washington, but Pershing thinks that this is not enough. I suggested that the President should choose his own men, send them out here to serve under Pershing in the General Staff branches for six months, and then let them return. Then the Presi- dent could reconstitute his Staff with men who knew, as we had done in London. Pershing agreed that no one could visualise the war who had not seen it, and that even joy- riding was not enough. Men must be brought into harsh contact with practical realities. We discussed German plans and effectives ; the transfer of German troops from East to West this winter — a matter in which Pershing adopts Maurice's moderate view — the question of French effectives and waste, and a dozen other subjects. I was to have had another talk with Pershing on the evening of the 10th on my return from the Gondrecourt camp, but the American Ambassador had called him to Paris. I think that Pershing's chief anxiety is also mine, namely, who is handling, as a whole, the mighty Staff problem before America. It appears to be done in compartments without assured communications, and both Pershing and his Staff thought this a weakness, and were anxious about it, and did not fully know how the machine at home worked. I lunched with General Sibert at Gondrecourt on the 10th, and went round his troops, schools, billets, and huts. Sibert is a good man and has a good Staff, but he is without miUtary experience. He tells me that the divisions will have 48 French 75's and 24 6-inch howitzers each. There are also 12-inch and 10-inch howitzers coming from America, but Sibert thought, with me, that his artillery problem was his 1917] THE AMERICAN TROOPS 95 greatest, and viewed with some anxiety the moment when his di\'isional artillery commander might have to handle some 200 guns allotted to him for a grand attack, I suggested the loan of a Frenchman for the job, but Sibert did not jump at the idea. The look of the troops was good. A nice lot of keen, upstanding, young men, and all verj^ serious and determined to do a big thing. The uniforms are much too tight. The explanation is that the men have filled out since joining, but I expect that it is a ' dandy ' touch, and that the men have had their uniforms taken in to fit like gloves. The light canvas gaiters will not stand the mud, and I like the boots less than ours. I saw some good horses and interesting types of saddlerj-. The mounted ofifif^ers whom I saw rode beautifully, but no cavahy are coming here yet, and the cavalry officers are joining other arms. The large efifectives of the American coast artillery will help much with the heavies when they come along. There will be 16 machine guns per company, and the specialists, of whom there were none at first, are being formed. The organisation, even of the infantry battalion, is not yet completely settled. I saw some huts in a state of great di.sorder which would never be tolerated with us. All the beds were do\m and the kits just anyhow. Tlie billets in barns, etc., were a little better, but there are no wash-houses yet organised, nor baths, nor arrangements for cleaning and refreshing uniforms. They still think that by ordering lUOO pairs of gum boots from America they meet tlie needs of 1000 men in the trenches, obhvious of the fact that 2000 are needed for every looo men in the trendies so that one lot of gum lx)ot8 may be dried inside wliile the others are being used. Practical needs will only be learnt by practical exjjerience, and the baths will begin when the men become louHy, em ours did. I did not care for the American pack. I Rpx-nt my last morwing of the I Itli going round the other head(pmrl«r ofliees at (.'haumont. 1 am not sure that the Americans understand their own organisation, for Colonel Hiiies of (he A.G.'s iiranch told mo that the A.G. was head of all (he a(lmini8(rative services, but some 96 THE FRONT IN FRANCE of them denied the fact stoutly when I went to see them, and called themselves sej)arate departments. The health of the troops is very good, only one per cent, of sick. The medical arrangements ought to be good, as they have the pick of all the doctors and dentists of America, but the hospitals and other buildings are only coming on very slowly. I had a good talk with Bacon before leaving. He is poHtically opposed to President Wilson, and is concerned with the thought that one false note struck by the President may ruin the cause. But he admits that both in what he has said and done since he joined in the war, and in what he has not said and done, the President has been admir- able. Bacon believes that he was sincerely pacificist, and did his utmost to keep out of it, but now that he is in it he is in it heart and soul and is a fighter. Bacon, how- ever, beheves that the President never contemplated all that it would mean, and may have hoped that a show of force would be enough. Pershing's original orders may have been coloured by these ideas. Bacon himself is the bitterest anti-German imaginable, is devoted to the cause, and should be a most valuable asset at the Headquarters, from all points of view. He says that the Americans in France are quickly learning how false were their views about the English, and what a revelation the strength, equipment, spirit, and discipline of our Armies have been to them. Every officer and man who visits our front or our schools comes back an enthusiast about us, and all begin to feel that had England and America been united, this war would never have been. The experiences of these three days require a good deal of reflection. I think that much time will be needed before the American Army will be fit for offensive war if the Germans maintain their spirit, but, given time, the enthusiasm, virihty, and com- petence of all ranks, and the vast forces behind them, both moral and material, must overcome all difficulties, and if I return here in the spring I shall expect to see an immense imjirovement on all sides. Motored to Domremy to see Joan of Arc's house and the Chapel. Sunset on 1917J AT R.F.C. HEADQUARTERS 97 the river and the hills. America was not thought of in those far-off davs. ^Motored back to Paris. Very dark in the woods in the last stages, but stars good for steering. Dined in my own rooms. Friday, October 12. Wrote most of the day. Lunched with the Comtesse de S. at Henry's, and saw Boni de Castellane there. Had a good talk with Mrs. Leeds and Lady ^Linnie at tea, and dined with Mrs. Astor, Lady Essex, and Mr. Beny at the Ritz. Saturday, Oct. 13. Left Paris, 0.10 a.m., for Amiens. Thence by car to the R.F.C. Headquarters, near St. Omer, for a talk \\ith Trenchard. Two bombs outside his gates, intended for the aerodrome near by. The Huns are giving all oiu" back-areas a good bombing just now, bj'^ day and night. St. Omer has been specially favoured. Trenchard well satisfied with the air changes in London announced to-day by wireless, Salmond taking David Henderson's place. Trenchard hopes to be fully ready by April next. He had a very hard time in April last, and again six weeks ago, but is rather happier now in spite of the Hun con- centration against us. Yesterday we had a bad day, losing ten machines. The weather was awful ; the troops could not get further than their first objectives, and ' the birds ' had a bad time of it too. It was not the Bochcs but the weather and the horrible ground that stopped us. T. is satisfied that our various tj'pes are as good as the Boche types. cver\'thing considered. But until he gets his long- range bombing squadrons he is not going to alter his offensive battlefield tactics, and, moreover, he says that bombing the German towns will not stop the Huns from l)oinl»ing Ix>ndon. He trusts to the hard resolute offensive against the Germans and tiieir aerodromes in our Belgian front, and will not alter his tactics until the present 0])era- tions are HUK|K'nded. lie thinks that bombing will go on with increasing severity till the end of the war, and that Ixjndon will not be spared. Jiut if we win in I'Manders wo shall put the iliin buck a long way and make it more difficult for him. 1 bchevc that Trenchard is right and 98 THE FRONT IN FRANCE should be supported. His views are those of our G.S. at home. Motored to Radinghem Chateau, maintained for American and other visitors. Major Norie in charge ; also there Lionel St. Aubyn, 60th ; Hannay, Coldstream s ; and another, as conducting officers. General Sir Wilham Manning, Governor of Jamaica, also of the party. He has come over to look after his West India troops, who are doing finely in bringing up the shells to the heavy guns, but are going down fast in this cold wet weather, which they cannot stand. M. says that Jamaica is very patriotic, and that his blacks are fatahsts and good fighters. A lot of Chinese about. They do well on the roads. Many are at Dunkirk, where the Hun bombers have done a lot of harm. The Chinese shin up the trees when the bombs come, to be out of the way. Jack St. Aubjm is our commandant there. I am told that the British officers with the Chinese gradually come to resemble the Chinamen and assume their inscrut- able demeanour ! Boche prisoners working all along the road. They looked weU ; quite a fine lot of men. SuTiday, Oct. 14. Motored to Advanced G.H.Q. to have lunch and a talk with Charteris, the head of Haig's InteUigence. I find that he is strongly set upon continu- ing the Flanders offensive next year, and is most optimistic as usual. He has great ideas of the hurt that we have caused the Huns, and the number of divisions which we have ' exhausted ' as he terms it. I doubt whether they are much more exhausted than those which we take out of our own line after an attack. He beheves that we can gain our present objectives, and next spring clear up to Ghent, and then be on the flank of the German line. So we should be, but on the wrong flank strategically. I was given papers to show all the Hun divisions drawn from the French front to oppose us, and assuming these to be correct, it would appear that we have been fighting most of the Western Germans, and the best of them, this year. I told C. the figures that Petain and his officers had given to me. Neither C. nor Major CornwaU disputed 191 7 J PLUMER OX FLANDERS FIGHTING 99 them seriously, but I suggested that C. would do well to be in a position to present his own analysis of the figures. Motored on to Cassel and found Plumer. We had a high tea with him and his personal StaflF and Harington. Plumer very happy about his successes. His day of the 12th could not be put through because the ground was impossible owing to the weather. So he is going to hold the thing up for ten days until he can complete his com- munications again. At present some of his hght railways are bodily embedded in the mud up to the top of the Uttle locomotives ; the whole railway has subsided into the morass, and until he can get liis ammunition up he cannot get on. It is a race against time, as the season grows so late. He wants to take Passchendaele, and Gough West- roosebeck, while there are a couple of other points east and south-cast of the ridge which the Huns must be turned out of to make a clean job of it. I found Plumer heart and soul for the Flanders offensive. I asked him whether he was thinking of his present tactical objectives, or whether he had in his mind the strategy of next year and its possibiUties. He said that he had both, and had fully considered the future possibihties. But I think that he nears the end of his tether for this year, as he ayng, Butler, FletcJier, Sas.soon, and the A.D.C. ; and then 1 ad- journed, at Haig's suggestion, with Kiggell and Butler for another talk. I explained the situation as it appeared to Petain and to Pershing. Kiggell then went fully into the strategy. He was convinced that the Huns must stand in I'landers and could not retreat elastically on the Hindenburg pliin in this district. W'v should, therefore, Ixi sure to find TTFTTAnY UNIVERSITY OK CALIKORNTA SANTA DAU»AUA 102 THE FRONT IN FRANCE him, and, having gained the tactical mastery of him, should beat him. We could not afford to take over one yard of front from the French, because we were thin enough now, and there was the winter training ahead and all the roulement to bo arranged. He was, therefore, firmly convinced that to abandon our plan would be fatal. He made the good point that the operation in the North was best for our limited forces. If we had larger Armies, Kiggell would vote for the Petain plan, which much resembled other French plans, but our forces were limited, and we had proved our power to beat the Huns and to go on beating them. We should take the rest of the ridge and then continue next April, threatening the Hun coast defences on our left and Lille on our right, and extending our hold gradually until we reached the Dutch frontier, which was only 18 miles from Roulers. We should then clear the two ports (Zeebrugge and Ostend), estabhsh railway communication with them, destroy the Hun aero- dromes, and menace the right of the whole German line. The loss of the Belgian coastline would be a heavy blow to Germany, and no excuses could palliate it. He was pre- pared to stake his reputation that the Germans could not retreat without fighting foot by foot on the Flanders front, and that next year in from one to two months the operation would be concluded. Every attack which we made next year would draw more Hun divisions towards us and make the French task easier, so we must be ready to go on with blow upon blow as we were doing now, and for this strategy an assured supply of 500,000 drafts would be needed. These should begin to arrive directly the present operation ended, so that they might finish their training, and he said that there was a close co-relation between training and casualties. If the Government took a political decision which interfered with the prosecution of this plan, then the matter passed out of his hands. He was only talking strategy, and these were his views. I said that the only comment I had to make was that a Flanders offensive could not be begun before April, which date also coincided with that at which Trenchard would be 1917] KIGGELL ON STRATEGY 103 ready, and that if the German^; came from the Eastern front and attacked the French in February or March, they might secure the initiative, which might prove awkward. But in other respects I did not question the plan, which seemed to me solid and well weighed. All that I added was that I appreciated more than ever in what a difficult position Petain would be placed, and what a mean role was assigned in the plan to a proud nation like the French. Was no ease- ment of the French position possible ? What would happen if the French began to dissolve from our failure to help them out, and how would it be if the Huns came West in force and broke the French line before our Flanders attack could recommence ? Kiggell thought that the Flanders attack might begin at a pinch in March, that the French were strong enough to defend themselves, and that our attack was their best defence. He did not believe in a French attack in force. He was implacable about taking over more line, and after discussing the matter for some time, we saw no course to meet all needs except for the Americans to take over the front of the 3rd French Army or more if they could. But I do not think that Pershing can do this before the spring, and I doubt whether he will like to do it then. Butler also pointed out that we had already taken over the front of the 10th French Army and of the Nieuport Group. Kiggell thinks that the Huns are weakening and may give way at any moment, and that his plan will l>eat the Germans and end the war, I did not see that the latter result would necessarily follow, and I said so. I also said that Petain had a correct perception of the diffi- culties which he would encounter when he came to talk with the F.M., that neither the French politicians nor soldiers would be satisfied, and that the resulting situation might be serious. We all agreed that the right course was for Haig and Petain to meet and to agree, if they could, upon the j)lan for 1918, and that everything else would depend upon tlie result and would naturally follow from it. I suggested that Persliing should be invited to this 104 THE FRONT IN FRANCE and other conferences, and thought that this would be to our advantage, though I could not say whether the President would allow Pershing to attend. Kiggell thought that it would be difficult for Haig to take the initiative in this matter as the Americans were vmder the French wing. It would be best that Pershing himself should suggest that he should attend. I spoke highly of Wagstaff's work to Haig and others, and suggested a Q man to help him. We talked of the Americans, and Butler shared my views about them. Byng told us to-day of his Monday raid on a front of 1200 yards with three old English county regiments, and how well it all went. A group of American generals witnessed the attack from a point 600 yards to the flank, and were ecstatic in their delight at the success of the raiders, who remained for half an hour in the Hun support trenches, killed 200 Huns, and brought back 64 prisoners. The raiders had gone in light with bayonets on their rifles, 50 rounds, and one bomb each. The barrage and gas Avorked to perfection. Byng's story of the British raider's desire to shove his bayonet through the stomach of the ' — bastard who pulls the string of the minen — ' is not for the drawing-room. I told the P.M. and G.H.Q. of the extraordinarily valuable political and military effects of the manner in which they had aided the Americans to study the war in the North, and our training and organisation. Tuesday, Oct. 16. Motored to Wimereux and saw Tom Bridges at No. 16 General Hospital. His right leg is off just below the knee, but he is going on well, and is very brave about it. His wife is with him, and he hopes to be home in a few days. Motored to Boulogne. An intermin- able line of ambulances conveying lying-down wounded cases to the hospital ship. A rough crossing. Home by 7 P.M. CHAPTER XXVII WAR BY CO:\DIITTEE Explanation of our G.H.Q.'s doubts — A Zepp. raid near Maryon — General Gourkho on Russia — General Petain's victory at Malmaison — Colonel Fagalde on General Cadorna's reasons for stopping his attack — The Austro-Geriniin attack on Italy — British support sent — Letters from Sir Charles Monro, Sir Edmund Allenby, Sir Stanley Maude, and General Briggs — Description of events in India, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Salonika — Inspired Press attacks on the General Staff — Italian losses — General AUenby's victory at Gaza and Beer- sheba — Difficulties with the Timei — The Supreme Political Council and permanent central military Committee created in Paris — General Robertson's opinion — War by Committee bound to fail — Mr. Lloyd George's Paris speech — He reads out the new Agreement in the House of Commons — Our deficit in strengths and total losses during the war. Thursday, Oct. 18. Took steps to learn the tnith about G.H.Q.'s doubts. The Boulogne Conference had only agreed to consider the question of the extension of the British front and we had not committed ourselves. We had gone no further than this during Painleve's and Foch's visit to London a fortnight ago, though they had asked us to take up to Berry -au-Bac. A letter was going to-day to G.H.Q. to clear the matter up. I hope that this may be done, but Painleve certainly believed when he spoke to rae that we had agreed to take over more line, and not only to consider the matter. Some folk think that G.H.Q. are much too .stiff and narrow abo\it the French, and that we can afford to extend as far as the Oise. Fridaxj, Oct. 19. Ix)rd Haldane dined at Maryon, and I walked back with him to the Tube station. As I returned I heard two explosions, and as I turned in at Maryon I heard a so-called aerial torpedo going through the air like a small railway train. It a})peared to be travel- ler, io6 WAR BY COMMITTEE ling from North to South. It fell near Cricldewood and kiUed a lot of people. There was no noise of any motors. We afterwards heard that it was a Zepp. raid, but only one of the Zepps. reached London, drifting with the wind, and let go three or four bombs. Our guns were all silent. Saturday, Oct. 20. About 100 people killed and wounded by the bombs yesterday. One fell in Piccadilly near the pavement in front of Swan and Edgar's. Egerton and I went to see the damage. All the glass smashed in the adjoining houses and the gas and water mains broken where the bomb fell. ' Meat ' Lowther, who was crossing the circus at the moment, had a narrow escape. The bomb weighed 220 pounds. It penetrated some four or five feet into the roadway. Sunday, Oct. 21. Had tea with Margey and Freddy to tell them about Joan. F. says that there are now 20,000 special constabulary in London and 15,000 regular con- stables. The fire brigades of places round London are now under London so as to secure better co-operation. Monday, Oct. 22. Had a talk with Sir Thomas Robinson, Agent-Greneral for Queensland, about meat supplies. He thinks that Lord Rhondda is making a mess of things, and gave me a lot of detail and not much proof. Lunched with Sir Alan and Lady Johnstone, Lady Essex, and Prince Croy. The latter told us how he escaped from Belgium. Tuesday, Oct. 23. Saw Geoffrey Dawson at the Travellers' Club in the morning. He leaves for G.H.Q. to-day. We posted each other up in events at home and abroad. He wants me to make Robertson a little more amenable on the War Council, and Milner is to make L. G. less rude to Robertson. I lunched with Generals Dessino and Grourkho at 'The Senior.' Gourkho is a small man with a strong eager face. He told me how he had been treated in Russia and finally exiled, the excuse being that he had written to the Tsar and was a danger to the new Republic. He says that there is no liberty of domicile or of the person in Russia. He does not think that the Grermans can do much more in the 1917] GENERAL GOUEKHO 107 Gulf of Riga this autumn, and that the attacks are for moral effect. He says that there are heaps of Russian troops still at the front. The Germans have to hold 1800 kilometres with 91 divisions, so it means a front of 20 kilometres, on an average, per division, and Gourkho thinks that they cannot take much away. The Russian Corps are now of three divisions, each Army Corps 36 battalions. In all, they have mobihsed 14,000,000 men, but many prisoners have been lost, and the Russians need more men on the L. of C. and in charge of wagons and horses than we do. There are ample troops to hold the Germans, and to beat them, if only the Russians will fight, but Gourkho admits that the Russians are merely passive and have lost their offensive spirit, so their numbers really mean nothing at all, I saw Sir T. Robinson and Mr. I. Young again ^bout meat supplies, but could not trace any crimes to Rhondda. Looked in at ^Irs. KeppeFs and found her looking very well after her cure at Aix. Went on to York House to talk to Robertson, and told him my experiences abroad. The report of Petain's victory on the Aisne to-day just in and pleased us much. R. had not much news. The soldiers and the War Cabinet seem to get on very fairly. He growled about Smuts saying that the war was won. R. thought it was not won, and that it had to be won here in England. We were 70,000 down in France. I saw Godley to-day. His 2ud Anzac Corps lost about 15,000 men in the fighting of the 4th, 0th, and 12th October. Thursday, Oct. 25. Colonel Fagalde lunched with me and we discussed affairs. Hi' told me that Cadorna's decision not to attack again eail\ iti Octoljer, as he had formally promised, was suddenly iirrived at after the arrival at liis H.Q. of Signor Bissolati. On Sept. 19 one of the French Mission had reached Paris and reported that all the attack was well mounted and en train, and then on the 20th came the telegram to say that it was abandoned. Cadorna had VOL. II. I io8 WAR BY COMMITTEE given five reasons : that they had lost too many men, though in fact their losses were only 145,000 ; that their depots were empty, though this was not correct ; that pubHc opinion did not permit a check to be risked ; that they had to store up shells for a spring offensive ; and, finally, that the Austrians were going to attack. Foch, and Robertson at Foch's instigation, had sent severe letters to Cadorna, who was now faced by the Austro-German attack announced this morning and considered by Fagalde retri- butive justice. From a Boche airman brought down, it was found that a 14th German Army consisting of five to nine divisions had been formed, and F. says that it is attacking round the angle of the Carnic and Julian fronts, that Cividale is the converging point, and that the 2nd Itafian Army is concentrating there. We have left some fifty of our heavy guns, it appears. The Germans are of good regular divisions, and there may be more than we know. We discussed my visit to France, and talked over all the question of the extension of the British front. Fagalde asks whether anything is behind to-day's leader about the Ypres fight in 1914, and the omission of all mention of Foch and his Army. They cannot conceive in Paris that I am not responsible for all the Times leaders on mifitary affairs. Fagalde wants me to get L. G. to support Painleve's candi- dature for the French War Office. F. thinks that Barthou may become French P.M., and Thomas Foreign Secretary. He also wants Robertson to indoctrinate our statesmen about war, as Foch found when staying a week-end with Balfour and others at Chequers Court that there were many fundamental questions which thej?^ did not understand, and tliat they appreciated Foch's explanations. Saturday, Oct. 27. The Dutch Minister, Dr. van Swinderen, had telephoned that he wished to see me, and brought up to Maryon Hall his new military attache, a gunner and a typical Dutchman. We had a short talk on poHtics and the war, and then branched into the Laszlo case. Van 1917] LASZLO'S TREATMENT 109 Swinderen admitted that Laszlo had sent two lett-ers, and he vowed only two, through the Dutch bag to the sister of Loudon, the Dutch Foreign Minister, with whose family L. ^^•as on friendly terms, and that no letter from L. to any enemy person, country, or address had gone through the bag. He said that our people here had read some of Laszlo's letters sent abroad by the ordinary post, and had found evidence that he had written other letters Mhich the}' had not seen. The}^ taxed Laszlo with it, and he admitted that he had used the Dutch bag, an admission which Van Swin- deren was evidentl}'^ verj'^ angry about. S. thought L. a child and an illumine, with the artistic temperament liighly developed, and very intemperate in his language, but he did not beheve him to be a traitor though he hated Russia. I said that the whole of the proceedings in the Laszlo case were un-Enghsh, and that L.'s many friends were in a fix as they did not know the precise charge against him. L. was not allowed to be present when L.'s friends gave cAndence to character for him, and the whole thing resembled the lettre de cachet more than Enghsh methods. If L. were proved guilty, his friends would have nothing more to say for him, but, till he was, they stood by him, and I thought this attitude unexceptionable. I lunched with the Ian Hamiltons ; pleasant as always, and a nice talk. Colonel Mola there, and we discussed the new and startling German attack on Italj'^, known apparently to our correspondents in Italy on Oct. 21, and first reported in the British Press on Oct. 25. Went off with Mola, who was very anxious to have assurance of British support. He says that though he is supjjosed to be a jyersona grata here, all the liaison work is done by Cadorna and Robertson through Dehne RadclilTc. and Mola hears very little. We agreed that I should go to Kobertson and he to the D.M.O., and see what could be done. We talked the case over. I then saw Robertson, who told me that we were sending two divisions by the Riviera route, and the French four divisions by the Mont 110 WAR BY COMMITTEE Cenis. He also showed me a wire sent to X., giving the latter a rowing for variations in his reports. He asked me to see Macdonogh about the figures, and the latter told me afterwards that there were only six divisions of Germans and 44 Austrians all round the frontiers of Italy, and that the unofficial and Press reports from Italy had grossly exaggerated the figures. However, it is bad enough, as the Itahans have given way before weak forces which should easily have been held up. Mola had been keen that only Enghsh troops should go and not French. I agreed that it should be one or the other, and said that I hated mihtary salads, and did not want to see Salonika conditions repeated in Italy. Later learnt that the arrangements for the move to Italy are under way. I informed Mola, who was most grateful. Sunday, Oct. 28. The following letters which I have recently received from Monro, C.-in-C. in India ; from AUenby, commanding in Egypt ; from Maude, command- ing in Mesopotamia ; and from Briggs, commanding the 16th Army Corps at Salonika, give a general view of our position just now elsewhere than on the Western front. The dates show how long the letters from distant theatres now take in coming. Letter from Sir Charles Monro, Received Hampstead, Sep. 24, 1917: Simla, August 15, 1917. My dear Repington, — Thank you very much for your most interesting letter. Some great events have happened in the past six months. What a pity that Russia could not have been in- duced to stay her reforming hand until after the war : her reasons for taking such a wild move at such a period are not known to me, but to an outsider it does seem that she was in honour bound to defer all antics until peace had been re- 1917] MONRO ON INDIA m established, as after all she was in a measure instrumental in starting this business. People seem at present in somewhat low spirits at the pro- longation of the war, but that cannot be helped — we must see it through somehow or other. We have, as you may have heard, just concluded a frontier affair. The jNIahsuds had been giving us trouble since last Februar}', and we were compelled to deal with them in order to prevent a serious outbreak from spreading. In order to under- stand the situation in which we were placed, it is necessary to remind you that our system of holding the countrj^ in Waziristan is bj' a series of frontier posts held by Militia levies of varjdng strengths, supported by occasional posts manned by Regulars. The two most important are Wana and Sarwekai. In Februarj'^ the tribesmen came forward to attack the latter post. The officer commanding in charge acted Uke a resolute soldier — he went out to ambush the Mahsuds, but unfortunately got caught in a trap himself. I have nothing to say of this officer except to admire his courage ; he lost his life in the enter- prise, and the tribesmen, elated by their success, were encouraged to greater truculence. But that was bad luck ; a frontier soldier cannot play for safety. We should never govern wild tribesmen by halting timid councils. As a result the tribesmen tried to prevent us from suppljang Wana and Sarwekai, our route being through the Gomal, a very difficult communication following the bed of a river much subjected to flood, and through a defile exposed to intense heat and lack of water. We could not give up the posts mentioned for obvious reasons, and as the tribesmen persisted in their methods, only one course was open to us. So we went in from Jandola through the Shahur Tangi, via Banvand, to the Khaisora Valley, one of the most fertile parts of Mahsud territory. We burnt and destroyed all crops and habitations as we proceeded, and, in addition, we bombed their chief towns, such as Kanigoram, Makin, Marobi, etc. This has had the result of bringing them to their knees, and making them sue for terms. The expedition was under the command of Major-General Beynon, who showed himself a capable and cautious leader. The General Officer Commanding Northern Army, Sir A. Barrett, exercised general control subject to Array Headquarters direction 112 WAR BY COMMITTEE where necessary. It was unfortunate that we had to conduct an expedition in the middle of the hot weather, but it was unavoidable. As a result in India the Staff have gained great and most profitable experience. The communications were difficult. Onl}^ one means of crossing the Indus obtained, viz. from Mari to Kalabagh, and from thence merely a 2 ft. 6 inch railway projected to Tank, so that all the Officers on the Lines of Communications, Railway Transport Officers, Station and Base Commandants, etc., learnt much, and have profited to a large degree by their experience. Work continues to progress with unceasing vigour in India. We have now two Commands, commanded by Lieut. -General Sir A. Barrett and Lieut. -General Sir C. Anderson. They have 3P^ a very considerable Staff, and are doing very good work in their respective spheres. Two Inspectors of Infantry, one Inspector of Artillery, of Cavalry, of Royal Engineers, Pioneer Services, and of the Indian Defence Forces have been procured, and they help us to keep in touch with the outside world. The British Section of the Indian Defence Force is now a working machine. The force consists of 42,000 men, of which 16,000 are for general service and 26,000 for local service. The former can be called on to serve anywhere in India. They serve compulsorily, and as time goes on should prove a valuable ad- junct for local employment in India. We gave Indians an opportunity for volunteermg for service under much the same conditions. The number to be embodied at one time was restricted to 6000 men owing to shortage of officers, instructors, etc., but they have not responded to any useful degree. No limitation was put on numbers wishing to register. Recruiting is doing well. We took 20,800 fighting men for the month of July, a very good figure bearing in mind that our normal monthly enlistment before the war averaged about 1200, and I am hopeful that in subsequent months this figure will be considerably increased. We found at Head- quarters some months ago that the Recruiting problem had grown beyond the power of the Adjutant-General to control ; we therefore, through the Government of India, formed a Central 1917] FAMOUS RECRUITING 113 Recruiting Board. This Board can correspond Avitli more authority with local governments, and can direct them as to the course they should pursue to stimulate recruiting. The result is that all Local Governments have also their Boards, and soldiers and civilians are working together strenuously' to expand our recruiting prospects. We must still stick to voluntar\^ effort in India — to attempt compulsion would be very un^^•iso in my judgment, so we must make the best of voluntar}' etlort, and if by combination we can work up to 30,000 recruits per month, this figure should prove a great Imperial asset. I cannot say for certain that we shall, but we will try. To deal with this number of men we shall want more officers with knowledge of the language and customs of the men they will command, and that is a big question. We are strugghng here with the Officer question, and are comparatively well off so far as young officers are concerned ; it is in experienced officers we are short. We have two schools for cadets, and two for older officers, seeking commissions through the Indian Army Reserve of Officers, or by other means. W^e have now taken just over 3000 through the agency of the Indian Army Reserve of Officers alone, so we are moving along ; and we have another source yet which has not so far materialised. We are now engaged in forming 24 additional battahons and accessory units, and we have got permission from home, when they are completed, to start 21 more. We shall proceed with these latter as we work the former off. It means our having a large bulk of men at the depots, as we have increased the estab- lishment of all battalions serving outside India from 750 to 1000, a very large increase to meet ; and we try to have a 30 per cent, reserve on the spot to supply wastage in Mesopotamia and East Africa. Mesopotamia is, of course, an absorbing subject to India. We have already .sent there 272 barges, 03 tugs, 273 craft of different kinds, and their number still increases. Besides, we provide all the material for railways, timber, etc., ad lib., which is demanded. Tlie skilled personnel required for railways, electric lights, ice macliines, inland water transport, gardening, is a heavy tax on India. U'e have already sent considerably over 100,000 labourers 114 WAR BY COMMITTEE there, and it would astonish you to see the applications which reach us weekly for riveters, boiler -makers, engine-drivers, station-masters, pointsmen, signalmen, etc., ad inf. We have started schools to educate the number of tradesmen asked for, but it will be a difficult matter to meet the demands we get in the future. As to the provision of rails, we have managed to procure siHca bricks for a firm in India, and are consequently turning out rails in increasing proportion. All the rails we make, amounting to about 3000 tons per month, we are sending to Egypt for the present. For Mesopotamia we pull up existing lines. All this work is done under the auspices of Sir Thomas Holland, a most remarkable man, who is President of the Munitions Board. In many branches of industry very great progress is being made, particularly in tannery and textiles, which should be a great help to England. The chemical side also promises very well, and if only we had adequate machinery in India a very great deal could be done. We are much hampered now by the want of it. The force in Mesopotamia continues to expand, and as it does so the development of the Port of Basra becomes an urgent need. We hope now to be able to handle about 100,000 tons a month, but this will not long suffice, and we shall have to work up to 130,000 tons. This means additional wharfage accommodation, barges, and increased labour. So far as the North-West Frontier is concerned, the Amir of Afghanistan has played a very loyal part. The Mahsuds have sued for peace, the Mohmands have accepted our terms after a blockade of about one year, and the Hindustani fanatics are proving docile. This represents the present situation, but, as you know, it would be a rash man who would venture to predict as to the future in that most uncertain area. I am afraid you will find this a very uninteresting letter. It has been written in a great hurry, as I am just off on a tour of inspection for about a fortnight, and have a certain amount to do finishing off odds and ends before finally starting. — Yours sincerely, ^ ^< t,t •^ C. C. Monro. P.S. — Regarding the river craft we have sent to Mesopotamia, 1917] ALLEXBY'S PREPAKATTONS 115 the folio wins will show you more clearly what has been done :— 48 paddle steamers. 272 barges. 63 tugs. 135 motor launches. The balance comprises a variety of craft. Letter from Gonefal Allenby: General Hkadquarters, Egyptian Expeditionarv Force, 25/A September 1917. My dear Reptnoton, — Thank you for your letter of the 8th inst. I am very grateful to you for your kind words of sym- pathy about my boy. He was just 19J years old, and had been lighting for 17 months. He was in the whole of the Somme battle, the Anere, Arras, Messines, and had already been recom- mended for promotion to Captain when he was killed by a chance shell near Nieuport. My preparations are getting on. When I arrived in Egypt, I visited the Palestine front. Then I sent home my apprecia- tion of the situation, and asked for what I thought was neces- sary. I wanted to begin an active campaign this month ; but I pointed out that I deprecated any serious operations until I had been made up to the strength I considered necessary, and that minor operations would do no good. I have not yet got all I asked for ; and I shall not attempt anything on a big scale until 1 have got what has been promised me — which is practically what I have demanded. If required to start prematurely to relieve pressure, for in- stance, on Maude, I am ready to undertake a minor operation ; but I trust that such action will not be necessary. My 60th Division from Salonika is in good order. The 10th, from there, is now arriving ; and it suffers from some malaria. The doctors shake their heads, but the G.O.C. the Division, Longley, assures me that they will soon get rid of it. Falkenhayn, I think, has ii6 WAR BY COMMITTEE his eyes on Bagdad. If he comes my way he will have great difficulty in supplying his Army ; and with his present strength has not a chance against me. I am in daily touch with Maude, and my Intelligence is good ; also I have great hope of good co-operation by the Arabs N. of Akaba, and against the Hedjaz railway. I have made a lot of changes since I came out here, and have now a good Staff and some capable commanders. Bols, who was with me in the 3rd Army, is coming out to take the place of Lynden Bell, who has just gone home. His eyes bothered him, and he could not carry on efficiently. I found it necessary to shift G.H.Q. from Cairo to the Palestine front. I keep some Administrative Staff there still, but the C.G.S., D.A.G., D.Q.M.G., and all heads are here. We have a camp of huts and tents, widely distributed to dodge bombs, on a ridge 300 feet above the sea, and some three miles from it. I can reach any part of my front line inside of two hours by motor car. A Ford car on a wire-netting road is a wonderful means of travel. You know, I suppose, exactly how my Army is now organised. Two of the B.G.G.S.s only arrived last month, but they are first-rate men- Bartholomew and Howard Vyse — and are pulling their full weight already. Djemal (the Great), who commanded all the Turkish Armies, has, I believe, been definitely degomme. I don't know his successor. Djemal did not get on with the Boches. Now Falkenhajn will have a freer hand, as will also Kress von Kressenstein, my immediate opponent. K. v. K. is a capable, resourceful, and determined character, and gets on well, I am told, with the Turks. I enclose an appreciation of him by a Syrian Jew, who knows him well. His Turks are digging hard, and have made Gaza into a strong place ; but their front is thirty-five miles long, and I don't think they can count upon more than 30,000 rifles. They are great diggers, however, and are making strong places skilfully under German instruction. We get about twenty deserters a week, and expect to get more. Till lately these were poorly fed ; recently, however, food has become more plentiful, and can be readily distributed, owing, I believe, to the arrival of 200 motor lorries. Generally speaking, their moral is not good. They have a lot of machine ginis and plenty of S.A.A., and a fair number of guns and howitzers up to 5-9". 1917] ALLENBY'S ARMY CONFIDENT 117 My Army is in good spirits, and is confident of success ; but as I have alreadj' said, I am not going to start before I am ready. Egypt is quiet, but an ill success would be very bad for our prestige. A big success on my part would stitio sedition, and ■would bring every one down on our side of the fence. We are, and shall ah\ays be, the Unbelievers, and the s3^mpathy of the True Believer will always be with those of his own creed. Tlic Arabs will join us in the tight for their independence ; but only for that reason and not because they love us. They believe in our word ; and that makes it so important that in any negotia- tion with the Turks we must insist on Arab independence — to secure which we have prevailed on them to fight for us, and which we have promised to guarantee for them. I am very much interested in all you tell me about atfairs in Europe. I agree with you that it appears as if our Navy could help more on the Belgian coast. We have, I suppose, four times the number of battleships that the Central Powers can i)ut together ; and they will be no use to us after the war, so we may as well use them now. Dalmeny sends his remembrances to you. He has been worth more than his weight in gold to me here ; in fact, I don't think I could have done what there was to do without him. We have got over the summer weather, practicall}'^ ; and now the climate is perfect. No rain so far, but we may expect some shortly, though not much. The summer has been cooler than usual, but I don't think that the heat in this part of the world should ever stop active campaigning. Water is the determining factor in fighting here. You fight for water, then develop the supply ; then based on that, fight for water again. We drag a pipe line from Egypt for our main supply ; but that is not mobile, though it follows on bravely behind us. — Yours sincerely, Edmund W. Allenby. Letter from Sir Stanley Maude : MeSOPOTAMTAN ExrKDITTONARY FORCK, (Jrnerai. Hkadquarteeh, 28th August 1917. Mv I)f:aii IlEPiwaTON,— Many thanks for mo.st interesting ii8 WAR BY COMMITTEE letter, dated June 27. You will see by the above date how long it takes for a letter to reach us here. I envy you your trip to France for there must be much to see and hear there. I was particularly glad to hear what yovi had got to say about the other fronts, for here we are so out in the wilds that one is rather apt to become centred in one's immediate surroundings as if they were the whole thing instead of being merely on the fringe of this vast whole world war. It was splendid to hear the excellent account you give of our people in France, and though since then they seem to have had some little trouble on the Yser, and even more recently round Ypres, the latest news of the Canadian advance is magnificent. The French too, in spite of the shortage of men to which you refer, seem to be doing big things round Verdun, whilst the Itahan offensive — in spite of the contradictions of the German wireless — appears to be taking heavy toll of the Austrians. So, on the Western front things look, on the whole, quite rosy. On the Eastern front the Russian debacle seems to have been temporarily stayed, and though in places they are still losing ground, in others both they and the Rumanians are advancing, which is all to the good. Now we hear reports that the Japanese are sending troops to assist the Russians, and if this is true, such a stiffening may well make them turn and face the enemy once more. In fact, the moral effect of their appearance on the Eastern front, coupled with the American entry on the Western front, must be consider- able on exhausted nations such as the Germans and Austrians must now be. Here we have been inactive practically since May 1st, for by the end of April we had won all the objectives which we set out to attain, and after capturing Samarrah on April 23rd, following on the severe defeats of the 18th Turkish Army Corps on the 21st and 22nd, we finally drove the 13th Corps for the third time back into the Jebel Hamrin on April 30th, and gave them a parting kick in the shape of a raid by aeroplanes which dropped half a ton of bombs on them. But when I say that we have been inactive, that is perhaps 1917] iMAlDE CONSOLIDATING iiQ scarcel}- correct. True, we have been inactive as regards opera- tions, but as regards reorganisation and preparation for the future, things have been more strenuous than ever, and occasion- ally it has been difficult to keep things going at high pressure. Still, we have got along first-rate, and we are almost fully pre- pared now to take on the enemy once more. I was glad to be able to get the troops into their summer quarters before the intense heat began, and by means of giving them plenty of room and placing as many of them as possible on the river banks, we have got through the summer most success- fully. The troops have had a good rest, which they had fully earned after all their hard work. They have been well, and now that the earl}- mornings and the late evenings, as well as the nights, are beginning to get cooler, we are getting along well \nth their more advanced training, which is so necessary before they take the field again. Not that we have meantime neglected the preparation of defensive positions. I first went round all these on the three fronts, naraety, Dialah, Tigris, and Euphrates, in yiay, just to see that they had been rightly planned, and to talk over matters on the ground. More recently I have visited them, and seen the solid work which has been put into them during the past three months ; and though more work is still required on the Dialah and the Euphrates, our advanced positions on the Tigris should enable us to give the Turks a warm reception, and even our more retired positions are well in hand. I want to get these pivots as strong as possible, so that we may be able to hold them comparatively lightly in men, but strongly with machine guns and other defensive appliances, so as to liberate the bulk of our forces for mobile action. I am afraid that the Turks have the legs of us when it comes to marching, but I have rubbed this as thoroughly as I can into all subordinate com- manders, and I hope that we are improving in this respect. Extreme mobility is what will pay in the forthcoming operations. If the enemy tries to sit down and entrench close to us 1 hope to attack him and knock him out before lie can tlig himself in ; aiul, similar!}-, if he tries to march round us we must go for him at once. I only hope tliat he will be bold enough to attack our positions, for I cannot help feeling that if he does he will sulfer very severely. One of the jKjints to which I jmid particular attention throughout the summer has been the preparation of means of crossing the 120 WAR BY COMMITTEE rivers rapidly, for with three river lines on our front ample facilities for this are essential. So we have formed two mobile bridging trains, each capable of spanning a river 500 yards wide, instead of one with a capacity of 400 yards, which we had last year. I have two other bridging trains, not mobile, each also capable of spanning a river 500 yards wide. Then, in ad- dition to this, we have constructed seven permanent bridges over the Dialah, and hope to make two or three more during the next few weeks, whilst on the Euphrates we have got the use of three permanent bridges already, and are adding to these. I have also now turned my attention to the Shatt el Ahdaim, and we have devised a scheme by which each Corps will carry a certain amount of bridging material for spanning small canals. I have visited the Cavalry division and three of the five other divisions recently, and the troops are in rousing spirits and full of fight. We had a baddish time for a fortnight in the middle of July when the heat - wave beat all records for Bagdad as regards temperature, and even the strongest succumbed in many cases. More recently, too, we have had a less severe heat-wave, but I hope that these are now over, and that the weather will become appreciably cooler before long. Compared to last year our sick list has been very small, and indeed — except for the heat-waves— almost negligible. Epidemics such as cholera and scurvy have been conspicuous by their absence, and altogether we have been very lucky in this respect. As soon as the weather gets cooler the troops will come on by leaps and bounds ; and judging by the start which they have now got in condition, as compared to last year, they ought to be fit to fight for their lives in the next few weeks. Before we began operations last winter I impressed upon my D.M.S. the necessity for keeping every man that it was possible to keep in the country, instead of evacuating the sick broadcast, as I found was being done when I was down at Basra last autumn. He entered whole-heartedty into the idea, with the result that we have kept in the country and returned to the ranks over 113,000 men since January 1st, which I think you will admit is pretty good. Our hospitals are excellent considering where we are, and I often wish that people from England could come and see them, and see how the troops are looked after in them. 1917] COmiUNICATIONS IMrROVED 121 Those which we have made hi Bagdad are in cool, airy buildings, and \\ith facihties .such as electric fans, ice, soda water, eggs, fowls, etc., in abundance. Our communications now are most satisfactor}-. There is occasionally congestion at the Port of Basra, but ^ve are doing our best, and with some success, to develop the Port to meet the needs of our increasing numbers, and we can noM' handle sufficient tonnage there monthly to fultil our requirements. The onlj^ cause for anxiet}' is whether sufficient shipping can be pro\nded to put our requirements into the Port, but there is no reason at present to suppose that we shall be stinted in this respect. Our river fleet is doing magnificently ; the river is about at its lowest at present, and still shows signs of falling, but only very, very slightly now. Still, groundings are infrequent, and I cannot speak too highly of the way in which the Inland Water Trans- port have run this important part of our communication. The chamiels are constantly changing, and most accurate buojdng is therefore necessary, and the absence of stoppages on the river redounds considerably to the credit of all concerned. We have had to juggle, of course, a good deal with loading our .steamers, that is to say, we have had to lighten the loads as the river fell ; but b}^ putting the shallow draft ships on the upper reaches, which are the worst, and by lightenmg the loads all through, we have got on so far quite well. The Kut-Bagdad railway is now proving useful as an auxiliary to the river fleet, for it is above Kut that we have expected most of our difficulties. When we first got into Bagdad it w-as urged that we .should run a 2' 6" line from Kut here, but I would not hear of it ; and I am glad that I stuck to my point, for such a line would have been httle or no use to us, whereas with our metre gauge we are actually moving 800 tons a day on this bit of line, and hope to get it up to over 900 tons in a week or so. The rail- way problem is a most pre.ssing question just now. India is always urging me to complete the link from Amara to Kut, which, on ])apcr, seems very ad\ i.sable, and which naturally T should like to have if other demands were not more urgent. But it is not really essential with our lleet and the way that we can ring the changes between our light draft and our deep draft steamers and the Kurna-Amara and Kut-Bagdad railways. For in- stance, if the river fails us above Kut we can concentrate all the 122 WAK BY COMMITTEE steamers on the lower reaches, and run the things through en- tirely by rail from Kut by bringing up more rolling stock from the Kuma-Amara line to the Kut-Bagdad line. But the point where we must have railway development is round Bagdad, and in advance of it, and in my opinion it is quite out of the question to tackle anything like the Amara-Kut section till our needs are fully met round here. As it is, I cannot get material and rolhng stock half as fast as I should like, and for want of better material I have had to run a 2' 6" line out to Baqubah, and on towards Shahraban. This I want to replace with metre gauge as soon as I can get the necessary material and additional rolling stock up. Then, again, there are the extensions to the Bagdad -Samarrah standard gauge, which are most press- ing. We have made a branch line out towards Sadiyeh, and now we want to link up the Euphrates, not only to facilitate the move- ment of troops, but also the bringing in of supplies from that fertile district. As regards the Bagdad-Samarrah railway I think the Turks thought that they had destroyed all their engines, but we have already patched up five of their largest, and the}' are running merrily, and we hope to renovate some more. The Basra-Kuma line should be open this month, and that will make a through line from Nasariyeh, via Basra, to Amara. Later on I shall naturally be pleased to have the link from Amara to Kut completed — but not at the expense of our rail- way developments round here, which will be invaluable in meet- ing the requirements of the Army and lightening the strain thrown on our transport. Our situation as regards supplies and munitions is quite satis- factory. I have instituted a Directorate of Local Resources, which is now a huge concern, and is bringing under control the whole of the resources of the country as regards every sort of article. In supplies alone we are getting an average of 200 tons daily in and around Bagdad, but mainly from the Euphrates, and this, as 5^ou can realise, is good business. We have also worked out a big scheme for placing an area under cultivation at once, which will satisfy the needs of the whole Army next year as regards grain and fodder. It means a considerable outlay in money, but we shall get it back with interest ; and after all it is one of the first principles in war to live on the country as far as possible. Besides, as shipping is at present a difiicult}-, and 1917] MAUDE ON THE TUEKS 123 from many other aspects, it should have a far-reaching effect even outside Mesopotamia. As I am satisfied that it is a good business-like proposition, I have issued orders to carry on pend- ing sanction to the whole scheme, as every moment is of value in getting the area under cultivation. To facilitate the suppl}' situation later when we become busy, I am placing well-stocked magazines at important centres, and especially at our posts wide on the flank, for these can be filled to a great extent locally, and so they do not interfere with the current maintenance of the Army. Things are still quiet, generally speaking, on our front, but no doubt, as with us, so with the other side, reorganisation and preparation are going on. We have most recent information that the railway has not j-et reached Nisibin, and though the War Office seem to think that it has reached a jjoint further east, we are pretty confident that we are right. However, the matter is not one of very great importance, because we are both agreed that the railway will probably reach Mosul in the next few months. We have had information from time to time that some eleven divisions are coming down here in addition to the five which are now oj^posed to us and the Russians in our immediate neighbourhood, but there is httle which can be said to be absolutely reUable so far. No doubt the Turks will be able to maintain such numbers without difficulty, for their troops can subsist on little. It is the transport difficulty which they will find, I expect, their real trouble, though this may be minimised to a certain extent by importing a huge fleet of motor lorries, which will be most useful except when the ground is wet. Whether they have got the vehicles and the petrol and the spares, and can afford to send them here, I am, of course, unable to say. Their advance will probably be on three lines, — the Dialah, Tigris, and Euphrates — and I should imagine in the nature of an enveloping one. This will give us the advantage of interior lines, though our advantages in this respect will be minimised by the fact that Bagdad is a difficult city to defend, as the Turks found when they evacuated it, and in order to protect it adequately one requires some space to manrigades only moderate, and nearly all of B category ; unable to march far. The regimental officers looked indifferent with a few exceptions. Bingham's division is due to move to Colchester and cannot get back to the Kent sector under 36 hours. Last night a Boche warship bombarded Yarmouth, yet the commander of the Southern Army never had news of it — a fresh example of the want of touch between the coast defence authorities. I should say that 15,000 Bodies could take Canterbury and raid the Inland Water Transport at Richborough and the aerodrome. The absence of reserves owing to the break-up of the divisions hitherto in reserve is noticeable. I looked at the Sop with fighting aeroplanes and the Handley-Page bombing aeroplanes at Manston. The former can make 110 miles an hour at 10,000 feet, and ha,s a French engine. The Handley-Page weighs four tons empty and six with crew and bombs. They carry five men and sixteen 112-lb. bombs. They are for night work, and go 75 miles an hour with two Rolls-Royce engines, each 250 horse- power. They are to have four 350 horse-power engines, when they should go 90 miles an hour. The proi)eller8 are below the wings on each side, 'i'hero is a good gun position forward with a line field of fire. The pilot and observer sit behind. i86 THE ARMY STARVED FOR MEN Another gun fires in two positions towards the rear. The bombs drop out from inside the car or centre of the body. They should be formidable machines when more strongly engined, but are pretty useful now. Their wings fold. The Boche seems hardly to have found this aerodrome yet, but when he does he should make a mess of it. The Inland Water Transport establishments are very wonderful. They are the creation of General Collard, now at the Admiralty. They cover an immense area, and much has been done to reclaim land, dig or enlarge canals, make piers, and so on. On the main pier or wharf there are twelve great travelling cranes, including two of five tons each. Here are loaded up the ships and barges carrying most of the heavy stuff for France. There is a 4000-ton ship which takes a train of sixty wagons as it stands with its load, carries it to Dunkirk or Calais where it is unloaded on to rails again, and goes on to the front without breaking bulk. There is an arrangement at the end of the pier which allows ships to take the railway trucks at all tides, and the rise and fall here is about ten feet only. The barges are of steel, with wooden coverings which take on and off. At present only 2500 tons are despatched a day, but in the summer often 28,000 tons a week, including guns, munitions, cars, supplies, engineering and ordnance stores, and so on. They build their own barges. They are towed across and then enter the French canals and pass up to the Armies. Some have been under fire on the French front. A truly astonishing place and a great triumph for Collard and his assistants. Sir Auckland Geddes makes his long statement about Man-Power. We are only to get 439,000 men from youths in essential trades, such as munitions — but these are for Army, Navy, and Aircraft ; and the Army — though Geddes concealed this fact — only gets 100,000 A men, as I expected. Moreover, as men twice severely wounded are to be kept at home, the net increase probably will vanish. Geddes stated that 1,600,000 enemies may reinforce the Western front ! A nice reply ! Is all the British world mad ? , 1918] MAN-POWER IN 1918 187 The Times \ATites a pathetically silly leader about it. There are points in Geddes's speech wliich are incorrect, and some which are unfortunate. Wednesday, Jan. 16. I called in to see a well-informed friend, to find out how numbers stood, and he confirms my beUef that the proposals of the Government will only add 100,000 A men to the Army, besides 100,000 B men. If the divisions are cut down to 9 battalions, the need of the year will only be 455,000 new men instead of the former 615,000, but the question of the cutting down is to be settled to-day. He was critical of Sir Auckland Geddes's speech last Monday, introducing the Government Man- Power Bill, and is not pleased with it. He says that the number of wounded who used to return to the Front is falling owing to physical fatigue. It was 60 per cent., and is now nearer 40 per cent. He thinks that the pre- sent deficit of 136,000 men, including now 86,000 infantry short in France, will be as great next April under the new arrangements. The Times had a leader this morning making out that all the 420,000 to 450,000 men to be combed out of in- dustries will go to our Ai-mies, although Geddes himself said that they were to expand the Navy and the Air Force and to maintain the Army. This was too much for me. I should deserve to be hanged as a Bocho agent if I remained with these imljeciles any longer. In the late afternoon I went to the Times and had a stormy interview with Dawson, the editor. He kept me waiting a long time before ho saw mc, and this made me in no better humour than before. I told him that I could not go on with him ; that his leader this morning was mendacious ; that his subservience to the War Cabinet during this year was, in my opinion, largely the cause of the dangerous position of our Army ; that he had paid no attention to my constant exposure of the War Cabinet's failure to provide men, and that I considered he had been mi.sleading the country. 1 further said that his constant deletion of whole paragraphs of my articles was unknown in the days of Buckle, and VOL. II. o i88 THE ARMY STARVED FOR MEN that this practice, of which I had continually com- plained in vain, was dishonest to the public, since it pre- vented the country from knowing the truth, and unfair to me. I said that I considered his reply to my letter to be unsatisfactory, and that I would have nothing more to do with the Times. The discussion became heated, and I told him that neither the interests of the country nor those of the Army were safe in his hands, and that I proposed to write a letter to the manager resigning my position. In the evening I wrote a line to Northcliffe to tell him my decision and to thank him for his courtesy to me, and another to the manager, Mr, Howard Corbett, setting out in a courteous form my reasons for resigning. A good day's work. I have been much too patient and easy-going with the paper, and only regret I have delayed this step so long. Friday, Jan. 18. A civil letter from Corbett accepting my resignation and expressing his regret. Lunched with Lady Kitty Somerset at 25 York Terrace. Lady Essex, Lady Gwendeline Churchill, General Tom Bridges, Lord D'Abernon, and H. G. Wells also there. A pleasant house, overlooking the park. Wells was in great form and looking very fit. We led him on to talk, and he always talks well. He was very fascinating, and we discussed governments, people, men, and women, till nearly 4, when I walked back with Lady Gourde, and had a look at her new house, 44 Bedford Square, of which Walkley, the Times theatrical critic, has the top floor. Then saw Fagalde, and we agreed to meet and talk to-morrow. Went on later to see Admiral ' Lord Jellicoe of Scapa,' as he proposes to call himself. We first discussed the new standard of invasion, and I found that the Admiral entirely agreed with me, and he told me that the whole Board had done so except Wemyss, and J. does not know how the decision was arrived at after he left. He says that the standard was 165,000 potential invaders at the beginning of the war, and then came down to 70,000. He had never 1918] JELLICOE ON HOME DEFENCE 189 accepted any less figure. He considered the limitation of the convoy to 30 ships preposterous, and says that if 30 can come 70 can also come. He saj's that the figure 30 was taken because M^e find it convenient to adopt it for oiu: Atlantic convoys, which have skippers unused to sailing in companj', but that if the Bodies contemplate this stroke, they will practise their transports in the Bay of Kiel or in Hehgoland Bight, place naval officers on board the ships, and see to it that all will be in perfect order. He considers it absurd to suppose that the Bodies will not use their big ships, and that the new basis is altogether fantastic. He thinks it quite easy for the enemy, by sending a portion of the High Sea Fleet to sea, to attract ours towards Jutland or further north, and then to return to its bases, whither our Grand Fleet will follow him. But after 48 hours our ships must return to their bases to coal, and then it will take 36 hours for them to do so and to coal and oil, and 12 hours more to reach the point chosen for the landing, and in that interval the stroke can be delivered. Beatty, he says, has approved of the plan of weakening Home Defence, but has not given any number, nor has admitted the 30,000 basis. J. says that there are three King Edwards at Sheerness, and he hopes that a couple or more Dreadnoughts will be there soon as well, as he wants to keep a force at Sheerness in order to make the enemy bring large ships which will give our submarines a chance. He admits a total want of touch between Array and Navy. In three months he hopes we may have enough submarines to watch constantly all the possible exits for the German convoy of invasion, but the notice given may not exceed 12 hours. He says that Admiral Hall professed to have news of the German Armada which took the Riga Bay Islands, but that he had never produced it. He says that in June last the Bodies were well mined in, but since then they had swept three exits through our minefields. Our destroyers were very worn, both men and ships, by the hard work. The Dcvonport llotillas often spent 11 days and nights iQo THE ARMY STARVED FOR MEN at sea, and only two days off, and generally about 45 per cent, of the time of destroyers was passed at sea. Many officers had broken down under the strain. J. says that the Boches are building 8 submarines a month. We destroyed, for certain, 27 submarines in the December quarter, 17 in the previous quarter, and 11 in the quarter before that. Previously we have never destroyed more than 9 in a quarter, but the 27 in December were more likely to run up to 35 when all the truth was known. He says it is absurd to count on help from our troops in France in case of the invasion stroke, as the Channel would be full of submarines to prevent any such transfer. He thinks that German destroyers and submarines on the Flanders coast will play the devil in the Channel, and now that 4 flotillas can be spared from the Baltic, the Boches will probably use them at Zeebrugge. J. has strongly sup- ported the Flanders campaign and the naval attack pro- posed, teUing L. G. that if he did not get the Boches out of this coast in war he would never get him out afterwards. This had displeased L. G., who was also incensed because J. had declared that he might not be able to support the Salonika Force. L. G. had tried to get the Grand Fleet to attempt side-shows, as he had done with the Army, and J. mentioned Heligoland as a case in point. J. was uneasy about the new ocean-going U-boats which carry two 6-inch guns and can remain out for three months. One had appeared at Sierra Leone, and J. feared that if they hunted in American waters the Americans might recall their destroyers. But he said that Admiral Sims was quite sound on this question. J. says that Scapa was not a safe base till Jan. 1915, and that during the first months of the war he had a bad time, being even forced at one time to go as far off as Lough Swilly. Curzon had told J. that a story current about J. and the War Cabinet was a myth, and from nearly all the chief officers of the Grand Fleet, including the captains, J. had received the most jflattering letters. He also showed me a most pathetic letter in pencil, evidently from the Lower 1918] I A^I APPEALED TO FOR HELP 191 Deck, from a Submarine Flotilla, deploring J.'s departure, and asking him to light it out and return to the Fleet, adding that only their sense of duty to their dear comitry and holy island prevented a mutiny. The whole story of J.'s dismissal is most squalid and crooked. J. has been given no reason for his dismissal even now. He was asked to resign, and refused. Two members of the Board were asked to induce him to resign, and they refused. He said that the question of Geddes going to Italy to take over the railways was much discussed again and again, and J. thought that Geddes desired to get away to avoid the unpleasant duty of dismissing him. He had had a row previously with L. G. about Ohver, and had said that he would resign if Oliver went. L. G. flew into a passion and said that he had no right to do so. But J. reminded L. G. that members of the Board were Ministers, did not wear uniform in peace time, and were not subject to naval dis- cipline. I saw a distinguished soldier this afternoon. The Bodies have now 165 divisions in the West — two more than the total of the Allies — and they are coming in at the average rate of nine a month. A nice moment to reduce our infantry in France by a quarter and to go prancing off to the Holy Land to win the war there ! This soldier thought that it was quite time for me to repeat my indiscretion about the sheUs. Every- thing else had been tried without avail. The War Office had failed to move the Government fool from its folly, and the only chance of averting defeat was for me and some honest editor to speak out. CHAPTER XXX THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 Clemenceau to be warned of the situation of our effectives — General P6tain's arrangements for defence — The French expect 220 German divisions to attack — A talk with the French Ambassador — I join the Morning Post — ^A look round at Aldershot — My article of Jan. 24, exposing the failure of the War Cabinet to maintain the Army — Mr. Gwynne's courage — ^A dinner at the Inner Temple — An offer to me from America — Clemenceau asks me to go to Paris — Journey to Paris — An Allied luncheon — Reports of the proceedings of the War Council — Disunity of Command — Secret diplomacy in Switzerland — A German air raid on Paris — Talk with M. Painlev^ — Conversation with M. Clemenceau— The story of the War Council — A luncheon with M. Briand — We discuss the events of the war — A conversation with General Petain — His views of the War Council and the situa- tion — Colonel de Cointet's opinions — General Leman — ^M. Roman Dmowski — The ' Rubicon ' papers — A race of monkeys — General Peyton March. Saturday, Jan. 19. Lunched with the distinguished French- man, who is still here, at the Naval and Mihtary Club. We had a serious talk about our Man-Power proposals, and agreed that they were hopelessly inadequate, since our losses in France last year had been 780,000, or 900,000 including other theatres, and as the enemy was bringing up much larger forces, we should expect a total casualty hst of 1,200,000 in 1 91 8, and the French the same. I said that I did not know yet for certain whether the enemy contemplated a grand attack upon us in the West, but that all the German papers which I saw pointed to the fact that they meant to attack. The Frenchman said that the of , whose information had been very good during the war and was doubtless derived from Austrian sources, beheved that the question of the attack in the West had been long and anxiously de- 192 1918] OUR AEMIES IN DANGER 193 bated in Germany, and that ultimately it lunl been answered in the affirmative. The plan was to drive in two great attacks, one against Calais, and a second from Alsace. When these two gi*eat attacks had attracted and absorbed the AlUed Reserves, then the main attack was to be launched in the centre against Rhcims. This seemed to us a not im- probable plan. I asked whether the extension of our front to Barisy had settled the knotty point between Haig and Retain. My friend thought it had, but in principle the French still held out for us to extend to Berry-au-Bac, and the Versailles men were going to recommend it. General Wilson , said my friend , had retui-ned to Paris from London full of L. G.'s ideas of the impossibihty of England doing anything more. We agreed that, so far as we could understand Auckland Geddes's plans announced in his speech last Monday, we should only get a small fraction of the men needed to maintain the Army, and it was not even sure that we should make good the present deficit of some 150,000 men. We could only see, throughout the whole of 1918, the 240,000 youths of 19, the recovered wounded, and the men now at the depots, and this would leave us with as great a deficit by April as before, even after the four Home Defence divisions had been broken up. The orders to reduce the British infantry dinsions in France and Italy from 12 to 9 battalions had gone out, and I asked the Frenchman to note that at the crisis of the war, and with the act of decision near, we had reduced our infantry by one quarter and had made no arrangements to keep them up, while the Versailles soldiers were truckling to L. G.'s insane plan of winning the war by fighting Turks. We discussed what should be done. The AlUed War Council was to meet again next week in Paris. Clemenceau had said that he was too old to come to London, but L. G. had held out for the meeting here because an agreement in this sen.se had been reached. Clemenceau had therefore given way, whereupon L. G., having satisfied his amour j/ropre, had agreed to go to Paris. We thought that the 194 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 important thing was for Clemenceau to be fully informed of the facts, and I suggested that I should see M. Cambon and get him to arrange for Clemenceau to learn the truth. It was evident from an article by Colonel Rousset in the Petit Parisien that the French were completely deluded about our preparations, and we thought it indispensable that Clemenceau should be exactly informed before the Confer- ence. So it was agreed between us, and I agreed to go to Paris if M. Clemenceau wanted to see me. I was also told that Petain had settled upon certain regions of first-class importance to France where he could not retreat. These included the Nancy sector, Rheims, the Lens coal district, and the British front down to Arras from the sea. Therefore these sectors were to be the first to be fortified with aU possible care and the reserves grouped suitably to support them. The other sectors where we could afford to go back were to take second place in order of priority for defences, but in their cases the fine which must ultimately be held to the death must be settled too. It was on these fines that work was going on. Petain had not only reserves of infantry divisions, but great reserves of heavy and field guns, and even his field guns had now mechanical traction so that no time might be lost in entraining them. It is true that Haig has 22 divisions in reserve, but of these, 3 each are allotted to the 5 Armies, so that Haig had only 7 divisions as general reserve, and this is not enough to meet a serious attack. The French expect a grand total of 220 Boche divisions, and news of the arrival of Austrians at Antwerp has come in, possibly gunners with the Austrian 305-mm. heavies. Saw Ohve and Lady Bagot, and returned to Maryon to show Sir George Arthur my papers, etc., relating to Lord K., whose fife Arthur is writing. He took away all my letters from Birdwood and Marker relating to K.'s time in India, and is to send for Lord K.'s letter to Stedman, which he has not seen before, while he wiU come again about the Sudan story when he gets to it. The history is to appear a year after the end of the war. Arthur told me many interesting 1918] I AREANGE TO SEE CLEMENCEAU 195 things about K. cind the war, and took no exception to the first pages of this diary, which I sliowed to him. Smiday, Jan. 20. Finished my article on the need of the Army for men, exphiining the whole situation clearl}' to the pubHc and lading the blame for our critical situation on the procrastination and cowardice of the War Cabinet. It will create a sensation when it appears. Played a Uttle Bridge at Lady Paget's with Lady Mar, Lady Florence Willoughby, JNIi's. Maguire, Lord Charles Montagu, and a few more. I told them of my resignation and they all applauded it. Dined with the McKennas. IVIrs. George Keppel, Lady Granard, Sir Lionel Earle, and several others, who all seemed dehghted wdth my decision, and said the nicest things. I then went on at 10.30 p.m. to see M. Cambon, the French Ambassador. De la Panouse was with us during our talk. I explained the position of affairs and requested M. Cambon to explain the real position to M. Clemenceau. Cambon undertook to write a letter to M. Clemenceau, and guaranteed that it would be deUvered to the French Premier personally, — perhaps by Cambon's brother — and I offered to go to Paris if Clemenceau wished to see me. Cambon inclines to the view that the Germans will not attack in the West, but agrees with me that we must be prepared for it. Monday, Jan. 21. Notice of my resignation appeared in the Morning Post and Daily Mirror to-day. My telephone was ringing all the morning with congratulations, requests for interviews, and offers of employment from many London and provincial papers. But I had sent off this morning my acceptance of the Morning Post offer, so I refused all other offers. I went off to Aldershot in tlic afternoon to stay with Sir Archibald and Lady Murray at Government House. Gardner of the Daily News sent down Mr. Harris to see me, and I arranged to see Gardner to-morrow. A good talk witli Murray, who telly rae again that all the first part of his despatch wa.s cut out because it would have shown up the vacillati(jn and constantly changing orders 196 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 of the Government. Murray looking careworn from worry- over the wicked attacks on him. We discussed the new invasion basis, and M. agreed with me about it. He was entirely against the cordon system of coast defence, and I was heartily glad to hear it. Tuesday, Jan. 22. I went to see the young troops, who looked well, Murray has 115,000 men in his command, but only one cavalry and two infantry brigades fit to march in the event of invasion. There are 15,000 Flying Corps, 40,000 Canadians, and masses of schools, details, and administra- tive services. We saw the gymnasium, which is excellent, and the bombing, gas, and bayonet fighting. About two- thirds of the training is physical. General Wright in com- mand at the gymnasium. They think that they can make an infantry soldier in six months if he has many refresher courses. Ronny Brooke and his pretty wife came to lunch. Returned to London in the afternoon, and I went to the Reform Club and saw Gardner, Buck- master, and Arnold Bennett. Gardner told me many things about L. G. and his set. Gardner thinks that this Parliament is the most corrupt since the days of George iii., and gave me many instances of honours shamelessly be- stowed. He says that this is a war of a military system against the civil governments of the world, and that L. G. does not place the case fairly before the public. Found a heap of letters and messages at home on my return. Wednesday, Jan. 23. General de la Panouse and I lunched at the Cafe Royal and had a good talk. We went into the question of men, and I gave him my figures, with which he agreed. M. Cambon is to send off his letter, with a Minute by Panouse, to M. Clemenceau to-morrow morning, and ' The Tiger ' should ask some awkward ques- tions of L. G. at the Allied War Council, which meets a week hence at Versailles. Meanwhile, Robertson, Haig, Petain, Foch, and Pershing are confabulating at Compiegne, and should produce a joint and agreed-upon plan which will, I hope, give the law for 1918 and render the futilities of 1918] G'W^YNNE EXPOSES THE CABINET 197 the Versailles soldiers abortive. This morning the Times piibHshed a paragraph giving a totally false complexion to my reasons for leaving them. I at once wrote to say that it was inaccurate and misleading, and called upon them to publish my letter of resignation of Jan. 16. Dined with Ohve and Lockett, and we discussed my affairs. Thursday, Jan. 24. I continue to receive many offers of work, but have now fixed up with the Morning Post, who have to-day sent me the terms of an agreement with them. Lunched with Lady Mar at 19 Hill Street; Mar, the Romillys, and a few more. Mj^ article, exposing the failure of the War Cabinet to maintain the Ai'my, came out in the Morning Post to-day without going to the Pi-ess Bureau and caused much excite- ment. It is a thorough exposure of the procrastination and cowardice of the Cabmet, and I have not minced matters. It is unanswerable, and its sting is in its truth. It is fine of Gwynne to have published it without sending it to the Censor, and I hope that his courage and public spirit wUl be gratefully remembered. We wondered whether one or both of us would be put in prison. I heard that at the War Cabinet this morning L. G. was all for it, but that the others prevented it. I expect they know that I can prove my case up to the hilt. In the afternoon, as I was writing, a telephone message came from i\Ir. Justice Darling to ask me to dine with him at the Inner Temple with the Benchers. I thought it a sound thing to do to make friends with the heads of the law, so accepted, and passed a very agreeable evening. Darling has a keen, penetrating glance, and an intellectual face ; he has plenty of character and decision, and is very human and broad ; I liked him very much. Some wonder- ful Madeira. I was struck by the fine heads and type of intellect of the judges and K.C.s present. They were very nice to me and seemed to sympathise, as the rest of the world does, with the course that I have taken. The presiding treasurer, I think it was, told me across the table that if I got into trouble. Darling, as the First 198 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 Puisne Judge (whatever that may be), would try me. Darling himself advised that if they shut me up I should apply for a writ of Habeas Corpus, and that if one judge refused it I could go on asking others. A very pleasant dinner. Admiral Hall, the D.N. I., and Whigham also there as guests. I was much cross-examined, but held my own I hope. One of the Benchers told me that the war had shown up the tremendous extent of bigamy, because all the legitimate wives applied for the separation allowance, and then the thing came out. Walked up to Piccadilly with Whigham, who warned me that an attack would be made on the W.O. for giving me information. Evidently the affair is going to be used as a vehicle for an L. G. attack on Derby and Robertson, but I have a pretty complete answer to that. Friday, Jan. 25. The Times not having published my letter of resignation yesterday, I published it myself in the Morning Post to-day, and every one who cares for truth and straightforward dealing will see the mendacious character of the Times' explanation. I continue to receive many letters and telephone messages of sympathy and approval from known and unknown friends. Lunched with Gwynne, Colvin his chief leader writer, and Cornford his naval critic. I had met Cornford before. A good talk. I liked Colvin very much. Dined with Lady Paget and found the McKennas, Lady Drogheda, Lady Mar, Admiral Paget, and Seymour Fortescue. Lady D. very full of her approach- ing visit to America with her aircraft. It is rather splendid of her to go. She was looking very well and should be a great success in America. Saturday, Jan. 26. Mr. Learoyd, the London corre« spondent of the Philadelphia Ledger, came up and showed me a cable asking whether I would go to America and at what salary. I said that to go to America would make me lose touch of the war, that London was the nerve centre, and that one would soon drop out of things in the States. Coming to terms L. offered me as his own idea, but possibly as a figure suggested to him, £4000 a year, but I told 1918] AN OFFER FROM MIERICA 199 him that this was not attractive. We tlien discussed the matter at some length, and I gave him my views, and that I was committed to the Morning Post and had to con- sider them in any arrangement. Also, I said that I did not propose to leave my house in London, and that even if the Led^jer tempted me, and made terms which would not prejudice the Morning Post, the figure would have to be high. I did not pretend that my writing was wortli the high figure, but that it was not worth my while to make a change except for a very large sum and an arrangement over a term of years. He is going to report accordingly. I have no intention of leaving London and deserting the Army's cause, but want to see what the Ledger means. Lunched vdih. IVIrs. Lionel Guest in Seymour Street. Some machme gun officers. Saw Lionel's new self-adjusting sights for anti-aii'craft guns. A fascinating invention and should be pressed on by practical tests, as I think that it has the merit of most ingenious theory. Sunday, Jan. 27. Learoyd telephones that a fresh pro- position will come Monday. Mi'. Tuohy of the Neio York World came up to ask me to write a special article for their Sunda}"^ edition, but I did not see my way to obUge. He said that the World had just made a contract with the Moining Post for their service. Lady Hamilton and George Street lunched at Maryon, and we had a pleasant talk about books, plays, and Russian afifairs. Monday, Jan. 28. Lunched with Ohve, Mrs. Norton, and Gwynne. After lunch I told Gwynne my position in regard to the American offers. Called to see Reggie and Bee Pembroke. He is looking very ill and will take no care of himself, and I am disturbed about him. Tuesday, Jan. 29. My second Morning Post article appeared with a slashing attack on the people who are opening attacks on the War Office. vSaw Admiral Sir Hed- worth Meux at the Turf Club, and we compared notes al)Out the vile attacks upon naval and military chiefs. Mcux is going to speak out at Portsmouth about it on Friday, and 1 must get a full report made to help him. 200 THE WAE COUNCIL OF FEBEUAEY 1918 Wednesday, Jan. 30. I received yesterday a telephone message from Clemenceau, asking me to come to Paris at once and to see him on my arrival, so I spent to-day in getting permits and passport vises. Had a talk with a friend at the F.O., and found him in accord with my view of matters. He thinks that the Bolshevists are now turn- ing against Germany, and is glad about it. We seem to be working up Trans-Caucasia and the Don, while the French are working up the Ukraine. A bit late. The F.O. have left the Embassy at Petrograd free leave to come away if things get too hot. I said that I thought this threw the responsibility too much on the Embassy, and that they should have definite orders one way or another, but my friend said that there was already a wish at the Embassy to come away. He did not altogether beheve in the coming grand attack. He was rather of Cam- bon's views about it. But he said that the German General Staff were sure of victory, while the Kiihlmann party were the reverse. Various dates had been assigned for the attack, and the latest was March 1. He was in touch with Austria, and thought that the latter would not make a separate peace, but would exercise pressure on Germany to stop the war. Some Austrian troops were coming West, but Czernin had told friends of ours that this was in order to keep a promise given, and that we were not to take much account of it. My friend thought that the Germans did not intend to help the Turks much, and that the two Boche divisions in Palestine are weak and bad. The Bulgars, he thought, did not mean to attack. A report had come from Plumer on the Italian Army. The French are expecting to get back their divisions from Italy, and we may also get back ours. My friend doubts whether the generalissime question will crop Uf) this week, but says that the Turkish campaign is still on, and wonders how it will go. Lunched with Sir Percy Girouard at ' Tlie Rag,' and we had a talk about engineer matters at the front. He thinks that armour can be more used with guns, and a better means be found of crossing 'No -Man's Land.' 1918] JOURNEY TO PARIS 201 This morning the Philadelphia Ledger offered me £5000 a year to go to them, and promised me a great reception in America, and freedom to lecture and make piles of money. I passed it on to Gwynne, but I propose to stay here and help the Ai'mj" and stand the racket of the bitter enmity ■which I have aroused, and to work for the Morning Post, who have been so good about things. In the evening a pleasant dinner with Mrs. Astor ; Lady Randolph, Lionel Earle, Lady Paget, Lord Wemyss, Mrs. Sibby Long, Lord Lurgan, Lady Mar, VilUers, Mrs. George Keppel, Sidney Greville, and a Russian baron. I came away early with Lady Randolph, and we walked to the Tube. She compared the present unfavourably with the past. Formerly people who were fond of each other appeared immaculately dressed without a hair out of place, and on terms of stiff formaUty. Now people slapped each other on the back and pretended to be attached, and it meant absolutely nothing. Thursday, Jan. 31. Left Charing Cross at 1.20 p.m. A good passage in convoy. Talked most of the time with General Sir E. Locke-ElUot, Bobby Ward the King's Messenger, Baker-Carr of the Tanks, and a G.H.Q. man. ^let Lord Cavan on board, and had a talk with him about Italy. His position on the Montello is strong in front, and lie can attack right and left with his reserves. Plumer tells General Diaz that he will not retire. Cavan's and Plumer's opinions of the Italians concur. Dined with Cavan and General Wilberforce at an hotel. Ward gave me a berth in his sleeping carriage. Left Boulogne 9.15 p.m., arrived Paris 6.30 a.m. We heard of a big air raid on Paris last night. Friday, Feb. 1. Found a room at the Ritz. X. came to see me while I was dressing, and told me that Robert- son -wTiR ill with bronchitis, but had insisted on attending the Allied War Council j'csterday. X. did not think that the Council had yet done much good or much harm. It was like all its predecessors, a jxirlote. The (jeneralissime question had been brought up, and had been more or less 202 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 ruled out on account of the political and parliamentary difficulties inherent in it ; but the question had then come up of one commander for the AUied Reserve, which is a precious silly suggestion; but X. did not know whether any conclusion had been reached. The Aleppo expedition had been brought up by L. G., and the same kind of futile half-discussion had followed, without any settlement. I made sarcastic remarks on this tomfoolery. Saw Le Roy-Lewis, who told me that we were all digging- in hard and talking now of second lines. He had been to the Vosges, and had to inform Clemenceau that the defences were poor. Cavan, I think it was, told me yester- day that Rawhnson was now making a regular fortified zone, with a thinly-held first Une, others behind, and a reserve for counter-attacks. Cavan also said that superior supervision was wanting, and that the G.H.Q. men did not visit the front enough. He, personally, always saw into every tiling, and I said that I knew it. He praised very much Babington and his 23rd Division, which was in beautiful order. So is the 41st, under Lawford, and the 7th. I saw General Kentish, now in command of a brigade of the 5th Army. He thought that the complaints at home of the soullessness of the Army administration had some justification, and said that he wanted a system which would look more closely into grievances of officers at home, and would examine billets at night, and see the needless hardships involved in using barns instead of estaminets, for instance. He is to prepare a short statement for me on this subject. He is furious about Lovat Eraser's and other attacks on the Old Army, and declares that out of 1500 New Army senior officers whom he had under him at Aldershot, not twelve were fit to be brigadiers. I asked Gordon Knox, the Post man in Paris, to lunch, but he was attending the weekly dejeuner intime des allies, and suggested that I should go there. Spiers and our naval liaison officer, Heaton-Elfis, were there, also M. Millet, and about 20 or 30 more, mostly French, British, and American 1918] THE SUPREME WAR COUNCIL 203 Press people. I sat between M. Sabatier and the D.T. correspondent. They pressed me to speak, but I refused. After lunch a Japanese journalist was asked to speak first, and he told us that if we did not win the war, the elements in Japan tliat thought the German system of government better than democratic ideals would win the day. A long speech followed from a Fi'ench Socialist, mainly blather; and then an Englishman who had been at the British Labour Conference at Nottingham gave us his impressions, making out that Labour had gone over to the extreme Left, that they did not trust Lloyd George, and that while they were for the freeing of Belgium and France they were opposed to the Man-Power Bill, and were determined to resist it. They want their Stockholm, and will not fight unless allowed to try and make terms with foreign SociaUsts. I asked him a question about Alsace-Lorraine, and he said that they were for a plebiscite. I went off to X.'s house. We assume Aleppo to be off. Clemenceau is opposed to it. The ques- tion of the command is a real difficulty, and it is not yet settled. Clemenceau and X. want Petain and Haig to agree together, and Foch and Robertson to be brought in if the other two differ. X. says that there has been some hard talking on the question of men, and that he never saw L. G. look so furious as when he entered the Council room at Versailles. Clemenceau had given figures, and L. G. had given others. Hutchison liad brought over the real figures. X. had advised Clemenceau to keep off figures because L. G. could not be contradicted when he brought in figures and declared that he alone was responsible. Also, when he threatened revolution, Clemenceau was again disarmed. X. said Clemenceau had found out L. G. and saw through him. In the evening I was told more about the War Council. Yesterday (Thursday) L. G. had been beaten to a frazzle on the Al(*}>po folly, and liad not a leg to stand on. Tliis morning he took the offensive with a resolution by Wilson, declaring that if tiie VV'estern front was secure, and t/ the Italian theatre was safe, the Aleppo scheme might go for- ward, but no mention was made of the competent authority VOL. U. P 204 THE WAK COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 which would decide about the ' if's,' and consequently L. G. is left with the power to do this mischief. Robertson had to get up and stoutly oppose this project, and made things bad for L. G. in consequence. Then came the question of the command of the reserves in the West. The first pro- posal was that Foch and Robertson should come in, and this was approved by all the soldiers present, including Foch and Petain, but Wilson caused it to be put aside on the pretext that the competent authority must be present at Versailles. Then came two alternatives. The first was that the Versailles miHtary triumvirate should decide with the civil members, and that they should all go together and bring up the reserves. Whether Milner was to command the cavalry was not settled. The last scheme was that Foch should command the reserves, with the Versailles Staff under him. But in both the two latter schemes the Versailles soldiers and civiUans were to clear out when fighting began. All these schemes are forms of lunacy. Clemenceau was not much concerned, as in each he had his man, Foch. Haig did not support Robertson in protesting against Aleppo because he thought the latter plan outside his province. This is the gammon that is going on before the German great offensive. Saturday, Feb. 2. The Council at Versailles continues this morning and will end by lunch time. A friend came in and we had a good talk, in which I explained to him the whole position as I saw it. He confirmed the report that the Versailles soldiers had all signed a paper recom- mending the Aleppo offensive. We discussed the Labour position. General Kentish came in and I lunched with him. We talked of all the hardships of regimental officers and of what could be done to redress them. He allows me to keep his papers on this subject and to show them to Derby. In the afternoon I met the young Duchess of Sutherland, who is off to the Riviera for her health with Lady Ward, Mrs. Whitelaw Reid, and a small party. Went on to the French Ministry of Marine and had a talk with Commodore Heaton-Ellis, now haison officer 1918] SECRET DIPLOMACY 205 between the two Navies. We discussed the Conference, invasion, probable action of the German Navy, and other matters. He tells me that the British practically control at sea, and that the French always do what we ask of them. He noticed the minor role which the French Navy has always played. He thought that if the Germans could get hold of the Russian Black Sea Fleet they might send down crews and man four large sliips and become a nuisance, compelhng us to divide our forces. I said that when the Danube thawed I expected to see the German U-boats in the Black Sea, and renewed attacks by them in the Eastern Mediterranean, I did not find him thinking much of Grerman naval action on a large scale, but I said that a concentration of the German and Austrian fleets seemed to me not im- practicable, and that there were many alternative plans open to the Grermans, and that I did not see the war ending without Germany using her naval arm. We agreed about Jellicoe's treatment. I am carefully avoiding our Mission, and have not tried to see any of them. Heard later that to-day's meeting had come to no agreement about the reserves, except that there should be a general over them, but which of the alternative systems was to be chosen the Council could not decide. I hear that Lucas is gloomy and thinks that our G.S. has been beaten all along the line. I am not so sure, but I must say that a more lame and impotent series of conclusions it would be hard to find. I met Robertson and Hutchison in the Rue Royale, but thought it best not to speak to them. Dined with a friend who told me that Smuts had been twice to Switzerland, under the assumed name of Mr. Ashwortli, to negotiate with the Austrians for a peace, but had failed. One of his visits was last month, and one in December last. Briand had also employed earlier a fair lady well known in French society. Mensdorff and Mrs. Barton, who was a Peel, had also met. The F.O. thought that the Austrians could not make a separate peace, much though they wislied to do so. The visits of Smuts, so far, remain entirely unknown to the public. He was coming 2o6 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 here on Tuesday on his way to Palestine, perhaps to prospect for L. G.'s Aleppo campaign. I met Lady Congreve to-night. ' Squibs ' is back in command of the 7th Corps of Gough's 5th Army, and Lady C. is going back to work in the Nancy direction. Sunday, Feb. 3. The air raid on Paris last Wednesday night was carried out by four Boche squadrons, which threw about 14,000 kilos, of explosives in bombs of from 40 to 100 kilos, weight. About 255 persons were killed and injured, including 49 killed, and a good lot of damage was done. One of the four great metal lamps in the Place de la Concorde, on the immediate right of the road leading up to the Arc de Triomphe, was cut off clean, about 6 inches from the top, by a French aeroplane which had been forced to descend. So ends the tale that Paris is better defended than London. The Boche airmen can come here when they please. Much talk of more guns and aircraft to protect Paris, but opinion is no more disturbed about it all here than in London. M. Painleve, the late Prime Minister, lunched with me at the Ritz. We began on the charges now being brought against him of having stopped Nivelle's offensive on April 16 last, an accusation which I knew to be false. It was first launched by a Geneva paper, and has since appeared at some length in the January number of Collier's Weekly, written by Mr. Wythe Williams, who was the New York Times Paris correspondent, but is so no longer. Painleve thinks that it is inspired, if not written, by Nivelle. P. says that Nivelle many times described his attack as a great rush which would be an affair of 24 to 48 hours, and that Nivelle himself stopped the attack in this form by 12 noon on the 17th. It is not true that some deputies got a panic by witnessing the losses. P. places Nivelle's losses in nine days as 70,000 wounded, 5000 missing, and 35,000 dead,i but he says that owing to exposure and hardship the sick and wounded alone amounted to 114,000, excluding those who returned to the ranks within five days. The proof that P. did not stop the attack was that it continued, though in another form, and ^ Compare Vol. i. pp. 553 and 554. 1918] PAINLEV^ ON 1917 207 this is also correct. P. told us that in the secret session he answered full}- all the charges, and in the open sitting which followed he was much applauded and received a unanimous vote of confidence. Senator Bercnger's secret report was against him : the latter had permitted people to see it six months after it was written. The report of Foch, Brugere, and Gouraud was one designed to cover a brother officer, and Brugere alone had the courage to declare that Nivelle '/<'(/. pas ete a Id hauteur de la tdche qu'il avail assumee.' The fact was that the orders of three French Army Corps for the attack were found by the Bodies on a French adju- tant captiured at the Sapigneul bridge-head on April 5. These orders revealed the whole plan, and the Boches had all the prej)aration made to resist it. The French columns suffered terriblj^ in consequence. Nothing has occurred to alter the truth of the fact that Nivelle promised a success which he could not achieve, namely, the complete overthrow of the Germans. Petain had been made Chief of the Staff on April 29, and had then reviewed the Nivelle plan, and had decided to continue the battle by a combat d'usure. We then turned to the recent proceedings of the AlHed War Council, of which I gave Painleve the sketch that rumour assigned to it. P. said that from being an organ to supervise the general poHcy of the war, the Council had become an executive organ for conducting it, and that ho could not conceive how such a foolish plan could work. Ho was also opposed to the Aleppo expedition. We had a long and animated conversation, and he promised to write and keep me informed. At 4 P.M. I went to see Clemenceau at the War Office. A prehminary chat with Lt. -Colonel Herschcr of his Cabinet. Clemenceau greeted mo most cordially, and told mo the whole history of the War Council. It had begun with a meeting of the four Premiers and the soldiers, when L. G. had recommended, in a long, eloquent, and clever speech, the Aleppo expedition and Iho idea of linisliing the war by ' knoeking out the Turk ' ! He had told Clemenceau that he and the Westerners had no plan. Clemenceau had re- 2o8 THE WAB COUNCIL OF FEBEUARY 1918 plied in a speech which he thought had completely de- moUshed L. G.'s case. He had said that if the Turks wished to surrender they could do so now, but that if they thought the Germans had the best of things they would not surrender, and a march on Aleppo would not make them. In reply to L. G.'s challenge of his plan, Clemenceau repUed that he certainly had a plan, and that it was to hold out until the Americans appeared in sufficient strength, and that this plan might require a year at least to work out. He showed up all the folly of L. G.'s plan, and thought that he had gained a success over our P.M. Next day they came to drafting an article to meet the case, when it was agreed that the expedition should only take place if the situation elsewhere rendered it safe, and Clemenceau caused to be inserted the proviso that no troops for it should be taken from the French and British Armies in the West or from those at Salonika. C. thought that the expedition was defeated by these provisions, but I said that I did not feel sure. Robertson made a brilKant and emphatic speech opposing the expedition, and Clemenceau stated openly that he agreed with R., but the article was agreed to as C. thought it harmless. This is more than I do, but I do not see what more C. and R. could have done in the circumstances. The second main point was the question of eflfectives. Hutchison produced our figures, which showed our weakness and failure to provide the men, as mine had done. Foch then got up and made a good speech on the same subject, support- ing my point of view. L. G. repHed and asked whether he was to take men from mines, shipyards, etc., which were supplying the Alhes ? No one had asked him to do so, commented Clemenceau. L. G. then went on to threaten a social revolu- tion 1 if the country were asked for more men, and made the most of the argument. Foch then rose to continue the dis- * The absurdity of this argument was shown later. Between our defeat of March 21, 1918, and the Armistice of November 11 we sent 740,624 men to France, including 112,738 Dominion troops, and there was not one murmur, still less a social revolution. 1918] THE THREE iVIAIN POINTS 209 cussion, when L. G. waved him down and refused to listen to any more discussion on the subject, which was one way of treating the Alhed Council. The whole object of L. G., Clemenceau thought, was to exclude from the discussion the consideration of subjects wliich L. G., for his own piu-poses, claimed as the business of his Government alone, and Clemenceau said that as L. G. took these grounds the French could not insist nor carry the argument beyond a certain point. He said that L. G. was obviously very angry, and that it would never have done for the Council to have broken up over a question of this kind.' The last question was that of the reserves. It had been finally decided — and that was news to me, and very bad news — that the Versailles soldiers, one from each of the four nations (with Weygand excluded at Itahan suggestion, and Foch acting as President), were to have control of the reserves, were to have the right of going about among the Armies and of looking into things, and, generally, of directing the reserves as they wished. Thus both Haig and Robertson are prac- tically relieved of responsibihty, which is vested in a Board by pohtical decision. It is disunity of command and three Richmonds in the field. Clemenceau said that Pershing had risen to regret the exclusion of Robertson from the Board, and that he, Clemenceau, had also dehvered a panegyric upon Robertson, describing him as one of the greatest authorities of the Allied Armies. I asked Clemenceau a number of questions about the powers of the Board, but could see no ray of hght in this dismal gloom except that the plan might be reconsidered at another meeting of the Council six weeks later in London. Clemenceau declared to me that X.'s military opinion and judgment were not worth a scrap of paper. Clemenceau said that they had asked Italy to send to France a number of troops equivalent to the Franco- British troops dispatched to Italy. He thought the Itahan troops not bad, and only their commanders to be bad. He thought that the Italians would refuse, in which case we could take our troops away and could regard them as an additional reserve. I spoke to Clemenceau about a French 210 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 friend of mine and advised him to see him whenever he wanted to know anything about our Army. He promised to see any one whom I sent to him. He also told me that Count Czernin had offered to meet L. G. in Switzerland, and that our War Cabinet had considered the offer and had refused. We had a long talk over other subjects connected with the war, and then I drove back to the Ritz to meet the Duchesse d'Uzes at tea, and had a talk with her for a couple of hours over her adventures. She told me that she had warned the French Government of Bulgaria's intention to side against us three months before it happened, and had been laughed to scorn. At Briand's invitation she had gone to Switzerland and had met an intimate friend of the Emperor Karl's. She had received answers to all the questions that she had been asked to put forward, and had waited for a fortnight with the Austrian for a reply from Paris. She had at last come to Paris to see what had happened, and Briand had then fallen, and had never, she thought, even read her letter. She was sure that Briand would use her again if he came back, but that he did not want any one else to obtain the credit for having won over the Austrians. The Duchesse works through her Bourbon pohtical friends, and through the Spanish Court and personal friends in Austria, including the present young Empress. She also uses the ' Black Pope,' or General of the Jesuits, whose headquarters are in Switzerland, and she is sure, first, that Austria wants peace badly; secondly, that the Emperor can and will sign a peace on his own responsibiUty ; and, thirdly, that the Black and White Popes will help with all their power. This clever and attractive lady, brilliant in conversation, and very capable, is most contemptuous of the F.O. and Quai d'Orsay dijDlomacy. She declares that Stiirmer and the Germans made an agreement over Austria's head ; that the proof and the papers are in Russia and might be obtained ; and that if they could be obtained, Austria would Idcher the Boches at once. We did not think much of Mensdorff's assurance to Mrs. Barton that Austria would never make peace without Germany, as we considered 1918] DE SALTS ON THE VATICAN 211 this the usual Ball-Platz formula, and tlid not suppose that M. would conve}' to 'Mrs. Barton anything else. It is the young Emperor and his persoucil surroundings, including his Carmehte confessor, that the Duchesse wishes to act upon. It is just conceivable that this attractive grande dame of the old regime may be better able to influence the Austrian Emperor's surroundings than ordinary diplomats. Clemen- ccau ought, at all events, to see the Austrian answers which she brought back with her. Mr. and Mrs. Bhss, of the American Embassy, and Le Roy dined -with me. She ^^■as looking very pretty and Avas most pleasant. After\^ards we adjourned to my rooms with Lad}^ Congreve and had a taDc. Bliss and I talked America. He confirms what I know already about this question. I told him of my strong objections to the incorporation of American units in our formations, and I was relieved to hear from him that it was doubtful whether this proposal would be accept- able ; in fact, he plainly hinted that it would not be. He is Councillor at the Embassy. There was, he said, now a great deal of criticism of the Executive at Washington, and the main faults found were the constriction in the neck of the bottle and want of decentraUsation. They were faced by a task of unheard-of difficulty. Count de SaUs, our INIinister at the Vatican, was at the next table at dinner and came up to my rooms to talk when the ladies had gone. He considers that the Vatican would look with more than favourable eyes upon an agreement between us and Austria, and would help us in every possible way. The F.O. had told him that Ledochowsky, the General of the Jesuits, was a German, u hereas he is, of course, an Austrian Pole, and de S. said that Ledochowsky has a great position at the Vatican and is extremely inlluential, having his own representative there. All that he said confirmed me in my first impression that the Ducliesse is on the right road. He says tiiat Cardinal ( Jasj)arri and I are the two first military ciitics in Europe. He does not know win nco (iasparri gets his information, but it is very good. 1 told him the story of my visit to 212 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 Rome in 1882, when I was recommended by my aunt, Lady Herbert of Lea, to one of the Jesuits, who laughed to scorn my youthful ideas of an early and great war, saying that I must wait until all the alHances were formed and that then there would be trouble — as there has been, in all conscience. An interesting day, Clemenceau's last words to me before I left were, ' Stop the side-shows and send us men.' Our conversation was entirely in French. I should add that Clemenceau expressed much anxiety about the German mustard gas or y per He, and said that recently three French batteries had had 40, 60, and 80 per cent, of their men placed hors de combat by it. Monday, Feb. 4. General Godley came in to have a talk. We agreed that the best solution at the point we have reached would be to have an exclusively French Army of Reserve under a French general, and to leave the British out of the reserves, though, if necessary, with a broader front. Godley does not like the new nine battalion division, apart from the loss of men, as a brigade of three battalions cannot have two in the line and two out ; in fact, he prefers divisions also to be of four brigades, as I do, and thinks that our present divisions are over-staffed. G. would have preferred to lose divisions instead of battaUons as it would have provided so many more good cadres. He admits the inefficiency of the machine-gun corps at Cambrai. They will now become a divisional unit, perhaps as a battalion, and an attempt will be made to make them a corps d' elite, as the Germans are. Godley says that five to six feet of re- inforced concrete will keep off all but direct hits by 12-inch and 15-inch guns. He is wiring and digging for all he is worth and using the Boche pill-boxes, which are most valuable. He thinks that Hunter- Weston, who is on his left, can be turned out of Passchendaele whenever the Boches choose. Godley 's real trouble on the Menin Road position is want of depth. He can only fight back about 3000 yards, and will then be in the mud again. What he dreads is a succession of great bombardments and attacks, Godley met, in the Riviera, Prince Aga Rosenborg of Denmark, 1918J CONVERSATION WITH M. BRIAND 213 Vfho has just come through Germany. He was nearly starved, and says that the food conditions are inconceivably bad. He thinks, in fact, that the Bochcs cannot stick it out through the winter, although the winter is nearly over, and he says that he had iwotg chance of getting food than most people. The Prince is the nephew of Queen Alexandra, and pro-British in liis symj^athies. He describes the German espionage system as first rate. This morning there is pubhshed an official and completely fantastic compte rendu of the proceedings of the War Council. Le Roy described it as hogwash and molasses. It tells absolutel}" nothing of the decisions taken, and is merely a fanfaronade of a silly character, with patriotic variations. It appears to have been drafted in English, except the last paragraph, which is obviously French. The approval is general in the French Press because they either do not know or do not understand. M. Briand, the penultimate Prime Minister, came to lunch with me. Le Roy came in later, and we sat talking from 12.30 to 3. Briand is a most fascinating and charm- ing companion. He has been seven times Prime Minister and may be again. He has great experience and much depth of knowledge. He is more restful than L. G., loves a good story, has a warm corner in his heart for a pretty woman, and is very human. His conversation is inter- spersed with flashes of wit which come and go so lightly that one forgets most of them all too quickly. His view of the situation is that no one has risen to the level of the war nor has understood its changing character. It is now a war of peoples and of all the peoples, including the women and children, who are threatened even in their homes by bombs while the bourgeois is sleeping by his bourgeoise. No one imagined that there could be such a war as this, or will ever permit it to recur, but at present all the old machinery for dealing with a campaign has broken do^\^l on account of the: magnitude of the war, and we are drifting. He thinks that the moment has more than come for the diplomatic offensive and that nothing is being done. Ho 214 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 was not in favour of treating with Austria before Russia's collapse, because we could only satisfy Austria at the expense of our Allies ; but now that Russia is out of the hunt he is all for parleying, and holds that no conversation offered should be refused. I put it to him what should be done if Czernin offered to talk with L. G., and Briand said that most certainly he should go. He was sarcastic about Smuts's visit to Switzerland, and declared that Smuts had asked for a ' Yes ' or a ' No ' to a string of questions ; then had given a military salute and had turned on his heel and gone off home when he did not get what he wanted in a trice. Briand thinks that he should have stayed and talked. Last September, said Briand, he had been approached and was told definitely that the German Chancellor would meet him with the Kaiser's full approval, and that if the Chancellor could not come the emissary would be fully equipped with credentials. He had taken steps to ascertain the German points of view about certain matters, such as Alsace-Lorraine and the German colonies, and he hinted at some neutralisa- tion of a large zone on the Franco-German frontier where there would be no troops or works, and thought that this would lead up to the settlement of the Alsace and Lorraine questions. Germany wished to settle this matter with France directly. As to the German colonies, the paper which he received gave it to be understood that Germany was prepared for many of them to remain dans les griffes de V Angleterre. But M. Ribot would not proceed with this interesting conversation, and so the thing fell through. It had been renewed this last January, but nothing had come of it that he knew. Briand thought that the AlUes should have made a declaration at an earlier stage announcing the creation of their League of Peace, defining its aims, explaining the principles of obligatory arbitration which they intended to follow, and stating that they intended to divide up the raw materials of the world amongst each other ; and that while our enemies could jom the League as equals, they would be refused all share in the raw materials of the world unless they made peace on reasonable terms. 1918] BEIAND ON 1916 215 In short, we had not made use of our economic arms — partly because America was anxious about lier cotton — any more than we had made use of our diplomatic arms, and he deplored the fact. Briand did not thinlc that the people of France looked upon the American Aimy as a Messiali or had any ex- aggerated view of its powers. They ratlicr regarded America as a vast storehouse of supplies of all kinds, and from this point of view it was priceless. He im- plied that America was not seriously in the war, but I did not agree. We then went into the question of the Allied War Council, of which I said that instead of becoming an organ for arranging general pohcy and giving unified direction to the war, it had become an instru- ment for the executive direction of miUtary operations, which were outside its province, and that it had lost itself in its interference with details, especially on the military side. Briand agreed with this and thought that the Allied Councils had done much better in his day. He went through the history of 1916 and the preparation for 1917, and thought the former year especially good in the sense of preparation and execution of great combined movements. He considered that 1917 had failed in part owing to Russia and Italy, but also in part because the French offensive had not been continued, and that Painleve had announced the fact in the Chambers, whereupon the Germans had massed against the English, who were unable to break through. We returned to the point about the proper duties of the Allied War Council more than once and always in the same sense. We said a few things about the new scheme of placing the reserves of the Armies under a Board of Control, and none of us approved of it. Briand thinks a geneniHssime an impracticable ideal, and admits that the new scheme may be directed to the accomplishment of important objects, but is not wisely framed to attain them. How could a (jfneraliasima at Paris, he said, have prevented the Italians from losing 250,000 men and 3000 guns in three days ? 2i6 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 We had a good talk about the Marne and to whom the victory was due. The idea of standing came up at a Council in Paris, when it was agreed, on Briand's suggestion, and just as the Council was breaking up, to ask Joffre to take this course. He said that he would if the British would move up on his left. This was referred to London, and was approved, subject to the British left being covered. This led to the hasty improvisation of Maunoury's army from all elements at disposal, and its appearance at the critical moment when its attack, which was not suspected by the enemy, was most important. The God of Chance had ruled. Briand referred to the question of personages to whom credit was most due for the victory. He thought that though Joffre did not plan the battle he showed admir- able firmness in directing it when it began. There were, in fact, six battles, and they were all successful. Every general who fought only saw his own sector, and thought that he had won the battle, whereas it was the co-opera- tion of all that really won it. It was after Foch's blow in the St. Gond marshes that the German order of retreat was given. We then discussed Eastern affairs, and the concentric and eccentric schools. I did not tease Briand about Salonika, nor remind him of our conversation in 1916, as I thought it would vex him, but he told us how he had brought L. G. to the view of sending 300,000 men to Salonika in Jan. 1915, and of how this scheme met with the opposition of the French and British Staffs. From this we passed on to the Laibach campaign, which Briand wished the Italians to have prosecuted after they took Gorizia in 1916. I saw that Briand had still not studied the conditions of an advance on Vienna, but as we were not at a Staff Conference, I did not refer to them. From that we branched into a forecast of what history would say of us, and who now alive would say it. He admitted that no records of Cabinet meetings were kept, and when I asked about the records of the secret sessions he said that those of the 1870 war had never been published, 1918] BRIAND DEFINES HISTORY 217 and that the present ones would also remain under seals.^ Briand was a 1 rifle contemptuous of history, which he wittily described as a lie promoted to the rank of truth by repetition, and he did not know who was keeping full notes of these affairs in Paris. He personally had no papers at all ; he had burnt them all. The first thing to learn in politics, said Briand, was that 2 and 2 were not 4, but either 3 or 5, and for a Rothschild they were 22. He admitted that he was glad of a rest. The labours of Parhament and on the Commissions were terrific. They would break down all but the strongest. Le Roy told the story of how he met Briand and Viviani in the street one day. They were disputing about some debate, and Briand was protesting that he was bound to stick to certain principles. 'Alors,' said Viviani, ' Alors appuyons-nous sur les principes. lis sont surs de ceder.' Briand made a particular point of the total change in the East arising from the collapse of Russia. Austria had now Germany for chief rival. Russia was out of Balkan affairs. Turkey had modern Bulgaria to fear more than Russia. These were great changes, and they were teach- ing us nothing. The moment had come to fight with all our arms, whether naval, military, diplomatic, economic, religious, or other, but we were not doing so, and the Allied War Council was trying to make itself into a general and that was all. Briand on leaving made many flattering references to my work during the war, and said that I was one of the very few men in Europe who saw clearly. He asked me to see him whenever I was in Paris. Le Roy says that he is an honest man, and has only £240 a year saved from his pay, plus his pay as a deputy. In the afternoon I went with Le Roy to see the Leave Club at 8 Place de la Repuhlique. Miss Decima Moore and Parson Blunt took us round. It is for British soldiers and sailors on leave from the front, and is mainly used by our Dominion troops. Baron D'Erliinger has hired the hotel. Some 13,000 men have used it since August last, when it was ojiened, and ' Tliey have Bince been publjahod in part. 2i8 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 83,000 meals have been served up to the end of December. Some 260 beds are all occupied. It is an invaluable in- stitution and very well managed. The men deposit their money, and have already deposited over £20,000. There are club rooms, newspapers, writing-rooms, bilhards, baths, entertainments, and dances. It is self-supporting to a large extent, as the beds are 5s. to 2s. 6d. a night, and meals cost 2s. 6d. dinner and lunch, and Is. 6d. tea. There are women guides to take the men over Paris, and there are even riding parties as well as theatre parties. The dances are very popular, and the men are supplied with dancing shoes. There were 6000 men at the Club on Christmas Day, and not one case of drunkenness. Le Roy and I dined together and discussed affairs. The arrival of General Smuts is postponed until Wednesday, Tuesday, Feb. 5. I was shown a report on Civil Educa- tion in the 3rd Canadian Division of Greneral Lipsett. The idea is to institute lectures on general subjects, in order to give men a wide view of their duties as citizens on their return home, and, as soon as active operations stop, to hold classes to help men in their work on their return to civil life. Educationalists of wide experience are employed, such as Captain Oliver, who had helped to found the University of Saskatchewan. Lipsett proposes that the civil train- ing should be grafted on to the military training, and not be under a separate control, as by working under the military organisation we are alone able to teach all the men. The ofificers to be employed should be on the Staff of the formation, and must be really able men. They should get into touch with the needs of the labour market and employment agencies, and they should be of great use to the various demobilisation committees. It must be introduced gradually. This movement has my entire sympathy, and we must start it after the war. Wrote to Gwynne. Tried to do some shopping and found all the shops closed until 1 or 2 p.m. Lunched at the Ritz. Lady Congreve came and sat with me and talked. She is off to work in a French hospital between Nancy and 1918] CRITICISMS FEARED 219 Liincville, where heavj- losses are expected. The French wounded, she says, are still much less well off than ours. She says that the Countess Cecile d'Hautpoul and Elinor GljTi want to make my acquaintance. The d'Hautpoul lady is very attractive. Motored and walked with X. He told me that Duncannon, Wilson's A.D.C., is very anxious about the criticisms which the arrangement about the Higher Command may provoke in England, and said that that terrible fellow, Repington, was in Paris, and would be sure to learn all about it and inform Gwynne. How dreadful! I don't wonder that they are nervous. Duncannon admitted that Amery had drafted the com- munique, all except the last paragraph, which was by Clemenceau. It seems to me that Amery and his em- ployers are trying to run a red herring across the scent by a patriotic ebullition which seems to have taken in the Allied capitals. But one story is good till another is told, and we shall see. What will President Wilson and Balfour say of this amateur plunge into the diplomatic china shop ? Looked in to see the Countess Ghislaine de Caraman Chimay and her sister, the Countess Grcffuhle. The former has a little leisure, as the Queen of the Belgians has taken her sick son to Mentone. The King was to have gone there to-day, but is delayed to talk with his Ministers about the declaration of independence of Belgian Flanders, which the Boches have got some foolish Flemish people to support, and it is a great worry to the King. Ghislaine is sure that we can have all the Vatican party with us if we negotiate with Austria, but that the French and Italian Ficomasons will combine against it. Countess Greffuhle is accused of having put up Painlev6 to perquisition the Action Fran- ^aise people. He is a great friend of hers. Her husband constantly rates her about it, and when she began to exclaim about the raid the other night when the bombs were falling, he declared that she was merely making use of it as a diver- sion ! It is generally supposed that Bolo will be shot, — in which case I shall win my bet with the postmistress — VOL. II. Q 220 THE WAR COUNCIL OF f EBRUARY 1918 that Malvy will get off with 6clat as every one considers the charge of treachery to be absurd, and that unless better evidence can be produced against Caillaux, who is re- garded as un fou, he may get off too, or at all events only get a light sentence. The Rue d'Astorg ladies think that Clemenceau will only last two or three months longer, but ' The Tiger ' has often disappointed those who offer to sell his skin before he is killed. Tried to see M. Loucheur, but he is due to start for London. I am to try and call in after lunch to-morrow at the Rue d'Astorg to see Greneral Leman, the Belgian hero of Liege. The ladies say that he is very ill. The Prince of Wales is in Paris. Ghislaine told me that Count Shrinsky, the Duchesse d'Uzes's Austrian friend, is a tres brave homme. The Duchesse, says Le Roy, has forests which we have to cut down. She interviewed Lord Lovat about it, and exclaimed afterwards that she expected to find an immacu- lately dressed Peer of the Realm, and was dismayed with Simon because there was an expanse of sock between his leggings and his boots ! I must warn Simon to be more particular in his dress if he meets this Duchesse again. The ladies used to speak more reverently of him, and I begin to doubt the Duchesse's judgment if she does not know a man when she meets one. Ghislaine told me to-day that the young Empress of Austria hates the Germans like the devil, and that her suite, like Count Hunyadi, are all of the same way of thinking. The Empress's two brothers are in the Belgian Army, and she wishes that they had been admitted to the English Army and had been now in Italy, as it would have produced a great effect. But we never do anything so sensible ! Le Roy and I dined together. EUnor Glyn came and talked to us. A woman nearing fifty, with good features, and may have been seductive when younger. She is writing two books and a magazine story. She says that it makes a difference of £3000 to her if she publishes a book in a magazine fijst. America is the place to make money journalistically. She never sells a story under 5d. 1918] A VISIT TO COMPIEGNE 221 a word ! She prefers to write in the morning, which is her high tide she says. Milner was in the Embassy to-day. He admitted that Czernin had tried to talk with L. G., and that our refusal had been due to consideration for Italy. Milner says that the Press have received the communique very well. I am not surprised, as it bears no relation whatever to the proceedings of the Council. He expects that the first criticism will come from the Morning Post. It is highly probable. This evening I induced Le Roy to send a cipher telegram to London to suggest a Grand Cross ^ for General Leman, who has already received the Grand Cross of the Legion and the Leopold, They are slow-thinking folk in London, and appear to have forgotten Leman's heroism and iine attitude. Wednesday, Feb. 6. Lunched to-day with Prince and Princess Radziwill, Miss Gladys Deacon, and Roman Dmowski, the head of the Pohsh Committee in Paris. A cheery lunch with much chaff. I liked Miss Deacon, though she is not quit-e so pretty as her sister the Princess. Dmowski has character, and we agreed to meet at dinner to-morrow. He evidently knows more about the Polish plans than most people, and told me that the Pohsh Army Corps which has been at Minsk is the only one left intact on the Russian front. Dmowski doubts that we can do anything with Kaiser Karl, and his panacea is to break up Austria. After lunch motored to Compiegne. Good roads and a pleasant afternoon. Found CHve at the Mission and had a talk. Gave him my views of recent affairs, and he told me that our Army feehng was the same, and that Joffre's chief staff officer had just spoken to him about the decisions of the War Council exactly as I had spoken to Chve, and almost in the same words. Ho thought that it was all very serious, and the more by reason of the uncertainty of the extent of the powers of the Versailles Council. He thought that Haig and Retain were quite competent to control the troops on their front, and said that Haig was quite prepared to ^ General Loman was aflerwards girea the Q.C.M.Q. 222 THE WAB COOTrCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 come and stay at Compiegne so as to be beside Petain when the pinch came. He was sure that they would get on all right together. He recommended that I should see X. on my return, and also address the Unionist Committee at the House of Commons, and that this would be better than another Press attack, and might do more good. Dined with General Petain and his Staff. He is just back from a tour in Alsace. There are plenty of German reserves in rear there, but the ground is very spongy and not ready for an attack yet. Petain began at once about our effectives, and told me that he was greatly disquieted about our front and had read my articles, with which he entirely agreed. He considered, and had stated at the War Council, that our front was of the greatest importance and that it lacked depth. He knew that our infantry would be one-fourth down this year, and that drafts were lacking to fill up divisions. He said that the figures had been brought out at the Council, and that L. G. had been exceedingly taken to task and roughly handled, but that he had refused to give any satis- faction, and had entrenched himself behind the plea of the danger of social revolution, and had stopped the discussion. Resultat, zero. Petain had studied him closely and summed up his opinion of him in a curt and striking phrase. Petain thought the Aleppo expedition fatuity, and said that Clemenceau had been splendid and had cut L. G.'s arguments to ribbons. On the question of the Higher Command, Petain said that he did not mean to allow Foch and Co. to interfere with his reserves. If they hked to handle the Anglo-French divisions in Italy this was another matter, but I said that their ambitions went much further, where- upon Petain said that if they interfered with him he would not remain in command. He was sure that Haig and he would agree and could carry on. He required another month to perfect his defences, and Haig three months. He doubted whether the Boches would wait. He had identified 172 divisions for certain on his front, and there were 15 more divisions in Germany training and ready to come up when they were needed. Petain was dowm to 100 divisions, 1918] PETAIN'S VIEWS 223 as he told me he would be last October, and was calling in all the men he could find in every quarter. There were no certain indications of the German plans, but he supposed that they would make two great attacks, and then the reserves would be put in according to cucumstanees. He thought that 220 divisions in all might come against us. The Germans, he said, had attacked the weak points when they were not powerful enough to attack the strong ones, but now this situation had changed, and people ought to understand it. We should have a hard time, and he would regard L. G. as the author of our misfortunes if we failed. He thought my article very courageous, and was much astonished that Gwjaine had risked evading the Censor- ship. He also, at m}' request, told me how he had restored the moral of his Armies in June 1917. He had personally visited every division, had spoken to the officers and pointed out their duties to them. He had instituted a regular system of leave for the men, and had done much for their material welfare. It had taken him two months to restore the moral, and a very dangerous moment had at last been successfully passed over. Petain also pointed out to me that the most he could accept was that the Franco-British divisions in Italy should be the reserves under Versailles, and that an equivalent number of Itahan divisions should be added. He said that Foch is still anxious to dehver a great counter-attack with massed reserves, but that this was now impracticable, and we had only enough to fill up the gaps, if we had even that. He pointed out to me the different position of the combatants, with the Germans able to repair their losses and we unable. He attributed all our troubles to two men, whom he named. General Anthoine is now Chief of Staff to Petain. A good, cheery, capable officer, much attached to Haig, under whom he has served. An imj)ortant fact if Petain and Haig are loft alone to work out their o\vn salvation and ours. 224 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 Thursday, Feb. 7. Put up at the Palace Hotel last night. Breakfasted with Chve and the Enghsh Mission. We had some talk about the War Council. He told me that one of President Poincare's Staff had just come in and had been very critical of the arrangement, declaring that it was no solution, as indeed is true. I went on to the 2nd Bureau to see Colonel de Cointet, who was very severe upon us for our failure to keep up our strengths. He says that 177 Boche divisions are now identified in the West, and aUows that an uncertain number are reorganising in Germany. He expects 200 to 220, and beheves that from Feb. 16 onwards the danger will be very real. The French have dug in, but we have not. He expects various feints, and then the big thing on the Rheims front against the French, and on the Arras front against us. He puts down the Boches at 3,000,000 in the aggregate, and their potential reserves, which may be expended during the year, at 1,500,000. A pretty good packet, and this wretched Premier of ours only talks of social revolutions, and wiU not even ask the country for the men we need or teU it why we need them. De Cointet says that there is a talk of two Austrian divisions coming, but he does not think much of them, and only beheves in Austrian guns. He considers our front ex- tremely important, as Petain does. He says that the Boches sent divisions to Italy last October in response to a cry for help from the Austrians, who had expected that all our troops going to Salonika and Palestine were coming against them. As they were there, they cut a dash and knocked out the Itahans, but no one was more surprised than the Germans, and no plans were ready for following up the success. De Cointet says that we Alhes have 20 more divisions in Italy than the Austrians. Most of Von Below's Army from Italy is now in France, and three of its divisions have been identified. Also Von Hutier's 7th Army from Riga has turned up on Gough's front. The importance of this fact needs no demonstration. The French Armies, from left to right, are 1918] GENERAL LEIVIAN 225 the 6th, 5th, 4th, 2nd, 1st, and 7th. Franchet d'Esperey 1 commands the left group, and de Castelnau the right group. The 3rd Army is now in reserve, and, in aU, Petain has 39 divisions in reserve, which cannot be employed v^ithout his permission. I read the new French text-books on the offensive and the defensive. Very modern, weU written, and up to date. I was particulariy struck with the division of the troops on the defensive into (1) Troupes de garde and garnisons de surete for the first lines ; (2) Troupes de souiien for precise missions of immediate counter-attack ; (3) Troupes dis- ponibles ou reservees ready for contre-attaques d'ensemble or counter-attacks requiring preparatory actions and the accompaniment of artiUery. If the Versailles pack are allowed to deprive Haig and Petain of No. 3, what chances have they 1 I notice the most ludicrously false and mis- leading assertions about the War Council in the Times. Motored back to Paris. Lunched with Bobby Ward and Le Roy. Ward was heavily bombed in Padua the night he was there. Lieut. Hermann called. He was too inquisitive, and I did not say much to him in consequence. Went to tea at the Rue d'Astorg and met General Leman, the hero of Liege. A most striking but much bent figure, as of one who has suffered, with courtly manners, and great nobihty of character. He gave us many of his ex- periences, and a large party sat round and listened. Jules Roche told me that L. G. was returning to-morrow to draw closer the hnks, whatever that may mean, but I can get no confirmation of it. I hear that L. G. means to put Milner into the W.O. in place of Derby, in which case Robertson is nearly sure to bo evicted, and the first measure is to be the reduction of his power and the issue of orders tlirough the S. of S. instead of the C.I.G.S. We shall then have completed our plans to lose the war. Dmowski dined with me, and we talked Poland alone * Known to our Boldiera in the East, 'at "ajlater fdato, as IDesperate Frouky. 226 THE WAR COUNCIL OF FEBRUARY 1918 before dinner and then at dinner. He expects a revolu- tion in Austria by May. He is President of the Polish Society, consisting of six or eight persons who are, he says, recognised by the Governments of England, France, Italy, and the U.S., as the official spokesmen of Poland. He brought me his privately printed book on the problems of Austria and Eastern Europe, and it looks interesting. The Poles desire our sympathy and practical support . Dmowski says that the war can only be won by breaking up Austria and recognising the independence of her various nation- aHties. Then Germany will be isolated and her road to the East cut. But, he says, most people here still think that in Austria people speak Austrian, and it is not a ques- tion whether diplomacy is bad, but whether it is null. Le Roy, who was also dining with me, told the story that Briand had narrated to us the other day at lunch, namely, of the Caillaux secret papers in the Florence safe marked ' Rubicon.' Briand had reminded us that before the third Napoleon's cowp d'etat of December, he and Morny and Persigny had solemnly opened the casket in which the plan was concealed, and the papers taken out were also marked ' Rubicon.' This led us to note the imitative habits of our time, and to discuss how much we draw from within our- selves, and how much from outside sources. Dmowski had been a member of the Duma at the time of the Russian revolution, and told us that the members used to go to the library, cut out the speeches of Mirabeau and Danton, and come back and spout them in the Duma. I thought that Mirabeau and Co. also drew their speeches largely from the classics, so it came to this, that there was nothing new under the sun, and that we were a race of monkeys. Dmowski is an observant person. I enjoyed his saying that Seton-Watson had the spirit of a midwife ; he cared nothing for people who existed, but only for new nation- aUties which he could bring forward in his own hands and present to the world. Left for London, 11.40 p.m. Bobby Ward gave me a berth again. A friend in need. AH the other berths taken. 1918] GENERAL PEYTON MARCH 227 It has turned wet. I met General Peyton March on board, the new acting Chief of Staff of the American Ai'my, a tall, rather grim, and soldierhke man resembling the typical Uncle Sam. No cabin had been kept for him, so I invited him and his A.D.C. to share mine. We had a good talk. I was glad to hear that they had adopted the French system of four bureaus at Pershing's Headquarters, instead of the impossible system which prevailed when I was there last. Now Pershing mil be free to control operations instead of being immersed in administrative details as he was formerly. General March has been here since July last. He should be of great use to the President. He told me that he was coming back again, and I am glad, as he is a fine type. He also told me that if President Wilson thought it wise to come to Europe he would come in spite of all the constitutional lawyers who might declare that he could not come. CHAPTER XXXI THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION Return to London — ^My article on the War Council — ^The Tories and Mr. Lloyd George — Summoned to Bow Street — The case part heard — Dismissal of Sir W. Robertson — ^The hearing concluded — Shoals of letters of approval and sympathy — General Robertson on these events — A letter from General Allenby — ^The Blind Officers' Home — Visit to Ugbrooke Park — Sir F. E. Smith on America — ^Mr. Arthur Henderson's views — Bombs and parties — ^Admiral Sims on the U-boats — General Dessino's uninvited guests — Sir W. Robertson on the late War Council — Conversation with Mr. Asquith on the mihtary situation, March 16 — ^Another talk with Mr. Arthur Henderson. Saturday, Feb. 9. Met Gwynne at the Bath Club. We compared notes and experiences. After I had told him what I had learned, he told me that there was a big row on here, and that he hoped the Army Council were aU going to stand firm. Asquith has stated that he will speak on the debate on the Address next Tuesday, and Gwymie and I agreed that I should write and expose the Paris pro- ceedings either Monday or Tuesday. Gwynne is going to see Derby and try to hearten him up, and is aU for fight- ing this matter out. Asquith says that the war can only end by fighting, negotiation, or by the proletariat making an end of it, and he still beUeves that it can be won by fighting. Sunday, Feb. 10. Finished an article on the late War Council and sent it ofi. I hear that Lady Bathurst says that she will be quite content to be locked up with us. Monday, Feb. 11. This morning there came out my article on the Versailles War Council, describing what had happened about the three main subjects discussed. The ^8 1918] MY ARTICLE ON THE WAR COUNCIL 229 Post has a good leader on it. Great pluck on Gwynne's part to insert it. Lunched with Lady X., and had a good talk to her about Derby, telling her that he was the appointed victim of the Downing Street Camarilla, when Robertson was removed, and that if the Army Council did not stick together he would regret it. I said that MiLner was to succeed him, and that if Derby went with the whole Army Council over a matter of principle he would stand high, whereas if he let R. be sacrificed and stayed on, he would be put out in a fortnight amidst general derision. She is to speak to him this evening. Went on to the Morning Post and saw Gwynne. The Censor refused my article, so GwjTine made certain changes in it and wrote to the Censor that he hoped he had met theii- views. Actually he had not changed much. What will happen now is not clear. Anyhow it is some- thing for us not to be in prison after our indiscipline this morning, but as we acted solely in the pubhc interest I suppose that we shall be all right in the end. Tuesday, Feb. 12. Met a friendly M.P. at a club, and found him as determined to take the gloves off as we are. He was at G.H.Q. last Sunday. He tells me that the Unionists' War Committee in the Commons passed strong resolutions warmly condemning the attacks on the generals, and forbidding L. G. to take Winston into the War Cabinet. L. G. fumed and resented the interference of any party in the House, whereupon SaUsbury, who took the resolutions to L. G., gently pointed out to L. G. that he owed his position to Unionist support. L. G. declared that he utterly disapproved the attacks on the generals, in which case it is a pity that he did not say so before, during all the months that these attacks have been proceeding. My friend says that L. G. has tried them very highlj-^ on previous occasions, and he promises me to get his friends together and to support me in the debate. I gave him, again, the main points for L. G. to answer. Met Gwynne later. He says that Derby has been dining and breakfasting with L. G., and is most shaky. Nothing from Ludy X., but 230 THE MORNING POST PKOSECUTION the Post leader this morning tells Derby plainly that unless he stands up for the Army Council he will be discredited for ever, and this is the truth. Lunched with Lockett, who promises to bail me out if I am arrested, and to arrange for my defence. I took my Memoirs to Constable, and they will now read them through and advise me. The Manchester Dispatch reported this morning that I had been arrested. The Times almost insinuated this morning that I ought to be. G Wynne and I are quite content to stand the racket, and agree that we have done all that we can to enhghten the country and save the Army from defeat, and that we can now only calmly abide the result. I heard to-day from some one that Haig says he is not worrying much about his reserves as he has not got any. In the late afternoon there arrived at Maryon two Scotland Yard men to inquire whether I had written my article in the Post of Feb. 11. I gave them the particulars. Evidently the Government are going to prosecute. Wednesday, Feb. 13. Lunched with the Ian Hamiltons, and then I sat on a Tribunal all the afternoon. On my return home I found that the pohce had been after me again, as they had been after Gwjnine, and they came in later with two summonses for me to appear at Bow Street before a magistrate next Saturday, the charges being that I pub- hshed information regarding ' plans and conduct of miUtary operations ' and ' mihtary dispositions,' all of which accusa- tions are false. Dined with the Londonderrys, who were very nice to me. Princess Helena, Lady Massereene, and one or two more. A very pleasant talk. C. wishes me to defend myseK, and I should prefer to do so. Thursday, Feb. 14. Nearly all day with the lawyers. Gave Mr. Poole, of Messrs. Lewis and Lewis, 10 Ely Place, Holborn, all my storj^ in the morning, and in the afternoon Gwynne and I, with Poole, met Mr. Tindal Atkinson, K.C-, at his chambers, and with him, as junior counsel, was Mr. Patrick Hastings, a very smart young barrister. We went through the case, making out all the worst features of it, — as I beheve counsel do — and I was so disgusted that I told Gwynne when ms] AT BOW STEEET 231 we walked away together that I would nmch rather defend myself, that one might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb, and that if I had to be convicted T wished to tell the country the whole truth in court and not mince matters. Telephoned the same thing to Poole in the evening, and he tried to dissuade me. Friday, Feb. 15. Poor dear old Lockett Agnew died this morning after a very sharp attack of angina pectoris. A great character, honest as the day, always buoyant in spirits, the first expert in the art world, and the kindest and best soul imaginable. I am so sorry for Joe. Lunched with X., who is all for me to defend myself and to take the big hue of the freedom of political criticism. In the after- noon at Tindal Atkinson's again. I had written down the line I wished to take and read it out. The lawyers were now more aHve to the situation, and Poole thinks that we have an even-money chance. Gwynne begs me to leave all the defence to Atkinson, who is a fine-looking and distinguished man with a good presence, so I felt bound to agree, as the Post's interests have to be considered ; but I only agreed reluctantly. Saturday, Feb. 16. Went to Bow Street with Gwjmne at 11.30. We were snapshotted by the cameras all the way. Pat Guthrie is told that there has been * no such crowd at Bow Street since Crippen ' — the famous murderer ! There came to look on a great number of friends and many ladies. There were fifty shorthand reporters. Sir Gordon He wart presented the case for the prosecution. He is Sohcitor-Gencral, and was very moderate and courteous in his speech, making his points well. The Director of the Press Bureau, Sir E. T. Cook, gave evidence. We adjourned at 12.40 till Thursday next, and were again pursued by the camera men as we left. An air raid after dinner, and it went on till nearly 11 p.m. Suyiday, Feb. 17. The news that Sir William Robertson has been practically dismissed caused me to write an appre- ciative article on his valuable services. Then went on to the Reform Club and had an hour with Mr. Massingham to 232 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION exchange ideas. Dined with Lord Wimborne in Ai'lington Street and found Freddy Guest, Lord D'Abernon, Massing- ham again, Lady Gwendeline and Jack Churchill, Miss Phyllis Boyd, Mrs. Montagu, and Lady Diana Manners — four attractive ladies. Mrs. M. hopes that M. will be home from India by April. The party discussed my case and gave me some valuable hints. As we were finishing dinner another air raid began, and W. made us all adjourn to a vaulted chamber below, where we remained tiU the worst was over. We amused ourselves in forming a Cabinet of ladies, as all the pohtical males appeared to us to be exhausted. Here they are : — Prime Minister Foreign Secretary . War Secretary First Lady Home Secretary Board of Good Works Vice-Reine of India Propaganda . Chancellor of Exchequer Financial Secretary Board of Agriculture Board of Trade Lady President of the Council Minister of Blockade Secretary for India Secretary for the Colonies Vice-Reine of Ireland Chief Secretary for Ireland Local Government Board President, the Air Board Mistress of the Robes Secretary for Scotland Attorney-General . Solicitor General Minister of Munitions Lady Desborough. Lady Essex. Lady Pembroke. Evelyn, Marchioness of Down- shire. Mrs. Winston Churchill. Miss PhylUs Boyd. Lady Diana Manners. Lady Cunard. Mrs. George Keppel. Mrs. Ronald Greville. Edith, Marchioness of London- derry. Mrs. McKenna. MilHcent, Duchess of Suther- land, Lady Ridley. Mrs. Montagu. Lady GwendeHne Churchill. Lady Wimborne. Lady Carson. The Duchess of Marlborough. Lady Drogheda. Mrs. John Astor. Lady Mar and Kellie. Miss Beatrice Mattheson. Miss Joan Poynder. Lady Granard. 1918] A CABINET OF LADIES 233 President, Board of Education . Miss Violetta Thnrstan. Lady Chancellor . Mistress of the Ceremonies Minister of Health Postmistress-General Chancellor of the Duchy Leader of the Opposition Mrs. Alfred Lyttelton. Lady Wolverton, Lady D'Abemon. Lady L}i;ton. Lady Islington. Mrs. Asquith. Some of the ladies refused to serve with others, but we ignored their protests. Lady Diana would go to India because she had fair hair, and for the sake of contrast. Got home after a crush in the Tube. The platforms five deep with women and children taking refuge, and some five more rows standing, largely men. Monday, Feb. 18. Wrote my remarks on the Solicitor- General's speech and sent them ofif to Mr. Poole. Lunched with Mrs. Ronny Greville and walked round with her to see ' The Pattisson Children,' by Lawrence, at Bond Street — a fine thing. A pleasant talk at lunch. Robertson's resignation is denied by him, but in the evening it is an- nounced that he has taken the Eastern Command. The promise of a big row in Parliament is therefore not likely to be kept. Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 19-20. Much time spent with the barristers and lawyers preparing our case for Thursday. Atkinson is warming up. Poole and Hastings very good and helpful. Many letters of sympathy and approval from all sides. L. G. explains the Versailles plans to the Commons and gives me a good opening, which I shall take presently. Thursday, Feb. 21. At Bow Street again. Atkinson made an effective speech in our defence, showing clearly that we had not contravened the regulations, and that all I had said was in the German and other foreign Press before I had said it. The magistrate fined us each £100 and costs, for the technical offence of disobeying the Censorship. But we stated our case very plainly, and ail the papers are full of it. A great many people came to look on. Many messages of congratulation in the evening. 234 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION Friday, Feb. 22. Masses of cuttings from all parts of the country about our case, and I have not yet seen one word of hostile comment. The letters of approval of our attitude continue to flow in. Dined with Lady Drogheda and Lady Paget at Claridge's, and went to see an amusing American play called The Whole Truth, which kept the house in roars of laughter. Sir Vincent Caillard joined us there. Sunday, Feb. 24. General Sir F. Maurice writes that he is ordered not to talk with me about the war, but says, ' I have the greatest admiration for your courage and deter- mination, and am quite clear that you have been the victim of political persecution such as I did not think was possible in England.' I write a stiff criticism of L. G.'s explanation in the Commons last Tuesday of the Versailles decisions . Dined with Belle Herbert and her two boys Sidney and Michael, and Juliet Duff, in Carlton House Terrace. A very pleasant evening. They screamed over my story of Robertson's remark that he and I ' could no more afford to be seen to- gether just now than we could afford to be seen walking down Regent Street with a whore ! ' Another story of the umbrella which R.'s private secretary gave him on his birthday. ' Umph ! ' said R., * very nice. I suppose that Jellicoe is using his now, isn't he ? ' Monday, Feb. 25. Lunched at the Ian Hamiltons'. They say that if R. had asked for 48 hours to reflect before he accepted the Eastern Command, Derby would have been out of office. R. is away. Met Lady Kitty Somerset, who declares that she is devoted to L. G., and I said that he was not playing the game by the Army and the generals . Went on to see Gwynne, who is much pleased with my criticism of L. G.'s last speech. It will appear in a day or two. Gwynne agrees with me that we should then suspend criticism, having done all in our power to alter things regarding ( 1 ) the command, (2) effectives, and (3) the side-shows. We think that, journalistically, we shall stand in a very strong position during the approaching campaign. Plumer is coming back from Italy to take over his old 2nd Army. Cavan takes his place in Italy. Rawly 's 4th Army is to be absorbed. 1918] XO PRIME MINISTER INDISPENSABLE 235 Gwynne has shoals of letters, all approving of our action, and several people offer to pay oiu" fines, showing their practical sjinpathy. Lady Bathurst wTites that she heartily approves of all that we have done. She has been quite splendid in all this affair, and so has Lord Bathurst. Tuesday, Feb. 2G. Gktt through all my letters thanking sympatliisers. Wrote an article on ' The Russian Tragedy.' The Grermans are invading from Dvinsk towards Petro- grad, and meeting ^vith little resistance, while they are also joining hands with the Ukraine in the South, with the double advantage of smashing Bolshevism and getting bread. The cause of the Entente in Russia is hopelessly compromised, and poor Poland is in a terrible situation. Such is the inevitable result of the lunatic revolution and the anarchy which it has brought in its train. Lunched with Mi*s. George Keppel ; Violet and Sonia, Lady Randolph, Mr. McKenna, Lords Ribblesdale, Lurgan, and richest er, and a few more. Lady Randolph and I agree that if we began again at 17 we should do the same as we had done, only more so. Then we decided that we could not have done more so if we had tried. Violet very good com- pany. Dined in the evening with the Maguires in Cleveland Square, and found Lady Edmund Talbot, Lord Peel, Mrs. Roimy Greville, Lord Lamington, IVIrs. Keppel, and others. Mrs. MaguLre told me that a lot of the War Cabinet had come in the evening before the last debate, aU abusing me and expecting to be upset. They had evidently told her that Clemenceau had talked to me. I spoke freely about my case and criti- cised the Gk)vernment hotly. Peel said, to-night, that in the case of every Prime MinLstcr in recent years it had been said that he could not be replaced, as it is said now, and that the change was always quite easy. Of no one was it said more than of Sir H. Camplx-U-Bannerman, and few people now remembered that he had been Prime Minister at all. Maguire also said that he supposed that Milner and Curzon remained in office under L. G. from an exaggerated estimate of their own importance. VOL. II. B 236 THE MORNING POST PKOSECUTION A letter from Robertson, who is in the country for another week : — 25th February 1918. My dear Repington, — I shall return to London in about a week's time, after which I shall have a good deal of inspection work to do, but I will not fail to arrange a talk with you. My present feelings are that I am more or less retired from the Pubhc Service, except so far as my own particular Command is con- cerned. I am heartily sick of the whole sordid business of the past month. Like yourself, I did what I thought was best in the general interests of the Country, and the result has been exactly as I expected would be the case. I am in no way surprised at the turn events have taken, in fact I felt sure from the first that they would be as they have proved to be. The Country has just as good a Government as it deserves to have. I feel that your sacrifice has been great, and that you have a difficult time in front of you. But the great thing is to keep on a straight course, and then one may be sure that good will eventually come out of what may now seem to be evil. — Yours very truly, W. Robertson. A letter from AUenby of some interest, particularly the end of it, in which he answers a question of mine : — General Headquarters, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, ^th February 1918. My dear Repington, — I was very pleased to get your letter of 18th Deer., and I thank you for your congratulations and good wishes. I was deeply interested in your summary of affairs in Europe. Things there seem not to be as cheerful as could be wished. But I feel confident that we shall keep our end up till the Americans can pull their weight. Here, we are in the wet season ; during which there falls, in four months, as much rain as falls in Eng- land in twelve. My roads and railways, shaky at the best, can't stand all that rain ; and I am busied with their development and repair, as my subsistence depends on their work. Meanwhile, I am consolidating and improving my positions N. of Jerusalem and Jaffa. Later, I may undertake something bigger, if it fits in with general policy. The Turk is not aggres- 1918] ALLENBY ON THE WEST 237 sive. He is digging iii, on the line Tul-Keran-Nablus. I don't think he has much over 3U,000 men on the line from the sea, W. of Tul-Keran and Jericho. Germans, to the extent of one regi- ment of three battahons, and some half dozen batteries, are in this countr}' and on that line ; but I don't beheve that the two German divisions exist. I i&ncy that they are only muck. The Turks talk a lot about retaking Jerusalem, but they want the Germans to do it for them, and I imagine that the Germans \\ill not commit many troops to that enterprise at present. They wiW probably conline themselves to the defence of Damascus. The Turks made a determined effort to retake Jerusalem on the 27th Deer., and subsequent days ; and we gave them a terrible hammering, driving them back seven miles and more, and con- so Udating our positions (N. of Birch). We buried more than lUOO of their dead, and took 7U0 prisoners. As regards opera- tions in this theatre, balanced against those in the West, I recognise that the West is the essential battle-ground, where victory will be decisive. Make sure of victory there. If, how- ever, you undertake further operations here and in Mesopotamia, they must be carried out \vdth adequate forces. A set-back here, now, would be disastrous ; and, whatever strategical purists may say, if Egypt were lost, the link that binds the East to the West is snapped — probably for ever. — Ever yours, Edmund Allege y. Wednesday, Feb. 27. Lunched with Mrs. Aster, Sir Campbell Stewart, and ]\Irs. Cecil Higgins ; enjoyable as always. Was to have dined at Lady Paget 's, but could not manage it. D. S. ]\lacColl, Keeix?r of the Wallace Collection, dined at Maryon, and we had a pleasant talk in the evening. Thursday, Feb. 28. The Censor has had orders from liis masters to cut out political criticism from my article * Versailles and London,' and Gwymie is objecting strongly. Lunched with Lady Juliet, and we had a good chat about books, j>eople, and things. She has decided that she cannot fall in love with anybody while she has hospital accounts to do, and I said the war took up too much of one's time to leave enough to satisfy a pretty woman. We plan a little dinner, with Mrs. Astor and General Trcnchard lo join UK. Had tea witli Lady X. at her father's house, and 238 THE MORNING POST PKOSECUTION found that we agreed on most matters connected with present-day politics. Her father is ready to give up his seat to a mutual friend of ours in certain events. Dined at the Blind Officers' Home, 21 Portland Place, with Sir Arthur Pearson and some 30 or 40 blind officers. They all seemed to get on wonderfully well with theii' dimiers, and quite without help. The conversation was just as though they could all see, and Sir Arthur on one side of me and a Canadian Colonel on the other were very agreeable. I had been asked to talk to them about the war after dinner, when we adjourned into a comfortable sitting-room. I was a little anxious how I should feel with 30 or 40 pairs of sight- less eyes directed on me, and thought that I might suffer from stage-fright. But all went well, and I took them round the world with our armies and fleets and told them the posi- tion. Then they asked many questions, and I answered to the best of my ability. A most agreeable evening, and they seemed to be a charming lot of fellows, keenly inter- ested in all that was going on. Sir Arthur told me that the great thing was to keep them up with the times, and that they would discuss amongst themselves for a week all the points that I had raised. He thought my little address was ideal. Derby, Winston, Auckland Geddes, and the Bishop of London had been amongst the guests who had preceded me in former weeks. One feels the deepest compassion for these gallant souls, most of whom are in the flower of their youth, and I promised to go to St. Dunstan's one afternoon to see more of the blind cases. I shall go away for a few days to Devonshire. There is nothing more that I can do except to watch the inevitable consequences of the War Cabinet's folly during the next few months. They have starved the Army for men, have dispersed our military resources about the world, and now have to face the consequences of their folUes. They have dismissed the safest guide in strategy after refusing to listen to his warnings, and they have prosecuted me for showing them up. Upon the Army and the country will fall the retribution which Lloyd Greorge and his War Cabinet alone deserve. 1918] UGBROOKE PARK 539 Saturday to Tuesday, March 2-5. Went down to Ugbrooke Park, Chiidleigh, Devon, to stay with Lady Clifford. A big house among the lulls and dales, not beautiful out- side, but v^ith well-proportioned rooms and a great deal of handsome furniture, tapestries, and pictures. A pleasant party theix?, and others arrived on Monday. We had a good walk over the hills on Sunday, and played tennis all Monday. A very pleasant rest. Many treasures at Ugbrooke — nearly all old family things. I hked the LeWs in the dining-room, especially those of Catherine of Braganza and of Monmouth. There is a good Lely of Thomas, first Lord CHfford, Charles n.'s famous Treasurer, a notable and active personage as we learn from the diaries of Pepys and Evelyn. There are some Romneys, a Reynolds, a lot of interesting old prints, and some fine silver. The picture of Fair Rosamund, who was a CHfford and Henry 11. 's mistress, interested me. She looks like an under-housemaid, but I hope, for the credit of Royal taste, that the artist maUgned her. There are still among the deer in the park some of the ' white harts of Ugbrooke ' of which Dry den wrote. The place must be very beautiful in the summer. Wednesday, March 6. Wrote an article for Gwynne on ' The Western Front.' I met Will Meredith and his partner at Constable's. Thursday, March 7. A terrible lot of correspondence. Letters of congratulation and sympathy stiU coming in, and more offers of cheques to pay for my defence. I have seen no hostile criticism at all, though piles of cuttings come to me from all the Press of the United Kingdom. Lunched with two friends. One had to run off early to a hospital, and X. and I remained to talk. He told me that the Versailles Board had already broken down in practice. Haig had refused to allow it to shift his troops about. I expect that Foch will find Petain just as hard to move. So this is what all the gammon has come to, and X. says that the reduction of the Versailles Staff is now admitted because it will now not have the duty of carrying out large movements, such as the transfer of British reserves to 240 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION Verdun ! X. says that Rhondda will probably go, as the food position is dreadful. The whole thing is a hopeless muddle. It has been the fixing of inadequate maximum prices that has stopped supphes at their source. He does not think the evil beyond repair, but says that there is only wheat till August 24 next, and that 10 horse ships have to go to Burma to load rice to make up the deficit from August to our next harvest. Rhondda got 1,200,000 cattle IdUed last autumn against advice, and then accused the Army of taking the meat, though it had only 60,000 carcases. Rhondda has established no refrigerat- ing plant all this time, and meat has to be passed through it before it goes into cold storage. It is because the French established the refrigerating plant that they are so flush of meat. A curator of Japanese prints hkely to be made the cheese controller ! Butter is wanting because it takes 2^ gallons of milk to make 1 lb. of butter, and the fixed price of the butter, 2s. 6d., is less than the milk costs. X. says that almost everything has been equally muddled. The Irish are feeding their pigs on oats. What a pack of imbeciles we have got ! We discussed Carson's intervention yesterday in the Commons, his defence of Jelhcoe, and his almost open attack on Geddes and Lloyd George. A long afternoon at the Tribunal. At night a Boche air raid from 12 to 1.15 A.M. The Gothas passed over us and a few bombs fell fairly near. About 60 casualties. A shell struck my house, all round a window out of which I was looking, and a large piece of the shell was found in the morning. My friends say that it is the Kindergarten shoot- ing at Maryon from St. James's Park. But the Kindergarten could never hit anything it aimed at. I must ask our guns on ' The Spaniards ' to shoot back at No. 10. Saturday, March 9. Lunched with Lady Massereene at 55 Eaton Place. Found there Mrs. Peto, Miss Norton, Lady Mary, Sir F. E. Smith, — just got back from America — and the Com,te de Noailles. A most amusing lunch, in which the Attorney-General and I chaffed each other about the Morning Post prosecution and the Government. 1918] F. E. ON AMERICA 241 ¥. E. said that after his return a fresh question had come up of a renewed prosecution, but that he had not approved of it after my case had been tried. We had a good wTangle about it all in a good-humoured way and told each other our minds. F. E. declared that he had been lojal to Asquith and was now loyal to L. G., and would do his best to defend the Government. I said that I would defend the Govermnent if in his place, but admitted no loyalty except to the country. F. E.'s book on his American experiences just coming out. He only saw President \Yilson once. He found the States united and determined about the war wherever he went. His skipper heard the Boche submarines talking to each other on his return home, and a big ship was cut out of the convoys which preceded and follow^ed them. He w^as very flattering to the value of my past work about the war. He said that L. G. had completely dished the Unionist War Committee over their Press resolution, by going to them and telhng them pretty plainly that the type of man he wanted for pro- paganda was not to be found in the Committee, but was to be found in NorthcUffe, Beaverbrook and Co., leaving the Committee convulsed %vith laughter. F. E. says that Ulster's position is unchanged, and that as all the rest of Ireland is becoming Sinn Fein and pro-German, there is all the better reason for Ulster's intractable attitude. But F, E. was critical of Carson, whose speciaUty, he said, was resignation. He evidently does not like Carson's attitude about Jellicoe, but I do. De N. says that the Boches have 184 divisions now in France. They have eight more on the Austrian front, and it is a question where they will go. All attention is just now directed to the question of Japan and Siberia ! Fagalde is in Paris, and Clemenceau, with all the Versailles pack, comes here on Monday. Sunday, March 10. Mr. and Mrs. Gwynne lunched at Maryon. A lovely spring day. Gwynne says that the cheques sent to meet our expenses amount to over £1(K)() already. He is, of course, returning them with thanks. 242 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION Lord X. writes to me that David Davies, M.P., the friend of L. G., went to Paris some months ago as an ambassador fmriished with a letter to Painleve demanding the recall of Sarrail. He insisted upon being present at a Council of Ministers presided over by Poincare. Le Roy chaperoned him as he could speak no French. He was in uniform as a major, sat at the right hand of the President of the RepubHc, and produced his ultimatum. It is lucky for him Clemen- ceau was not there ! Are we living through the greatest tragedy of all history, or are we all supers in a comic opera ? Monday, March 11. Met the Labour leader, Arthur Henderson, M.P. About fifty-five and well preserved. A strongish face with hard lines. We had a poKtical talk. He holds that if Stockholm had come off, the Russians would still be in. H. says that with the alternative vote he expected 280 Labour members at the next General Election, but as he had not got it he counted on only 100 to 120. He had only 38 in his party now, and about a dozen of them were in the Government or with L. G. He admitted that his party had been squared by L. G. when the latter came in, partly by the promise of Cabinet posts and partly by promises about the nationaHsation of various industries. Asquith had not credited that either the Unionists or Labour would join L. G., though H. had warned him to the contrary. If a fresh CoaUtion Government were formed he might join it, but not on such terms that they could do nothing except by resigning. If he ever formed a Government, he talked of J. H. Thomas, Clynes, Anderson, SmilHe, Ramsay Mac- donald, and Lansbury as his colleagues. Not much chance of Unionist or Liberal collaboration with the last three ! He spoke unpleasantly about Ulster, vowing that he would impose the majority wishes on the North, but I told him that he would not do so without fighting. Tuesday, March 12. I began a reply to Mr. Bonar Law's review of the war on March 7. Dined with Lady Juliet and the Pembrokes. Lady JuUet looking very handsome. 1918] AIR-RAID COMEDIES 243 Reggie ever so much better. He probably leaves next week for Japan via America, with Sir Arthur Paget, to present a F.M.'s baton to the Emperor of Japan, and he hoj)es to go on to Siberia if the Japanese send troops there. At about 9 P. 31. Juhet had a message from somewhere to say that the Zepps. were moving off the Dutch coast, but they went to Yorkshire and did not favour us. Bee says that she gave a dance for the young Prince of Wales on the night of the last air raid, and that no one turned a hair, and all of them went on dancing ^^•ithout taking any notice. But a shrapnel shell came through the skyhght of the kitchen, and the cook made for the safe, with her best hat and her money in her hand ! Juliet said that Belloc and Chesterton dined with her the same night and were so absorbed by their own conversation that they did not hear the bombs. Bee is resuming her hospital work at WiJton, where she has now sixty beds for officers. The Hbrary and dining-room will now be filled with them. She is only keeping three spare rooms in the big house for her personal guests. Sootlisayers and precocious infants are prophes3dng the end of the war in April. It will have to hurry up. Wednesday, March 13. Finished a severe criticism of the Cabinet for its conduct of the war. Went down to Agnew's and saw a beautiful early portrait by Rembrandt of himself. Our counter-battery officers tell me that the German heavies are moving north. An interesting piece of news wliich looks hke an attack on us. Thursdmj, March 14. Lunclied with Olive ; Theresa Lady Londonderry, Lady Leslie, Dodo Benson, and some others. Wish that I could recall the amusing stories told. One, of a dance given by I^ady La very at an hotel. A guest arrives and says to a servant, ' Where can I find Lady Lavery ? ' ' Downstairs, first turning on the right, sir.' Another, of King Edward's fury at Queen Victoria's funeral at seeing Mrs. Asquith in a yellow fur. ' It was horrible ! 1 have never seen a cat that colour, ])ut it certainly was cat.' Another, of a famous peeress who had married an admirer of twenty years' standing and of whom some one said 'she had MA THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION made an honest man of him at last.' Various stories of John Morley, including Rosebery's lament that M. had never been deUvered of a man-child as it might have made him more human. Recollections of Lady Randolph's youth and of her beauty and fascination, which were extraordinary. I was told that the Home Office had asked the War Office to seize the Morning Post plant and to dismantle it. The W.O. had refused, as they said that my article had not told the Bodies anything that they did not know. They asked why the Home Office did not act, as they had powers. They replied that Sir G. Cave, the Home Secretary, might not approve ! Dined -wdth Lady Paget ; Lady Ridley, Mrs. Rupert Beckett, Evan Charteris, Sir P. E. Smith, the American Admiral Sims, and Lord Charles Montagu. The Admiral told me that the Boches had now about 160 U-boats, but rarely more than 8 or 10 cruising at once, as it was a most trying service, and they were often in port for 30 to 60 days repairing and resting crews. No more volunteers now offered themselves, and the crews had to be ordered to join. Our convoy system, of which he has been a strong advocate, had compelled the U-boats to cruise nearer to our shores off Brest, Land's End, and the north of Ireland. It was when the convoys broke up and our merchant ships went to their separate ports that most of the losses occurred. I asked why every convoy, with full escort, did not all go to one port, but it seems that it is inconvenient. Not more so than being sunk, I should think. The Americans are turning out 6 or 7 destroyers a month and will soon have 8 or 10. There are 160 on the stocks. The Ford 200-ton boats will soon be delivered at the rate of one a day. A cheery time in store for the U-boats, I hope. Sir P. E. told us some more of his American experiences. He had given fifty-two interviews, and all were fairly reported except one by a Sinn Peiner, which was abominably untrue. It had done him harm. The Hearst papers had reported in huge headhnes that he had been recalled because he was made to say of the Irish Convention that it was just 1918] IXA^VSIOX STANDARD CILINGED AGAIN 245 assembled to talk. At one dinner where he had prepared his speech carefully. Roosevelt was down to speak. It was im- portant for F. E. to get his speech out in time for the morning papers, so he asked Roosevelt how long he Avould take, and when Roosevelt said half an hour, F. E. begged him to speak first. Roosevelt accepted and took an hour and twenty minutes, with the result that not a word of F. E.'s speech reached the Press in time. F. E. had selected one of eight t^^^ists and had brought her to England to take down his book on America in shorthand during the voyage. He dictated all the morning and she typed it all the afternoon. He had presented her with £100 and sent her back. F. E. asked me whether I had fallen out with Northcliffe or Dawson when I left the Times. I said that I had had no personal disagreement with Northchffe, and that my quarrel was vnth. Dawson. F. E. said that when the trouble arose about the Times alarmist telegram after Mons, he and Dawson had both made mistakes, and he gave me the reasons why he had cut Dawson ever since. Lady Ridley says that she has lost half a stone during the war, but that she will only despair when deprived of cigar- ettes and biscuits. Evan Charteris at home from the Tanks for four months at the Bar. Friday, March 15. Lunched with the Pembrokes, Lady Juhet, Lord and Lady Anglesey, and General Lowther. Reggie very sure that we shall beat the Boches in the West, and that invasion is impossible. Lowther tells me that Admiral Wemyss's standard of potential invaders has been now raised by him from 30,000 to 60,000. I hke the way these folk chop and change as if they were plajang roulette ! Meanwhile the reserve divisions at home have been broken up for France. Anglesey has joined Robertson's Staff. Went on to meet General Dessino. Ho wants mo to support the Japanese plan for Siberia, and thinks that if the Japs get as far as Irkutsk it will do to give the loyal elements in Russia a chance. But ho wants us to make sure that Jai)an will not stay in Siberia, and thinks that she may be compensated in Manchuria. 246 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION He says that on the night of the last air raid there was a furious knocldng at his door. He was in bed in a short shirt, as Russians, he says, never wear pyjamas, and he went to open the door when in rushed a foreign diplomat and presented his French wife, paying no attention to Dessino's embarrassment and praying for sanctuary ! Dessino says that the Great Russians and the XJlo-ainians have long dishked each other, and that the latter speak a different dialect. He doubts whether the Germans will get much grain as the fields of the landlords are untilled, and the peasants will bury their grain and will only sell for gold. He is sure that Russia will revive some day, and says that she is not fit for re- pubhcan institutions. I saw Sir William Robertson at York House for the first time since his dismissal. He was looking well and cheery. He said that he had found that he had more friends than he knew, but fewer on whom he could count than he ex- pected. Everybody had told him to stand firm, but few, except G Wynne and I, had stood by him when he did so. R. said that Foch, at Versailles, had been good about our strengths, and that Clemenceau had evidently posted him up in what to say. L. G. had rephed in the sense that Clemenceau had told me, and Foch's answer had been good, when L. G. got up in a furious rage saying that he would not remain in the Council if his acts were to be criticised by a foreign general. He had appealed to the President, and Clemenceau, while saying that Foch had a right to speak, threw oil on the troubled waters. But L. G. was white, heated, and looked hke a ruffled bird, all of a heap. He was given a very bad time, and every one was against him. The next day Aleppo came up, and Clemenceau began by saying that after the previous day's discussion of numbers and its result, there could, of course, be no question of Aleppo, whereupon L. G. got up and began an impassioned defence of it, talking the usual tommy-rot for half an hour. Clemenceau then gave him a great dressing-down, sajring that it was im- possible to talk of such follies when the Germans had nine 1918] ROBERTSON'S VIEWS 247 French departments in theii- hands and were within sixty- miles of Paris. He pomed scorn on the plan, and drove in point after point, leaving L. G. smaller and smaller until he was almost shrivelled up. L. G., in fact, had never re- ceived such a dusting in liis hfe. As for Versailles, R. thought that nobody really wanted it or beheved in it. R.'s oa\ti plan was the only tenable one. He heard that the Itahans did not like the present plan at all. A plan which placed two generals in command at the front and a thii'd in command of the reserves was damned by its OMii inherent futihty. He thought that L. G., having secured his, R.'s, disappearance, would soon tlirow over the Versailles scheme. He said that L. G., instead of being pleased with Allenby's campaign, had fumed because the G.S., unwilling to prophesy the result of a battle, had not guaranteed the occupation of Jerusalem on any fixed day, and L. G. had accused both R. and Allenby of exaggerating difficulties in order to prevent the campaign from taking place. R. said that he, R., had never favoured the Palestine campaign, and that there were plenty of papers to prove it. We could not spare the men for these luxuries till we were safe in France. R. had begun his mspections of the S.E. garrisons, and had been appalled by the bad quahty of his men. I told R. that I had entirely disagreed with the G.S. about Home Defence, and hoped that he would not be confronted too much with his own department's papers, and would not be too much upset when he found how rotten Home Defence was. Saturday, March IG. Lunched with Mi's. Ronny Greville and met Mr. Asquith. Asquith in good form and very good company. He was looking weU and rested. After lunch was over, ^Irs. Greville left us alone, and we had a serious talk. He asked for my views. Would the great German attack come ? I said that I beheved the Kiihhnann party dreaded it, and that its dehvery would mean the eternal hostihty of the Western Powers, including America, whether the Huns won or lost, and that the political and economic eflect uj)on Germany would bo disastrous to her. But i could lind no mihtary 248 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION grounds for believing that the attack would not come, as all the preparations were for attack, and I thought that our business was to prepare against it, whether it was to be war or negotiation, so that in either event we might stand in the most favourable position possible. With this Asquith entirely agreed, and he wants us to close down the side-shows and do all we can on the Western front. Presuming the attack took place, how would it be planned ? I thought by the delivery of prehminary attacks at Salonika or in Palestme to draw away our reserves, and then a great blow at Italy with the mass of the Austrians and a few Hun divisions as spearhead. The ItaUans would send up the S.O.S. and our troops would have to go to help, and then the big thing would come in France when our reserves were scurrying about to help in distant theatres. Would it break through ? I could not say, but thought that it would have to be dehvered and would be serious. With this, also, Asquith agreed. Then, we came to consider this main operation, and I found that Asquith and I were agreed that we could not anticipate the mihtary defeat of the Germans now that the Russians had gone out, until greater Yankee forces arrived or we altered our Eastern strategy, and that the only question at present was whether the Huns could defeat us. We each gave this as our private opinion, and both said that we could neither of us express it openly. We agreed, also, that the only course was to go on and hold out until greater American support arrived, but neither of us, with the present rate of American arrivals, expected anything decisive on this side till well into 1919, and Asquith asked whether we could stand the strain. He was interesting on this American point. If we made terms with the enemy now, Asquith thought that the Ameri- cans would be as furious with us as we should have been with the French if they had made peace in 1915, when we had a milhon men training here. The Americans thought that they were going to do a big thing, and they would despise us for giving way when America was about to win the war : they would hate us more than after the War of Independence. 1918] A TALK WITH ASQUITH 249 Yes, I said, and then there is the future. If we are left to be the sole support of France at some future date when Grermany is ready to renew the war, then hfe in England would be intolerable. We must get America right in and responsible for the Peace Terms, so that if Germany broke them America would be involved, having footed the joint bill. Therefore it comes to this, said Asquith, that we must go on and hold out until the Americans are well in, and that we could not make terms except \\ith their full partici- pation and approval. This seemed to me the only rational conclusion. Asquith had met Clemenceau at the French Embassy last night, and C. had complained that these Inter-Alhed Councils were a great waste of time. This accorded with my information that things had been left unsettled, ^ and Asquith thought that there was no point in a monthly meeting to take up three or four days of the time of a busy man. I said that I heard that the Itahans were not at all pleased with Versailles. I did not think that L. G. would pine to go to Versailles again, so distressing had been his experience on the last occasion. It was all right for him when he dominated the others and could go large, but now he was up against Clemenceau, who saw through him and asked him inconvenient questions which he could not answer. Asquith thought that Briand was the best of the French statesmen, and I told him how much I appreciated him, and repeated something of my last talk with Briand, in- cluding the ' Rubicon ' story, which amused Asquith much. The latter thought that Marshall should remain at Bagdad, where he might make himself safe, and he did not much a])prove of the advance to Hit. He did not know why Allenby was again advancing, but he had heard that Damascus had now been substituted for Aleppo as the objective, and Asquith saw no point in the advance, while I told him that it was part and parcel of the false strategy which revelled in luxuries and forgot necessities. Asquith ' Actually, tho plan concocted at Paris had hcoii knocked out. Haig and Potain had been loft in charge of their own reserves. 250 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION did not like the look of things at Salonika. He told me how Jofire had led us there at Briand's instigation, and put it all down to the desire of both to get Sarrail out of France, and to dish the Rue de Valois people. We feared that if Caillaux were not condemned, Clemenceau might fall, and Asquith thought that there was not enough evi- dence against Caillaux to hang a cat. We both marvelled at Clemenceau's activity and courage. Asquith asked me much about the relations between Foch, Petain, Nivelle, and Haig, and I told him how these matters stood. We thought that this sort of jumble might go on with- out an exposure until the German attack came, but that then the Versailles plan of disunity of command must break down. I also told Asquith about the reduction of his old 70,000- invaders' standard to 30,000, how I heard that it had now been again raised, how these people were trifling with a serious matter, and how rotten I had found Home Defence, concerning which he knew my views very well from the old Defence Committee inquiries. I spoke to Asquith about the state of our divisions and regretted that no notice had been taken in ParUament of their reduced strengths. Asquith understood that we were to have 150,000 American infantry to fill up. I said that I had heard the same thing, but objected to the plan, firstly, because L. G. would make it a fresh excuse for refusing to supply more men, and, secondly, from my dread of a change in American feehng if an American contingent was knocked about, or if some act of American indiscipHne were sternly punished. Asquith also thought that this plan was serious and might prove dangerous. Mrs. GreviUe never asked me anything about the con- versation, — a reticence which I much appreciated — but I told her that Asquith and I were quite agreed. She said that after the Conference in France in Oct. 1915, when the Salonika expedition had been settled, Asquith and Balfour had been 2| hours late in returning, and that Asquith, who was due to dine with her, had come in at 10.30 p.m. to ask for a whisky-and-soda and a sandwich. He had 1918] MRS. FORD'S LAST SONG 251 told ;Mi-s. Gieville that he liad been blackmailed, which is just what Salonika amounted to. She has just bought the Raeburn and Lawrence pictures of the Pattisson and Paterson childi-en, and they were hanging up and looked fine. As good examples of early EngUsh as one could wish to possess. Dined with Theresa Lady Londonderry, and found a man, whose name I did not catch, from the Munitions Ministry ; also Lady Beatty and Mrs. LasceUes — Balfoiu's niece. I had a good talk with her about things. She is attractive and intelhgent. Lady Beatty told me that her Admiral now has to send some of his bigger ships constantly to sea, and that it is an additional anxiety and may some day bring on a big fight. Sumhii/, March 17. Met at Olive's Mr. Jerome Greene of the American H.Q. AUied Maritime Transport Council who work at 12 Eaton Square. Belle Herbert, Mrs. Crawshay, Lady LesHe, and the Councillor of the Spanish Embassy Count San Esteban de Canongo also there. Mrs. Crawshay told us that she had helped Lady Bagot to clear up at the house in Warrington Crescent, where there had been killed, in the last raid, Mi's. Ford, who wi'ote the popular song, ' Keep the Home Fires Burning.' She had found in the house a short list of other songs, and the last written by Mrs. Ford was called, ' For Me — Remembrance ! ' Walked away with Greene, who thinks that considering all the progress made in the last two months, the American transport of troops will now make great strides ahead. We are about to commandeer all Dutch ships in Allied jiorts, and the Germans are furious about it and threaten reprisals on Holland. Dined with General and Mrs. Harbord at Prince's. The General and I discussed Palestine, whence lie has ju.st returned, and I found him in full accord with the views that Robertson and I hold about the campaign. He commands the Imperial Service troops from Lidia, and Ih a good type of the Indian Army olliccr. He is just ofT again to Egypt. Monday, March 18, Met Arthur Henderson again, and VOL. II. 8 252 THE MORNING POST PROSECUTION we sat gossiping about politics until 4 p.m. H. rather approved of Milner, but not of Curzon. The latter had fought H. in the Cabinet over the new register which C. hated so much that he would rather have wrecked the Cabinet than have given women votes. At last H. had thumped the table and had asked Curzon whether he wished the working-classes to get their rights by com- promise or by revolution, and this shut Curzon up. A good but probably untrue story of Curzon seeing soldiers bathing and expressing surprise that the lower orders had such white skins. Father Wynch came up to Mary on. He is on leave from the front, and said that there had been 15,000 converts to Roman Cathohcism in our Armies in France. He thought that the main reason was that imminence of danger caused the men to turn to the Church, which offered such help and consolation to her sons in the hour of death, and also the magnificent conduct of the French priests in the ranks of the Army. He thought the spirit of the men very good. Tuesday, March 19. I hear that the meeting of the Allied War Council here has cancelled the Paris decision about a third Commander for the reserves . I am told that my criticism killed the silly plan. Now Haig and Petain will have a dog's chance at all events. Went to lunch with Mrs. Greville and found Lord Chaplin, Lady Londonderry, Lord Peel, Lady Drummond the Canadian, Mrs. Bevil Fortescue, and a Canadian colonel. Walter Long had the 'flu and could not come. Lord Chaplin had just been addressing a crowd in Trafalgar Square from a hay cart ! He was trying to get 10,000 more women for the land. He says that Prothero is an authority on the history of agriculture, and on its hterary and statistical side. ChapHn is hating Rhondda and all his works, and agrees that his staff are pestiferous. I walked round to his house, a few doors off Mrs. Ronny's, and we had a bit of a talk about the war. Went on with Mrs. Ronny to Christie's and saw a fine lot of Raeburns from some Scottish private houses, largely Mackenzies. They should sell well. We 1918] SWEDEN AND FINLAND 253 admired a boy's picture very much, and the portraits were very striking. Went on afterwards to play a little Bridge ^\^tll Queen Amelio of Portugal, Coinitess Wrangel the wife of the Swedish ]\Linister, and the Vicomte Asseca. The Vicomtesse gave us a sumptuous tea. The Queen most agreeable as always. The Countess complained that we ought to have invited the Swedes to clear Finland, I think it better that the Swedes should hate the Boches for doing so. I happened to have in my pocket my minia- ture of Lady Hamilton. The Queen was greatly taken with it, and agreed that it explained Ennna as no Romney portrait had ever done. I have had it photographed for Vestigia. Wednesday, March 20. Had another look at the early Rembrandt portrait of himself and hked it even better than before. Cohn Agnew brought in a £15,000 Franz Hals, and the Rembrandt made it look positively common. I prefer the early Rembrandts to all later ones, but it seems that the American market does not — a satisfactory confirmation of my opinion. CHAPTER XXXII THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 The German offensive of March 21 begins — The ninety-three German divisions against the British — General Crozier on American trans- port and guns — Disquieting reports — A large claim of captured prisoners and guns by the Germans — Mr. Bouar Law's unfortunate prediction — The battle continues to go against us — Our Army back on the lines of 1916 — Germans claim 45,000 prisoners and 1000 guns — Our men fighting one against three— The War Cabinet's death-bed repentance — Our losses 110,000 in a week — General Foch appointed Co-ordinator — A conversation with General Robertson — -The position of our reserves before the battle — The French support us — The new Man-Power BiU — Colonel Fagalde on the situation — General Foch's optimism — Sir Hubert Gough on the defeat of his 5th Army by over- whelming numbers — A fresh German attack at Armentieres succeeds — General Trenchard's dismissal — Mr. Lloyd George's excuses for our defeats — The position in Russia — General Foch has no troops yet for a great counter-attack — Sir Alan Johnstone and the Hague Legation — M. Cambon on Japanese intervention — Lord Rothermere's resignation — Mr. Lloyd George and Sir Edward Carson on the Morning Post and the Times — General Allenby on the change of policy in the East. Thursday, March 21. Alea jada est ! This morning there began the much discussed German offensive in the West against our British Armies between the Oise and the Scarpe. We were furiously attacked by heavy masses which got into some of our front Unes after suffering great losses. Only the valour of the British soldier can atone for the follies of the War Cabinet. Friday, March 22. Haig's report this morning is that we are holding the enemy, but there is nothing to show what we have lost. Lunched with Lady Paget and met Prince and Princess Victor Bonaparte, Lady Lowther, the American General Crozier, and the Comte de Noailles. The latter told 264 1918] A DISQUIETING REPORT 255 me that there were 93 German divisions on the British front now, and that yesterday's attack was delivered by 45 German divisions, of which 20 or so were in fii'st Une, and the rest in reserve. We seem, on the Mhole, to have held them, but the W.O. expects that we have lost men and gmis. A pleasant talk with, the Prince and Princess, between whom I sat. He tells me that the Empress Eugenie, who is 93, is still well and in full possession of all her faculties. His house in the Avenue Louise is all right and wiU so remain while the Spanish ^Minister is at Brussels. Went off with Crozier, who thinks that America can send more than one division a month to France now, and that tonnage will be doubled by August. He expects an aggregate of 500,000 men by June, 1,000,000 by the end of the year, and 2,000,000 by the summer of 1919. He hopes that they can be supphed, but it will need 6,000,000 tons gross at 3 tons a man. Their rifles are all right. The French field guns, though not up to the promised number, are coming on as quickly as the troops arrive, and none have been yet without their guns. The Brownings, on which the U.S. have banked, are said to have proved very successful in their trials. They have only one division in the line by itself, but two others mixed up with French troops. Saturday, March 23. Haig's report of last night is more disquieting, and the Germans say that they have taken 16,000 prisoners and 200 guns. There is no doubt that the greater part of our first-line system, exce])t the reserve fine, was in German hands yesterday from the Sensee to the Oise, partly captured, and })artly evacuated for troops to preserve their alignment. Besides forty divisions attacking, other mas-eJ3 are identified in rear, and there can be little doubt tliat this will be the decisive battle of the war. The Cabinet mucli rattled, and L. G. tells the miners that ' it is absolutely essential for us, if we are to avoid defeat, to have more men to maintain our Armies in the field.' He added, ' 1 have never heard any one challenge that need.' He also says that ' the (lennans have attacked us with overwiielmiug forces.' Let him compare this cry 256 GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 of anguish with the speech of the War Cabinet spokesman, Mr. Bonar Law, only a fortnight ago, on March 7, when he declared that ' there will be no dangerous superiority on the Western front from the point of view of guns any more than from the point of view of men,' and that he was ' still a httle sceptical ' about the threatened offensive. To that I rephed in the Morning Post, on March 16, that it was not legitimate to be sceptical about the offensive, and I drew the conclusion from B. L.'s speech that the War Cabinet ' has no sense of the realities of war, nor of its mechanics, nor of the manner of fighting of the Germans, nor of the advantages of the initiative.' All the bhndness and folly of the War Cabinet for a year past are now bearing their bitter fruits. I lunched with the Ian Hamiltons. Sir Ian confessed that he and all the War Cabinet had been hopelessly at fault in disbeheving in the German offensive. We were feehng too badly about the loss of men, guns, and ground, announced to-day, to talk much. Met Colonel Webber of the St. John's Wood R.A. Cadet School : he seems a nice fellow. BeUe Herbert and some others there. Monday, March 25. The battle continues to go against us, and our two Armies, the 5th and 3rd, are retiring slowly. The Germans make high claims of men and guns captured. Fagalde lunched with me at Prince's GriU. We found that everything that we had expected had happened, and that nothing else could have happened. Had a dish of tea with Robertson at York House. We were interrupted by visitors, as Lady R. had been economis- ing coal in her drawing-room, so there was not much chance of a chat, but we discussed a few things. I dined with the Scarbroughs in Park Lane. They were alone. He quite approves of the mobile battahons of Volunteers being called up for a month's training. Looked in at Londonderry House after dinner and heard from L. that the Convention had been a complete frost, and that the voting has gone on pretty evenly. North against South, on all questions, and that there was no approach to an agreement. Tuesday, March 26. Things looking a trifle brighter to-day, 1918] BACK ON OUR 1916 LINES 257 and it is thought that if we can hold up the enemy to-day we may pull through. Lunched with Lady Massereene and found also there Ishngton, Lady Curzon, Lady Elcho, Lady Titchtield, General Brancker, and Eric Chaplin. A lot of talk and chaff. Walked away with Ishngton, who told me that they were anxious to seize Ispahan, but that MarUng was holding up the plan. We agreed that India had been much uncovered on her frontiers by recent happenings. Monro, says Islington, is doing well. IMontagu will be back in May. Dined \^ith the Eric Chaphns at Mansfield House, 1 8 New Cavendish Street ; a charming Adams house with well-proportioned rooms, all very dignified, and in the best style of architecture. Lady Nunburnholme had walked into the house one day and had bought it for her daughter, Mrs. Chaplin. We had two pleasant flying officers there. Chaplin is also at the Air Ministry. Much chaff about the lad}- clerks and chauffeuses. I hear that the Handley-Page which bombed Cologne this week was 8| hours in flight, which is exceptional. They hit the railway station, so they say. We seem to have beaten the Boches well in the air because their men are badly trained, — only for six weeks, — and the star fliers came on the scene too late. But Boche reports claim Boche air victories. ChapHn gave us some remarkable old brandy of 1794. It was laid down by Lord Henry Bentinck years ago. ChapHn had ' given away ' two dozen of it to Morgan at £5 a bottle when Morgan bought his Bordeaux. Wednesday, March 27. After a week of fighting our 3rd Army, fighting against three times its strength, has Ix'en forced back lo the old lines which we held at the end of June 191G. The Boches claim 45,000 prisoners and nearly 1000 guns. Our 5th Army has been reheved by the French, and has, I fear, been badly broken. It is the worst defeat in the history of the Army. I am anxious because if the Boche wedge is driven much further, our left Armies will be cut off from the others. Petain is sending up to us more support than we asked for. There is a certain reduction of the pressure to-day, 258 GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 but I don't think that it will last. We have been figliting 73 Boche divisions with about a third of their numbers. It is the result which the War Cabinet has been legislating for during the past j'^ear. Lunched with Mrs. Greville and found the Spanish Ambassador, Sir Mark and Lady Sykes, Sir Fritz Ponsonby, Lady AHngton, Lord Queenborough, and Lady Cunard. A gay party in spite of all. His Excellency does not think that the Dutch much mind the seizure of their ships, and hope to profit by it. Mark Sykes and I agreed that we should now attempt to take away our troops from Salonika. I told the story of Balfour, who, on being informed that we had lost 1000 guns, repHed calmly, ' Oh really, what a bore ! ' This story brought up one by Mark, v/ho said that as he had been sent by the W.O. to keep touch with the F.O., he thought it right to report himself to Balfour, who said to him, ' But, my dear Mark, I thought that you had been at the Foreign Office for years ! ' The Ambassador also told us that Cambon had grumbled to Balfour about the latter's Zionist plan, and had reminded B. that, according to prophecies, the end of the world would follow the return of the Jews to Palestine. ' That is just the point,' rejoined BaKour ; ' think how interesting it will be for us aU to see it ! ' The Spanish Ambassador assured me that the U-boat which had taken refuge at Ferrol had had her propellers removed and a guard set over her. He said that Spain alone had refused to allow U-boats to put to sea again after taking refuge in Spanish ports. Thursday, March 28. The situation in France is not too favourable. We and the French were heavily attacked yesterday along the whole front, and a fresh bombardment of our fines east of Arras opened this morning. The battle now extends from the Scarpe to the Oise, through west of Monchy- Bucquoy - Beaumont Hamel - the Ancre - Morlancourt - Chej)illy-Harbonnieres-Rosieres. Here we join the French, who hold L'Echelle - St. Aurin - Beauvraignes - Lassigny - Noyon south approaches, and the left bank of the Oise. The French have been pressed back a bit east of Montdidier. 1918] THE GERMANS BEATEN AT ARRAS 259 In general, we are attacked on a front of 100 kilometres, 62| miles, and large numbers were again reported in the attacks on the whole of the above front yesterday. Later in the day I hear that the Fi'ench have lost Montdidier. Lord Cm'zon of Kcdlcston sends me a packet of documents from Charles Townsliend and I return them. The War Cabinet now frantically trjing to do all the things which the soldiers implored them to do months ago. It is late. Saturday, March 30. No great change these last two days. The Germans brought ten divisions against us at Arras and eleven to the south of it, and were repulsed Avdth great loss. The French fighting hard on the Une Noyon-Montdidier, and this afternoon are reported to have retaken the latter town. Lunched with Jack Cowans and another friend. Jack tells me that 200 guns went out to replace losses during eighteen hours on Saturday last. The 5th Army has lost 50,000 tons of ammunition. He does not know what else he will have to replace, but is well up with all reserves of stores and supplies, and has just given the Americans 3000 lorries. Our losses are estimated at 110,000 up to to-day. The Boche losses are reported to be immense. Officers back from the front say that our guns simply mowed down great masses of Germans and could not miss them. We bad never had such a mark. Derby tells Jack that he will require 500,000 sets of clothing for the men whom they expect to get from the new Man-Power Bill, which Macready declares to be satis- factory from the A.G.'s point of view, and apparently includes Ireland. But the least improvement in the position will set the Cabinet shuffling again, and they are sure then to cut down something. Paris said to be quiet. No boat expected to sail for the next two or three weeks. Colonel Balfour, at .Southam]iton, said that he had just shipped the 700,000th horse from the Docks since the war began. Thejc has been a question of su])plying 2(H), 000 sets of clothes for the Volunteers, but apparently the w()l)l)lors liavc now drawn back again, find do not mean to call up the Volunteers. 1 suppose our fool of a War Cabinet think that untrained rcciuits arc just as good. Eoch reported to-day 26o GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 in several papers to have been made generalissime, but no official announcement yet, and Jack says that the Army Council have heard nothing of it. They will, no doubt, be the last to hear of it. Foch a good man, and anything is better than the rotten Versailles plan. Rawly has taken over a reconstituted 4th Army, and all his Staff of ten generals and thirty other officers at Versailles have gone ofiE with him. Hope that they have enjoyed their hohday. Versailles seems to be putting up the shutters, which is a mercy at all events. The preposterous Versailles plan of disunity of command would have lost the war. Sunday, March 31. Not much change to-day. The country, though greatly moved by the battle, is steady, and only awaits the orders of the Government, which do not come. The War Cabinet sit all day and are much rattled. L. G. reported to be in the depths. He sends a panic cable to America. The King back from three days in France, where his visit did good. The soldiers cry out to him, ' For God's sake send us men.' The Press is steady. The Daily Mail suddenly discovers that men should have been sent before. The Tories pompous and hypocritical. Every one says that if the Cabinet had attended to me these mis- fortunes could not have occurred. Monday, April 1. The fighting goes on along the whole front from Arras down to Montdidier and Noyon, There are some local changes without great importance, but, on the whole, to our advantage. The German losses are by all accounts immense, and some optimists think that the enemy has suffered so much, and is so committed to the present front of attack, that he will not be able to make another big attack elsewhere. Lunched with Lady Beres- ford. The Admiral very well. Lord Lascelles there, and Blumenfeld of the Daily Express, besides a lady whose name I did not catch. They say that L. G. is in the dumps, and the War Cabinet sits continually. Foch's appoint- ment as ' Co-ordinator,' alias General-in-Chief, announced on Saturday. L. G. — or is it Clemenceau ? — has given the command to Foch, who now has the fate of our Armies in 1918] FOCH GUARANTEES AMIENS 261 his hands. L. G, has also diverted the control of our Eastern advent ui-es to Versailles, vide Bonar Law's answer to a question in the Commons on March 18; but as Ver- sailles has put up its shutters, I do not know who now^ controls our knight -errants in the East. We run the danger of being separated from the French and driven back upon the northern Channel ports. The German fleet is reported to have been out. The Volunteers are still not called out for service. Jack Cowans told me the other day that he now feeds half the Army tlu-ough Calais and Boulogne, and the other half through Havre and Rouen. Charlie B. to-day said that Hedworth Mcux had quite solemnly warned him against taking a female typist, as so many old men had fallen victims to them ! The Beres- fords now call the lady The Decree Nisi ! Lady B. stopped in her car b}^ a pohceman the other day for using })etrol witho\it authority. He demanded her name. She looked out at him furiously and said, ' My good man, can't you see that I 'm an imbecile ? ' Policeman so taken aback that he dropped his pencil and notebook and told the chaufifeur to drive on. Tuesday, April 2. I wrote yesterday an article about American aid in the war, and to-day another about the situation in Italy. Gwynne and I both hear that Haig is doomed, and suppose that he will be the next scapegoat, on the pretext that he said he could hold on if attacked. But, after all, he is still holding on ! Not much news from the battle to-day, though there has been plenty of fighting. The enemy appears to me to be collecting liimsclf for his next spring. Foch has guaranteed that Amiens will not be taken. It is said that if we can hold on over Friday next we should be safe, but I distrust all opinions of men now at the top. Wednesday ami Thursday, April W and 4. Spent these two days in studying the situation, and in wiiting for the M .1*. General Dessino lunched with me, and we discussed Russia, without much j)rofi(. lie wants me to help to get Russian officers here permission to be employed as olficcrs, 262 GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 saying that we intended to make them serve as privates. He also said that a short time ago the rumour had spread that we meant to seize all Russian private accounts in the banks, and that even General Yermoloff had beUeved it, and had drawn out his money and went about with all of it in his pockets ! I said that Yermoloff had been among us for a quarter of a century, and that I was disappointed that he did not know us better. Thursday evening I dined with Robertson at York House. Only Lady R. and Colonel Lucas there. I found that R. and I are fully in agreement about the critical character of the situation in France, We had both heard that the German attack had recommenced to-day with great forces south of the Somme, and had no doubt that their game was, as before, to separate us from the French, to drive us up against the northern Channel ports after capturing Amiens, and then to ring us up securely and turn upon Paris and the French, with an additional advance from the Rheims front. We discussed Avhat we should do. I thought that if Amiens could hold for certain, we were all right, and that nothing counted for me so much as the preservation of our touch and co-operation with the French Armies and the prolongation of the war, if neces- sary, by a retreat into France. I thought that if we were separated from the French, we should be shut up in the north and be held by an inferior force till the Germans found it convenient to attack us ; that we should not be able to get out, as the German hnes on our east front were already strong, and that the Somme would also be held against us when the French went back. I did not think that we could get our Armies home from this coast, and doubted if we could feed them there. R. thought that the success of a Boche attack on Amiens was worth 300,000 casualties to him, and that he was evidently out for it. He thought that the week's lull in the fighting had been no more than was normal, as in part of the front the Germans had advanced thirty-five miles, and that what was coming now was what had been in his 1918] THE OLD NIGHTxMARE 263 mind ever since 1914, only foitunately the Boche had trotted o& to Russia and left us the initiative, from which we might have profited had the Cabinet done their duty about Man-Power. Now the nightmare was on us again, and he did not see how a great retreat could be accom- phshed now. The Boches were only ten miles from Amiens and thii-ty from Abbeville, whence to the sea — or at least from St. Valery — there were no bridges. We ended by agreeing that the whole matter hinged on whether Amiens coidd be lield, and that as neither of us knew precisely the forces which we had to defend the Somme-Montdidier sector, we were not in a position to decide whether the retreat from our northern hnes was or was not necessary. In either case I said that I supposed that R. would refuse to express an opinion if called in. He said that this was so. He had alwaj^s resisted the running about of the War Cabinet to ask other people their views w^iile he was C.I.G.S., and he would now take the same position in justice to his successor. He had been out of office for two months, and, besides, could not venture to advise things which would be passed on to others for execution. With this I agreed, and quoted WeUington's answer to Castlereagh in a similar case in Sept. 1808. The two cases were much ahke. R. wondered how the various generals in France were getting on. Petain, said R., had moved from Compiegne to Provins, which was a long way from Foch and Haig. R. knew that Wilson had signed the Versailles paper advocating the Aleppo campaign the other day, and R. wondered how he would like it when it came out. Allenby, said R., would not know now what the devil to be at, and must bo scratching his head. R. also did not know what on earth Marshall was up to in his pursuit up the Euphrates so far from Bagdad, and he saw no object in the advance. R. says that ho has nOO.OOO men under him in the Eastern Command, Ijut few fit to fight, and he has only the defended ports to look after. He is not responsible for Home Defence, 264 GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 as the public think. He has sent off some 45,000 of the A4 boys at 18^, and is very sore about it. He said, ' There is no Home Defence to-night.' He does not know how he can reply to the new German guns which are bom- barding Paris, at a range of seventy-five miles, with the few old 9'2's at Dover. We thought it a pity that Eric Geddes had the Jellicoe case on his conscience, as he was a sound practical fellow of the type we want. The pretence of the Kindergarten is that it is a case of Mihtary versus Civil Government. This made us laugh a good deal, for all that soldiers have been trying to do has been to run their own business, not the Government's, and this is exactly what the pack of pohticians resent. They cannot see the difference between peace and war, and insist on running a business of which they know nothing, just to show that Civil Government is supreme. Hiyic illce lachri- mce ! Anyhow, I said to R., every mother's son of them must know in their hearts that you were right all through. Friday, April 5. About twenty Boche divisions attacked us and the French south of the Somme yesterday. They took Hamel from us, and Morisel and another village from the French, and failed again against us at Albert, but they are evidently going on and at the same old objective. Wrote an article on the danger of the situation, expanding what I had said before. L. G. has been over to France and returned yesterday. I hope he likes it. Lunched with Lady Cunard, now at 44 Grosvenor Square : Judge Lindsay of America and his wife. They seemed very nice people, and he spoke well and took a fine line about the President and American action. Mrs. Greville also there, the Lionel Guests, and Mr. Mitchell, the U.S. food man over here. He admitted that the great difficulty was that all depart- ments played for their own hands, and that it was a pure toss up which got the ear of a Prime Minister in any country. He wanted us to kill our beasts now to help tonnage while the U.S. troops were being rushed over. The Duchess of Rutland and Lady Diana came in later, also Wolkoff . All enthusiastic about rabbit breeding. 1918] FAGALDE ON THE POSITION 265 Lady D. dubious about what rabbits eat. I believe she thinks them carnivorous. Saturday, April 6. No fiu'ther news of importance. Lunched with Fagalde and had an interesting talk. He thought that the distribution of the Franco-British reserves on March 18, four days before the attack, was very interest- ing to study. We t lien had news that several German attacks were mounted, namely, at Ypres, Cambrai, St. Quentin, Rheims, and in Lorraine. Consequently the British Re- serves were scattered along the front, while the French were in two main masses, namely, on the Rheims and Lorraine fronts, with a thin chaplet of divisions between thorn. Pelle, with his Army Corps, the 5th I think, liad come up first to succour Gough. It has been stationed north of Paris. Then Corps from the Rheims sector, Chalons, etc. The relief had been worked out beforehand between Haig and Retain, but took some time. Actually there were now 14 French divisions on the battle front and 22 in reserve. A very good result in the time. FayoUe commanded the whole lot. There were three more divisions on their way, and they would arrive in four days. Then we should have between us as many as the 86 which the Boches had used, and he was consequently fairly happy about the situation. Rawly had reconstituted his old 4th Army, and was holding the angle between the Somme and the Ancre, which was short but important. Gough's 5th Army were refreshing at Abbeville, and all worn divisions were being sent to him to be made smart again. Ivor Maxse was there with the Staffs of the two Army Corps to help him to put things to rights. The French would soon have four Armies on the battlefield, namely, 1st and 3rd, — those now fighting — and the 5th and 10th behind. A reaction was being prepared and would be ready in some ten days ; it would probably act on the Lassigny-Noyon front. 1 lioped that we should gain no ground before the War Cabinet's new Man-Power Bill was presented, for, if wo did, the Cabinet would begin jinking at once. 266 GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 F. was very satisfied with the new Man-Power Bill, which would give us 1,500,000 men. He and I had only asked for 900,000, so we ought to be satisfied, he said ! We laughed a good deal about L. G.'s fears of a social revolution and all the rubbish about it of which he dehvered liimseK at Versailles. There is not one miu'mur in the country ! F. said that Foch was at Beauvais. He was not general- issime, and only had the duty of co-ordinating the opera- tions. Haig and Petain still remained supreme in their old spheres, and if there was any trouble the Prime Ministers had to be called in. Hence the visits of Clemenceau and of L. G. to Beauvais, no doubt. But Foch was creating a Central Staff, and Weygand was with him. We laughed about the Versailles Military Board. F. thought that the Germans were now entering upon the second stage of the normal attack, when the first impetus had died away and the advance became slow and laborious. Even if 100 divisions had been used and there were still 100 more, these latter could not replace the others under three months, and, as a matter of fact, divisions were being called up from all parts of the German Une to replace losses. Even on the other German fronts, where attacks were mounted, there was no accumulation of reserves, and we agreed that there was nothing for the Boche to do but to continue. F. thought, with me, that his aim was still to separate us, but expected him to hold the French and to try to annihilate us. If his attack failed he might straighten and try to rearrange his line, but not go back far, as it would be such an admission of failure. F. thought that the Boche, if he failed, would either offer to negotiate or dash off with a few fresh divisions to attack Italy or Salonika, pretending that these things were his real object, and we both thought Italy would have his preference. But it would deceive nobody, and, least of all, Germany, which was beginning to read in the Press of the ' mountains of dead ' of its troops. F. also said that we had lost 140,000 men up to date. He did not know the French losses, but thought them not very heavy. The 1918] FOCH'S OPTLMISM 267 Germans had been two and three and even four to one against us sometimes, and had therefore used up more troops than we had, and we had more intact reserves. F. rather approved of Marshall's good coup on the Euphrates, and his long pursuit up that river. He had destroyed a Turkish division, and had also come upon an accumulation of preparations for a Turkish attack and had destroyed it. It was just as well for Marshall to know for certain how these things stood, and there was no better way of knowing it than going to look. INIarshall was now returning from liis foray and would send two Indian divisions to Allenby, war trained troops, and Allenby would send two of liis white divisions to Europe. F. thought that Allenby 's raid upon the Hedjaz line had not been very successful. We talked of Foch's optimism. F. said that Foch's accounts of a situation were usually rather prophetic than hterally accurate. In Marne days Foch had always told JofFre that all was well and would be better next day, even when he had lost some miles of ground. He always sent orders to his Corps to attack the next day. All his commanders said that their men were done up, but they got orders to attack all the same. Finally the 11th Corps commander came personally and said that he was so depleted that he could not hold the Une allotted to liim, still less attack. But next morning he, also, got his orders to attack, and fortunately the Boches ran away at last. It was Foch's idea that his \\'ill was superior to that of any one opposing him, and that if he kept on long enough the enemy would go away. In the evening went to Lady Cunard's box to hear Carmen. Quite good. Drur}^ Lane crammed. An opera that I love. It was the last night of the season, and Beecham, who was conducting, was called for, and made a little speech. Lady Bingham, Mrs. Ernest Cunard, the Droghedas, Lcverton Harris, Mr. Mitchell the American, Judge Lindsay and his wife. Lady Annesley, and a few more, while others looked in between the acts. Sutukiy, April 7. Sir Hubert Oough telephoned in the VOL. IT. T 268 GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MAECH 1918 morning and came up to dinner at Maryon. He had been sent home by order of the War Cabinet, who are searching for miUtary scapegoats in order to deflect criticism from themselves. It would have been more just if they had sent themselves home. He was looking uncommonly fit and well, and told me all the story of the 5th Army during the days of March 21-28. His forces were : — 8th Army Corps . . 58th, 18th, and 12th Divisions ; Butler. 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Divisions. 18th Army Corps . . 36th, 30th, and 61st Divisions ; Ivor Maxse. 20th Division in reserve. 19th Army Corps . . 24th and 66th Divisions ; Watt. 50th Div. and 1st Cav. Div. in res. 7th Army Corps . . 16th, 21st, and 7th Divisions ; Congreve. 39th Division in reserve. Total : 14 divisions, about 100,000 rifles, and 1500 guns. He was reinforced by one more division, the 8th I think, in the evening of the 23rd. He had against him Von Hutier's 18th Army, with four Army Corps of 40 divisions, of which 23 in first hne and 17 in close support, with 3500 guns. These figures are confirmed by our printed G.H.Q. InteUi- gence Report which he showed to me. Gough's front extended for 40 miles, and was too thinly held. No more reserves were available for him. His troops were insufii- ciently trained and rested, and, on an average, only one week's training had been given to them since Jan. 20, when they took over the line. He had instructions that it would be better to lose ground than men. Also, the reorganisation had only just been completed, and the change from 12 bat- tahons to 9 in all divisions had greatly disturbed people, besides reducing the infantry by 25 per cent, of its strength. He had also reported that the Press attacks on generals were liable to undermine the confidence of the men. Gough had known for a month that he would probably be attacked, and Petain had been sure he would be ever since Von Hutier's Army appeared in Gough's front. Gough had a well-placed outpost line, or forward zone, running from Amigny along the river Oise to Moy, thence west of 1918] GOUGH ON THE BATTLE 269 St. Quentin, and so along the road to Le Catelet. It had strong posts which mutually Hanked each other. His battle zone was beliind tliis, running past Tergnier, Essignol, Roupy, Massemy, Hargicourt, Lempire, past Epehy, to the north of Gouzeaucourt, and thence to Metz-en-Couture. He had 11 di\isions in front hne and 3 in reserve, plus liis cavalry. He had never heard such a bombardment as that which opened on him on March 2 1 . There was a dense mist, and the Boche masses flowed in between his outpost positions, cutting the wire and isolating the posts which were turned and captured, though many held out for long after being Burrounded. The firing was all done at 50 yards, and no mutual support was possible. On the Oise front the enemy prepared bridges and rafts overnight. The two months of dry weather had made all the marshes by the river dry. His men had fought well, but by the end of the second day the enemy had broken four gaps in his battle line by taking the fortified points of Tergnier, Essignol-Ie-Grand, Massemy, and Hargicourt, and he had to decide whether to fight on where he stood and be broken, or to go back fighting. He chose the latter course, which was in consonance wdth his instructions and really the only course practicable, as he was overwhelmed by numbers. After the 8th Division, his first reinforcement was a division sent by Franchet d'Esperey. Then Pelle came up with his Corps, but the French would not place them- selves under his command. Gough claims that his Army, as a whole, was never broken, and that it retained its alignment during the eight days, March 21 to 29. He lost about 60 per cent, of his strength in killed, wounded, and missing, and some 600 guns. He bnnigiiL with him .«;ome of Maxse's notes, which mentioned par- ticularly the fine conduct of the 6l8t Division, uuder Colin Mackenzie. Maxse mentions the 2nd Wilts and 16th Manchesters of the 30th Division as having heroically resisted five hours of furious bombardment and then the attack of two German divisions. Their H.Q. in the redoubt Hne were holding out and fighting haid several hours after they were surrounderl by masses of the enemy. Several ^70 GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 others held their redoubt hne till late in the evening, and the division fought steadily back to Moreuil, which it reached on the 29th. The 36th Ulster Division had had three battalions overwhelmed in the forward zone similarly, and men of the 12th Royal Irish were still holding out in the racecourse redoubt after 24 hours of incessant fighting. The 1st Royal Inniskilhng FusiHers at Fontaine-les-Clercs rejDulsed 12 desperate attacks. The retreat was effected in good order, and there were daily rearguard actions. Maxse notes that some of his artillery served under French generals in the ' last critical days ' of these operations. One of Gough's papers gives a German order on Field Strengths, dated Jan. 26 last. This shows infantry battaUons to be 870 all ranks, or 1004 with their M.G. com- panies. This is called the Feldstdrke, and the term ' fighting strength ' is no longer to be employed. Evidence shows that in the northern portion of the battle front from the river Sensee to the Cambrai-Bapaume road, 9 miles, there were 9 Boche divisions in Une and 8 in reserve. On the front from the Cambrai-Bapaume road to La Vacquerie and La Fere there were 23 divisions in hne and 17 in close reserve. Therefore we were opposed by 61 divisions on the battle front on March 21. A further 22 divisions came up later. It is reported that the Crown Prince's Group of Armies comprises the Argonne group under the orders of the 16th Corps Staff. This group extends as far east as Varennes. So far as I can make out from Gough's account, the retreat of the 5th Army before overwhelming numbers was the only course open after the four holes had been punched in his battle line. He is rather sore at being sent no reserves except the one division. He told me that Haig had told him that he expects to be sent home in a week's time. Drove Gough down to London. Gough had taken over two Corps from Byng, Dec. 18 ; one Corps front, 18,000 yards, from the French on Jan. 20 ; and the remaining Corps front, 30,000 yards, about Feb. 15. j Monday, April 8. Went down to see Lord Haldane, who is just back from the north. Found that he had been forgathering with L. G., Derby, and others, and had evi- 1918] THE GER:\L1NS ATTACK ON THE LYS 271 dentlj' been drawn over to their support by L. G.'s usual blandishments. So we were not so much in accord as usual. He does not think that Haig will be relieved. Lunched with jMi's. Greville and found the Wiangels, Max-Muller, Wolkoff, and Mrs. Brinton. Discussed German food supplies, and found that Wrangel and ]Max-Muller agree that Germany is better off than a year ago, and can go on, though wanting much. Max-Muller expects that Germany and Austria will get httle from the Ukraine as there are no elevators, and the peasants have been using their grain to make Uquor secretly since the vodka order came out. Three ships that went to Odessa from Constantinople came back empty. The sup- posed supplies do not exist. Tnesdaij, April 9. I had written an article yesterday defending the 5th Army against their traducers, but the Press Bm-eau, under orders I suppose, took care that it should not appear to-day, so L. G. no doubt intends to place the blame on the soldiers in his opening speech when Parliament reassembles to-day, and does not wish the other side to be heard until ho has manufactured an opinion in his favour. I went down to the M.P. office and had a talk \v\ih. GwjTine. He wants me to write about L. G.'s speech when the full report is in to-morrow. There is nothing new from the front to-day. The enemy is still pihng up troops and guns for the decisive stage of the battle. Gough told me on Sunday that all the roads and railways leading to the battle zone were packed with German troops coming up. There is going to be the biggest battle ever known, and we stand in a rotten situation. Wednesday, Ajml 10. Second Phase. Yesterday the Boches opened a new attack upon us in the Armentieres- La Bassee sector, and penetrated to Laventie on an eleven- milo front. V^on Quast's 0th Army, I suppose, and it may have twelve divisions. A nasty jar. To-day the attack has extended north to the Messines Kidge, and the Boches have taken part of ' Plug Street ' (Ploegsteert). 'J'iie Me.ssinea Kidge holds, but evidently it is an important now opening and will jjrobably extend to Passe hendaele. J assume it is intended to divert our reserves in the kouIIi. 272 GEEMAN OFFENSIVE OF MARCH 1918 Lunched at Londonderry House, and discussed the Con- vention and Conscription for Ireland with L. Thursday, April \l. Went on to the Marlborough Club to see Sir George Arthur. I bet him a fiver that he would not name the two things that I had in my pockets in a thousand guesses. They were six plover's eggs and two old letters from Kaiser Bill ! Arthur told me that Trenchard was giving up the Chief of the Staff of the new Royal Air Force. A real bad business as Trenchard is a tip-top man. It is the same old poUtical game, and the country is being ruined by it. Arthur pointed out to me that K. had laid down 70 divisions, and that we had never had them in France ; and that while K.'s divisions were 12 to 13 battahons of some 23,000 all ranks, ours were now of 9 to 10 battahons and much lower estabhshments. That meant that we had dropped 70x3 battalions =2 10 — ^the equivalent of 23 of our present divisions ! I also make out that the white infantry now in om- Eastern theatres would equal the 17 German divisions which have just attacked us. The country and ParUament are so utterly ignorant of m-ihtary affairs, and are so misled by L. G.'s accounts of the situation, that I daresay some beheve his explanation in the House on April 9, to the effect that our Eastern adventures were but httle drain on us. I expect that history will find the detachment of over a million men on these futile Eastern campaigns inexcusable. Also, he de- clared that the AUies largely counted on America ' to make up for the Russian defection,' and expressed his grievous disappointment about it. This is dehcious ! The Boches had 74 divisions in the East last June, and the Austrians over 40. Tom Bridges, returning with Balfour that month, told the War Cabinet — vide this diary for June 17, 1917 — that the Americans would send their first division over in July 1917, and thereafter not more than one division in a month through 1917 and 1918. This would have given 9 American divisions by March. ^ How would this have * Compare p. 487. The estimate of General Bridges proved correct. 1918] POLITICAL PEEVAKICATIONS 273 made up for the 74 Boche divisions set free, and the 40 Austrian ? Yet L. G. tells the Commons that the AlUes counted on ' a large American Army in the spring ! ' It is ^\•ith such tales that L. G. deceives the country. All his Une now is to show that we were as strong as the Boches in the West,^ and expected the attack when it came, and that, ergo, — he leaves this to be inferred — the solcUers were all born fools. Yet there is not one man in Parhament with the knowledge or the courage to denounce and expose him, and we critics outside are muzzled by the Censor. Went on to have a growl with Robertson at York House. He conhrms the Trenehard story. It is a great misfortune, especially at this juncture. R. says that he is told that five of our divisions have been so cut up in the recent fighting that we must count them out. We are much per- tiurbed by the march of things in France. R. much dreads the effect of the new Boche success in the north. R. now agieed that we lyiight lose the war if we let go the Channel ports, but we must lose it if we are separated from the French. This is about my idea of it. He says the French want us to dig a Hindenburg hne parallel with and behind our present line. We thought that if wo were separated from the French, the latter would give in. Friday, April 12. The new Military Service Bill has been debated since Tuesday last. It raises the age to fifty-six, conscripts Ireland, takes in ministers of religion for non-combatant service, and gives large powers to the Minister of National Service to abolish exemptions and call up blocks of men by the ' clean cut ' by age. Very drastic, but, alas, behind time by six months ! It seems likely to be passed, because people are thoroughly alarmed at last. Sir F. E. Smith sends me his book on his journey to America. * The French G.Q.(J. figured hHow that tho (ierrnuns wcro 200,000 Blronger than tho Allies in tho West in rifle and machino-gun strength nn .Jan. 1, 1018. The American ofTiciul st at isties Hhow that I h*- (Icrnian Huperiority in rifle strongtli was :J24,000 on .April I, 19IK, and that tho Allies did not attain t(j HU|>eriority in rifle strength until the latt0 in all, and Foch demands 59 at a minimum. We have made up by the 120,000 18|-year-olds, by 90,000 B men wlio are being incorporated in our cadres from France, by the 64 battalions drawn from Eastern theatres, and by recovered wounded. But the po.sition is not good, and he winhes U8 to maj) out our future man-power now so that we may not be six months behind in preparation again. I do not wonder ! The last French diviaion is just leaving 340 THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE CONTINUES our front, but our divisions in the French Hne are not back yet. He puts the French at 105 divisions, including the Americans, but we agree that one American division is numerically equal to three Boche. M. agrees that a milhon and a half represents aU that the U.S. can maintain this year, but they promise 80 divisions by next June. M. expects that the Boches will attack the French from Mont- didier to eastward of Rheims. He does not think much of our B-men divisions, and dislikes second-grade troops. The French have not begun to train their 1920 class, to which our 18| men are the equivalent. M. says that Foch has not been given an Inter-Alhed Staff because it is not desired to make him too powerful. There is only Johnny Du Cane with a small staff, and our G.H.Q. complain that they get directives impossible to execute owing to the ignorance of Foch's H.Q. of the real position. There should be a full staff, thinks M., with A. and Q. re- presentatives from each national Army under Foch. But we are hourly expecting a mighty battle, and change will be most inconvenient. M. expects the Boches to dehver a 75-division attack and not a 90-division one as on March 21, He thinks that all the best storm troops and divisions of the Boches are away in rear training hard, and that this is why our recent attacks have found the enemy so soft. M. does not usually send his articles to the Press Bureau as they have to send them over to the W.O., and as nobody is there after 7 they get hung up for twenty -four hours. An article of mine to-day on the Delayed Offensive and in praise of Pershing and the Americans. Thursday, July 11. Much rain and thunder. Began an article in praise of the French heroism during the past four years. In the afternoon sat on the Tribunal. Dined with Mrs. Astor, whose party included the Maguires, Mrs. Greville, Lord Lurgan, the Ernest Cunards, Mrs. Keppel, Fox McDonnell, and Griscom. Cunard told me that he had to-day seen in the Mersey some twelve big ships with 35,000 more Americans on board just arrived, and that they were swarming ashore. He agreed that 300,000 1918] HALLINGBUEY 341 Americans would come this month. Tlie Americans are putting 8000 men on their biggest boats, whereas we seldom sent more than 2000 to 3000 in one ship, but the Americans were just taldng risks and there it was. Cunard did not agree with Sims that the submarines were sparing the transports. I cut out at Bridge and went on to Lady Huntingdon's, where 1 heard some fine music and met the Merry del Vals, Lady Straiiord, and Lady Massereene. Lady S. has been ill, and abroad most of the \^dnter and spring. Week-end, July 13-14. A quiet visit to Hallingbury, The gardens and park looking divine. Only Mrs. Agnew, her sister, Mi\ Hudson of Country Life, and Basil Oxenden there. Much talk of art, architecture, and gardens. Returned to London early. Fomid myself in a smoldng compartment with Lord Loch, now a Brig. -General. He is turning grey, and puts it down more to the Staff College than to the Sudan. He is Brig. -General G.S. in Ireland, having been much knocked about in the war. He expects no success from vokmteering in Ireland. We discussed the war. He said that Plumer is considered a lucky general by the troops. Haig has the Army's confidence, but they seldom see him. He would prefer Plumer if there were a change. CHAPTER XXXV THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS, JULY 1918 The Fifth Phase of the German oflfensive — ^They attack on the Marne and in Champagne on a fifty-five-mile front — They cross the Marne, but are beaten in Champagne — General Foch starts a great counter- attack between the Marne and the Aisne — ^Many German prisoners and guns taken — State of the German divisions — The murder of the Tsar — Tragic accounts of Russia — F.M. Sir D. Haig announces that the crisis is past — ^There are now 1,250,000 Americans in France — Our Armies have had half a million casualties and have lost 1000 guns — Sir H. Rawlinson's and General Debeney's Armies win a brilliant victory on August 8 — Some 24,000 prisoners and 300 guns taken by us in two days — A conversation with M. Kerensky — Threatened re- duction of the number of our divisions — The Allies continue to advance and win battles — ^Lieut. Pernot's views. Monday, July 15. Fifth Phase. In the course of the day there came the news that the Boches had opened another great attack from Chateau-Thierry on the Marne to Massiges in Champagne, a front of fifty-five miles. There is fighting for the passage of the Marne, also between Rheims and Chatillon and on the Champagne front. Our troops are not yet engaged. Wednesday, July 17. The battle goes on without great advantage for the Boches. They are across the Marne on a narrow front and are being warmly met. Between the Marne and Rheims they have made little progress. In Champagne, Gouraud has beaten them back and is holding them up. It seems to have been a most brilliant affair. About fifty-six Boche divisions engaged. Their plan is to fine up between the Marne and Seine and prolong the German left for an advance on Paris. The French, Americans, and 342 1918] FOCH'S COUNTER-ATTACK 343 Italians have done well. We are still not attacked in the north. Thursday. July IS. An article from me on the battle to-day, and I wrote another for to-morrow. In the after- noon we learnt that the French had started a great counter- attack between the Marne and the Aisne, and had reached Soissons on their left, capturing 4000 prisoners and thirty guns. A good affair, and may have serious consequences for the Boches on the Marne if the French continue. Even as it is, the Boche railway' communications at Soissons are severed. Lunched with Olive, Lady LesUe, Mrs. Watson, Sir Vincent Caillard, Mr. Berenson, and General and Mrs. Matheson. He commands the 4th Division, and is return- ing to France to-morrow. His division has still only nine battaUons, which are not up to 900 apiece. He says that he sees Haig about three or four times a year, and wishes that H. would look at his division, but that H. is a shy man. Saw X.. who tells me that when the present Government came in tlie Tories agreed that L. G. was safer in power than in opposition, and so agreed to let him lead, intending to master him, but X. thought that they had not done so. Saturday, July 20. Lunched with Lady Mar at Almond's Hotel in CUfford Street, where I used to meet F.M. Lord Roberts before the war. A cosy hotel with good cooking. The Mars well. I recalled the story that some one had asked her why she had married and she had replied, " I prefer Mar and Kelhe to Ma and Slaps ' ! They invite me north again, and I should like to go if I can get away. She says that the American ships with the Grand Fleet are very good and that the men's quarters are much better than ours, also that the dentistry arrangements are excellent. The two Navies appear to get on very well together. In the afternoon went to Polesden-Lacey ; met Lady Kitty Somerset in the train and travelled down with her. She was entertaining. She had been with L. G. last night, and he had talked like a Junker and had told her tiiat he 344 THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS intended to introduce conscription in Ireland at once. Lady K. in despair. She has just returned from a long visit to the south of Ireland and is convinced that con- scription will not work now. At Polesden-Lacey there were also the Robertsons, Lady Esme Gordon Lennox, the Walter Burnses, young Mr. Curzon a nephew of G. C.'s, Miss Sonia Keppel, Mr. Justice Younger, and some others. Mr. Poole came down on Sunday. I went up for a few hours to write about the battle, and came down again with Lady Essex, with whom I had a good talk. We had some good tennis both evenings. Robertson told me that he is told nothing now and never consulted, just as Lord French was not, but he is very happy in his new post, even though he says that the War Cabinet have taken away all his men for France. He has fully warned the Cabinet of the insecurity of home defence. A most pleasant party, all very friendly, and the hostess very agreeable. Monday, July 22. Came up to town with the Burnses and Lady Esme. Took the latter to the Prisoners of War Bureau to see about her brother Captain Reggie Fellowes's chance of getting home from Germany ; in the absence of Vansittart Mr. Monk told us all that there was to be told. The battle which began on July 15 and was followed on the 18th by the great Franco- American counter-attack on the front Chateau -Thierry-Soissons has gone very well for us. The Allies have taken over 20,000 prisoners and 400 guns, which is a fine haul. The Boches retired from the south bank of the Marne last Friday night, and the German pocket of troops which reaches south from the Marne is being attacked from three sides. A clever and timely move of Foch's, and very successful. The Americans have done right well. We have two British divisions under Godley west of the Montague de Rheims, and they are fighting hard with some five Boche divisions. The Boches have certainly some sixty divisions in the whole fray, including the armies of Von Einem, Von Mudra, and Von Boehm, from Massiges to Soissons. Tv.esday, July 23. All goes well, but the battle is quieting 1918] LOSS OF THE JU STIC I A 345 down a little. 1 had an article yesterday, and wrote another to-day. A threat of a great munition works strike in the ^Midlands. To the opera with Lad}- Cunard, and found the usual large gathering in her boxes, including some Americans, Hulton of the Evening Standard, du Hamel, the Duchess of Rutland, Lady Diana who was looking very pretty, Joan Poynder, ^Irs. Lowther, Mrs. McLaren looking very prosperous. Lady Johnstone and Sir Alan, Miss Kerr-Clark, and a lot more. We heard Le Coq d'Or by Runisky-Korsakov, a -ueird satiric fairy tale, of which the best tilings were the music and the ballets and setting arranged by Mme. Seraphine Astanova. I found it fascinating and enjoyed it, but un- fortunately Beecham was not conducting. Coming out into the street the Duchess had a diamond pin wrenched out of her hair and thought it had been stolen, but then we saw it in the straw hat of a woman Avho had rubbed shoulders with the Duchess, and had accidentally transferred it to her straw hat. — a curious coincidence and a genuine accident. I drove Miss Joan home to Little College Street. A charming girl and an interesting character, Wednesday, July 24. The French have had another crack on the Montdidier front, and have taken ground and prisoners. We continue to be busy on our front, but nothing big is happening there. In the evening we learn that the Justicia, a 32,000 tonner of the White Star Line, was tor- pedoed off the Irish Coast last Friday after a twenty-four hour fight with U-boats. Thursday, July 25, Wrote another article. Later met Colonel Lucas, and the Belgian Mihtary Attache, the Comte de Jonghc. Learnt that Cox believes that all but 23 of the Boche storm divisions have been engaged, and that the rest of the Boche armies are down to 400 per bat- talion. A great question what the Bochcs will do now. They are getting more and more squeezed in the Aisne- Marne pocket, and the initiative is still with Foch. Some 05 divisions in all in the Crown Prince's attack, and of them 9 supposed to have come from Rupprecht's command in the north. The rain is making the Flanders theatre 346 THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS unattractive. It has continued since St. Swithin's Day, when the Boche attack began. It appears that Petain made the plan and arrangement for the French counter-stroke, sent the plan to Foch on July 12, who returned it approved on July 13, and it was to be put into operation as soon as the Boches were fully committed. It worked out according to programme, and the Boches are still writhing under its effect and have made no new move, though they are fighting hard in the pocket, where they have 35 divisions at least. Friday, July 26. I continue to write most days on the battle, and am pretty fully occupied in collecting and assimilating information. Lunched with Lady Cunard, to find the Hultons, Lady Johnstone, Miss Joan Poynder, the Leverton Harrises — both just now in much political trouble — Lord Blandford, Wolkoff, and Mr. McKenna. I saw a music-hall piece at the Alhambra in which George Robey was very funny. Saturday, July 27. No great change at the front. My article on the Murman expedition banned, as also is Fred Maurice's. In the evening dined at the Savoy and went to the Gaiety. Heard that when our Royal Family changed their name to Windsor, the Kaiser ordered a gala per- fprmance of ' The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg Gotha ' ! Sunday, July 28. Wrote an article on the retreat of the Germans from the Marne and the German losses. Took Lady Cunard to Lady IsHngton's, where the Duke of Connaught was lunching, also du Hamel, and Major Schick the U.S. Assistant Provost-Marshal in London. Lord I. and Miss Joan also there, he looking quite well again after his bad illness and operation. The Duke very pleased with the fine performances of the British divisions east and west of Rheims. He is disposed to approve the Murman expedition which he expects me to attack. Schick told us a good deal about his work, which has been deUcate. He will soon have a good staff. There is a good scheme for tracing every American over here by identification papers. Schick has just caught one of the greatest criminals in America, who has been posing as an officer with the U.S. Armies under false 1918J A DULL DOG 347 passports, and has been living almost at Headquarters all the time. We all went on to Manfred at Drury Lane with Sclmmami's music. The music was fascinating but the play boring. I had no recollection that Byron could be such a dull dog. Various people came in between the acts, including Mark Sykes and his wife. Mark promised me a couple of his caricatures as good as Lady Cunard's. I came away early, looked in to see G\vynne, and then home with the latest news to complete the article. Monday, July 29. The retreat of the Boches from the Marne goes on, and most people are hypnotised by it and see nothing else. My article was not passed by the Censor last night and came back much mangled to-day. I wished to withdraw the article altogether, but Gwynne said he wanted to put some in. Li the evening Lady Massereene, Marjorie, and Charles de Noailles dined at Maryon. A good dinner and a pleasant evening, but the Bridge did not come ofif as de Noailles does not play and I had forgotten the fact. He told me after diimer that it was quite true that Paris had got to know aU about the truth of the Chemin des Dames smash. He said that at this moment we were stiU 260,000 bayonets below the Boche figures, but I doubt it. He said that no one knew what the Boche would do next. Formerly it was easy to know where the Boche had an attack mounted. Now he has several, notably Arras to Amiens, and Mont- didier to Compiegne. The Americans had 13 divisions in the Hne, a 14th just coming in, and three behind training. They were doing very well indeed, but the first breeze had come when the French had asked President Wilson for 100 divisions and he would only guarantee 80. We had apparently promised to keep up our 60 or bo. Cox and Cornwall were pleased about the situation on our front. The ladies very charming, and we sat up talking till late. Tuesday, July 30. I wrote an article as much for the Boches as for us, suggesting that it was high time to make an estimate of the forces required for victory in 1919, and to allot to eacli Ally liis share in the effort . This })ropo8al will give the Boches cold shivers. The Bodies are still VOL. n. 2 a 348 THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS retiring slowly north of the Marne, but fighting quite hard, and progress is slow. I lunched alone with Lady Juliet, who was looking very bonny from her country hfe and told me much about her new fourteenth-century country house in Kent which she has bought from Sir L. Mallet. It must be quite ideal, and I promise to go there later. She is off to Wales at the end of the week and will not be back in town tiU. September. She has seen nothing of Bee Pembroke lately. Muriel Herbert is with the W.A.A.C.s somewhere in France. Wednesday, July 31. Lunched with the James Muirheads, and met Major Johnstone, U.S. General Staff and a Harvard Professor, with whom I had a long talk on the future of the war and questions of strategy and organisation. Generally he shares my ideas. He is all for the West, but when we are quite safe there he talks of the Baltic, of which I was critical, and said that I preferred Con- stantinople and the leverage on South Russia to follow. He wants to stop the flow of U.S. troops to France in six weeks' time, then to use the ships to replenish the AUies with food and materials of which they are short, and to train the rest of the U.S. Army in America. I thought that the right atmosphere for training was only to be found in France. He is not for EngHsh officers for training as he thinks them trench-warfare speciaUsts, and wants the U.S. troops collected together for fighting after the present phase is over. We discussed Italy and the chance of bringing over Bulgaria or Turkey. Tribunal later. Dined with the Beresfords, Dr. Dillon, Mr. Lyon, Arthur Stanley, and Miss Kerr-Clark. Stanley expects to get £2,000,000 in £1 tickets for the Red Cross pearl-necklace lottery. Thursday, Aug. 1. The Post pubhshes my appreciation of the services rendered to the pubKc by the war correspond- ents with our Armies, and by our special correspondents in the Allied capitals, to whom I have long felt we owed an acknowledgment . Lunched with Lady Paget ; the Grand Duchess George, Lady Muriel Paget, Mme. Stoeckl, Mr. Selfridge, and Mr. 1918] THE CRISIS PAST 349 Whitmore, an American who had met Lady Mm'iel in Russia. The mui'der of the Tsar the chief topic of conversation, and there are reports of three Grand Dukes also murdered, but the G. D. does not know whether her husband may be one of them. She tried to enhst me to get mihtary employment for some 200 officers of the Russian Army now in London. The situation of Russians of all classes in London is terrible. They have no money. The G. D. has started a shop at which Russian ladies work, and she was wearing a dress made by herself. The accounts of Russia given by Lady Muriel and Mi*. Whitmore were most tragic. It is declared that 90 per cent, of the children at Kieff must die of hunger. She was in Kieff when the Bolshevists bombarded and stormed the town. She was not interfered with, but 2600 Russian officers were murdered. She wants the Allied Expedition from Vladivostok to get to Irkutsk this year and to the Urals next year early, or all the muni- tion factories A^ill be lost. I went to tea with her later, and she showed me some letters and gave me more news. The Colonial Office seems to be looking after the Siberian affair, and there are only some 7000 men going there. Friday and Saturday, Aiig. 2-3. In town for the Bank Hohday week-end owing to pressure of work. Wrote a retrospect of the four years of war, and another article on War and Forethought. The German retreat in the Marne pocket continues, and the Alhed troops are di-awing up to the Vesle. There is no sign yet of any fresh enterprise on the German side, and even before Albert the Boches are going back, possibly owing to the water-logged state of their defences. Haig issues a General Order declaring that the crisis is past and thanking his troops for fighting one against three. General March gives out in America that there are now 1,250,000 Americans in France. They have fought grandly, but must have lost heavily. Dined at 10 Talbot Square with Ohve, Mrs. Norton, and Pat Cox. The latter is now on the staff of the training school for commanding officers at Aldershot. He is dubious about numbers and says that in many battaUons there are now only three 350 THE DEFEAT OF THE GEBMANS platoons, but they are numbered as if they were four. He is not satisfied with our machine-gun tactics, which are not based on any accepted principles. He wants a good reserve of them with battaUon and brigade headquarters. He thinks the German system of pocket attacks played out and demonstrably dangerous owing to their exposed flanks. He complains, hke others, that the men seldom see their Army or Army Corps Commanders, and thinks that there are hundreds of officers in his division who could not give the name of their Corps Commander. Our new tanks go eighteen miles an hour. They should be followed up by machine guns on some sort of conveyances to hold points and lines until the infantry get up, especially on the flanks of an attack. I have been adding up our total casualties in all theatres reported since March 21 last, and they amount to 24,223 officers and 440,437 other ranks. Grand total 464,660, March 21 to July 31. Sunday, Aug. 4. The pursuit of the Boche to the Vesle goes on handsomely, and it looks as if he were north of that river and possibly going back across the Aisne. Read and wrote. Dined at the N. and M. and found the tables arranged for a dozen people to sit together. Enghshmen are not gregarious enough to hke such an arrangement. However, I found myself opposite General X. and we had some interesting talk. He does not know what the Boche will do next, but thinks that the retreat over a great river is serious in these days, as the airmen have changed the char- acter of the problem so much. But he is disposed to excuse the French for not making the enemy pay more dearly for his retreat across the Marne, as only continued attacks can discover a retreat by night. He beheves that Von Einem may well have lost 50,000 men in the attack on Gouraud, and reminded me of our 60,000 loss on July 1, 1916. He says that if I go to Italy I shall find the Itahans in the behef that they have saved Europe. He considers the Austrians incapable of applying German tactics. We both fear that the slightest advantage on our side will harden the heart of 1918] THREE GROUPS OF LOSSES 351 our Pharaoh, and that he vriW refuse to let the people go into the Army in the behef that all is over but the shouting. X. no more knows what a ' second-hue division ' is than do Robertson and I, and wishes the name to be abolished. I told liim that several people i'l London knew of the intended raids on Essen and Berhn, and he was rather surprised. He agreed with me in dish king the name of the ' Independent Air Force,' as there could be no ' independent ' war by a part of the Army. He thinks that L. G. should have the credit for having stirred up America to send over such masses of men. I agreed, but said that if they had not come L. G. himself would have been discredited and fired out, so that there was every reason for him to hustle. X. says that the wilhng Americans have been a bit overdriven in the recent fighting, but that their losses w^ere not so terribly high. I mentioned the three great groups of our losses, i.e. in the five months of 1916, the seven of 1917, and the four of 1918, in each of whicli we had had half a milhon casualties, and we agreed that the half milhon in the four montlis of 1918 when we were on the defensive was part of the answer to the expected eventual attack on our Commanders for wasting them in the attack. The other part of the answer is that the Boches lost at least as many men as we did in our attacks. Afterwards I talked with General Count de Jonghe. He was impressed with the magnitude of the recent moral victory over the enemy, and wished us to exploit it when the Boche fell to talking, as de J. thought he would after re- crossing the Aisne. I found him unsympathetic about sending troops to Russia, largely I think because he feels that there will be no Belgium left soon owing to Boche ex- actions and severities. He wants Belgium to be neutral after the war, to avoid being drawn into French politics. I thought this idea interesting but not convincing. I said that neutrahty had proved a broken reed, so why trust it again ? He thought because Belgium had been violated once and was therefore not hkely to be violated again. I said that I did not know whether a violated virgin was loss 352 THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS likely to be violated a second time, and rather thought the reverse. Not if the first violator is hanged, repUed de J. We have not hanged yours yet, I retorted. He is for an increased Austria, and he defended Woeste and the Old Cathohcs from my criticisms. I should say that his views may be those of the Old Cathohc majority in Belgium. De J. admits that the Boches are below strength, nearly 50 per cent, in the case of Rupprecht's ordinary divisions, but says that we are low too and the French very low. He asked me what I thought they were, and I said at a guess some 90 divisions of 6000 bayonets, with which he seemed to agree. He is not keen for America to capture France and to pose as arbitrator later on. He allows the American divisions an aggregate of 28,000 to 30,000 men each. He wants peace quickly, and this impatience colours all his argu- ments. He is not satisfied that only ten of Rupprecht's divisions are with the Crown Prince. Monday, Aug. 5. Lunched with Lady Sarah and Mrs. George Keppel in Great Cumberland Place. Lady S. better, but still weak. I read an attack by Rothermere on our generalship and our casualties, and wrote a severe reply. The Boches are now all shepherded north of the Vesle, the bridges of the stream are all broken, and the Americans have taken Fismes. It is not yet certain whether it wiU be worth our while to attack the enemy here, as we can make his Hfe very miserable, and we are also at Soissons. No signs of any other Boche initiative, Saturday, Aug. 10. Sixth Phase. The British Attack. At dawn on Thursday 8, Sir D. Haig with Rawlinson's 4th Army, and the French 1st Army under Debeney, opened an attack on the Boche east and south-east of Amiens, from near Albert on the Somme to the region of Montdidier. Very successful. In two days about eight to ten miles gained, and we take 24,000 prisoners and some 300 guns. The attack began with a four minutes' hurricane fire, and then the infantry and tanks went in under a creeping barrage and were everywhere most successful. It was practically a surprise, and the valley mists helped us. 1918] THE VICTORY OF AUGUST 8 353 Onh' at Morlancourt, north of the Somme, could the Boches hold firm, and this Saturday morning the Americans and our men took Morlancourt. To-day also the French have opened another attack between Montdidier and Lassigny on a sixteen- mile front, and the Boches had to leave Montdidier hurriedly. Great captm-es of men and materials, and a regular Boche rout. A fine affair, and I hope that nothing may mar it. The 4th Army attack conducted mainly by Canadians and Australians \yho fought grandly. Motor machine-gun batteries and our cavalry were all pressing, and the airmen lost sixty machines in co-operating close to the ground, besides putting down some fifty Boche machines. Man}^ people away. I refused two pleasant week-end invitations in order to stay and help Gwynne. Lady Massereene and IMiss K. Norton dined with me at the Bitz on the 6th, and we forgathered w^ith Lords Queenborough and Peel and their party afterwards. On the 7th I saw Major Griscom to talk of my intended visit to France. He beheves that the American losses are about 37,000 in the recent fighting. He says that Pershing deprecates the idea that America can do marvels yet, and does not want the idea to spread of exaggerated American possibifities. Tribunal, Thursday. Friday, dined with Lady Massereene ; Lady Rodney, Lady BurreU, Lord Edward Gleichen, CjtII Hankey, and Mrs. Stanley Wilson. A pleasant party. Mrs. S. W. is poor Robert Filmer's sister, and wants me to visit his old home. Lady B. nursing in Park Lane. We are all very pleased with the news from France. To-day I had a talk with the French naval attache, and we discussed the chance of a Boche naval attack. He thinks that it may come as a counsel of despair. I was also told that the Boches were now laying down some destroyers on slips previously occupied by U-boats, and it is supposed that they might have a fleet action in view, but now the American shijis were over here it is a bit late. Wednesday, Aug. II. I remained in London again over last week-end and continue to write every day. Latly Sarah came to tea on Sunday and loved the house. Kitty Black- 354 THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS burne lunched with me Monday. Saw Count Wrangel, the Duchess of Marlborough, and Blandford, and also Nabokofif, who is content with the way things are going in Russia and teUs me that all the Russians here who are not slackers wiU be found jobs. Dined on Monday with the Ladies Randolph and Sarah and M. du Hamel. Rivers waited on us. We went on to see the Freedom of the Seas, quite a good spy play. Lunched with Ohve, Tuesday, and found Gwynne, Morgan, Mrs. Norton, and Mrs. Murray. Heard last night that Jack Cowans had been taken ill and was at the American hospital at Lancaster Gate. Went to call there and found that he had just escaped an operation for appendicitis, and would not be allowed to see any one for some days. The doctors hope that the inflammation will then subside. The last Tribunal till September 12. Wrote on Wednesday a rather specially good article on ' Time and Tide,' to show how the German dread of loss, and waste of time in their attacks, had caused their failure. Dined with Mme. Vandervelde the same evening to meet Kerensky, ex-head of the Provisional Government of Russia, ex-Prime Minister, War Minister, and Dictator or something near it. Spring-Rice, Berenson, and a few more. We drew Kerensky out. He is about 5 ft. 8, clean-shaved, about forty or so, with a longish nose and pointed cranium. A strong face, rather small eyes, and sallow complexion. He was in Moscow last May, and escaped disguised via Murmansk. He thinks that he has not been well treated here or in Paris, and is pretty sore about it. He seems a genuine man who feels deeply Russia's misfortunes, but he lacks grandeur. I should say a fine speaker and actor with quick and appro- priate gestures, all giving a sense of power and domination. He spoke bad French which spoilt his flow of language. He told us much of the present and recent past of Russia. He expects that the peasants wiU now go to Petrograd and Moscow, will suppress the Bolshevists, and act with the Conservative elements who are largely Germanophil. They will set up a miUtary government as a prehminary to the re-estabhshment of the Monarchy, and he does not expect Idl8] KERENSKY ON RUSSIA 355 them to \\orry much about Murmansk. They will aim at the Volga aud the Don. The majority of the Don Cossacks will probably join them. Kerensky says that the Czecho- slovak bands number 300,000 in all, but that only 60,000 to 70,000 are really Czecho-Slovaks, the rest being Russians, ex-officers and soldiers and anti-German elements. He was contemptuous of AUied diplomacy, and says that we must either support the democratic elements in Russia or the reac- tionaries, and that at present we were supporting neither and 80 had no friends. He will be content with 100,000 AUies at Irkutsk, and wants them to bring arms and munitions. He declares that not more than 10 per cent, of AUied promises about munitions of war were fulfilled while he was in office. It is just as weU. In January 1917 he says that there were alread}' 1,200,000 Russian deserters in the interior. He puts Russia's losses at six to seven miUions, including 3,000,000 dead and 2,000,000 prisoners, but admits that these figures are not precise. He vows that he had nothing to do with the famous Prikaz No. 1, and thinks that German influence may have had something to do with it. He told us all the story of Korniloff 's attempted cou/p d'etat and why it failed. Kerensky himself had been asked to become Dictator but had refused, because there was no Governmental machinery to make Dictatorship effective, i.e. no police, troops, etc. He thought Korniloff a patriot, but only a man of action and incapable of careful thought. Even with an army he could only dehver a slap-dash offensive and did not know when to stop. Much harm, he said, had been done by the miUions of men placed in Russian depots without arms and proper training. All these masses had spent their days and nights in talking. An interesting figure, not sympathetic, but arresting by reason of his display of deep feeling. He left me under an impression that owing to the chaos and complexity of Russian affairs the settlement may last very long. Thursday, Aug. 15. Lunched with Sir William Robertson. He was very well and cheery, but was only doing his job and not seeing any one, nor was he over consulted. We 356 THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS had a good talk about events, and were agreed as usual. In the evening there dined with me at Maryon, Lady Massereene, Mrs. Astor, Miss K. Norton, de Noailles, and Leo Maxse, A capital talk. Towards the end of dinner Maxse opened out about German affairs, and thrilled us by his description of and comment on the past relations of England and Germany and the share of praise and blame which was due to various people. We sat talking till past midnight. A lovely day, and a fine still night. All quiet in France, but the pot boils up in Russia again. Friday, Aug. 16. Kitty and Betty lunched with me at the Ritz, and it was a great pleasure to me to see them again. After lunch I saw M. Bignon, head of the French mission in London, who promised me a Ust of people to see in Paris, and was very flattering about my work. Dined with Lady Carnarvon at 48 Bryanston Square : the Arthur Portmans, the young Duchess of Sutherland, Mr. Lygon, Colonel Lucas, General Hutchison and his wife. Lady C.'s daughter. Lady Massereene, and several others. A pleasant party. The house is a hospital, and Lady C. is famous for her dressings in difficult cases. I was much concerned to hear from Hutchinson that though we can keep up 58 divi- sions in France now, we shall be unable to manage more than 43 next year and keep them filled at 10-battahon strength. It is much less than Foch asks for. The French mission under Colonel Roure, which came here twice some time ago to inquire into our effectives, seems to have caused some iU-feehng. Fortunately the splendid action of America has made the question of AUied effectives less acute than recently. The Americans promise 80 divisions of 45,000 men next spring, when they propose to have 3,000,000 men in France, and another 1,000,000 in the training camps at home including 18 more divisions as a reserve. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17-18. Lunched with E. and OUver Haig, and then went down to Polesden-Lacey to Mrs. Greville's, finding the Maguires, George and Lady Agnes Peel, Baron Mchiels, General Sir Bryan Mahon, and a few 1918] DOMIXIOXS AND WAR CABINET 357 more. We played golf in the morning and tennis in the afternoon. Lovely weather and gorgeous sunsets. The Mahout had gone to Cookham instead of Bookham, and had spent all the afternoon in finding his way back. He is opposed to the Indian reforms, and thinks that we cannot hold India if they are introduced. George Peel of the contrary view. Sir Edward Kemp the Canadian came on Sunday, and was interesting on Canadian subjects. He told us that there were 1000 marriages a month between Canadians and EngHsh girls. It gave me pleasure to learn that my proposal to the Dominion Premiers that they should have representatives on the War Cabinet had been adopted. Kemp thinks that he may be the Canadian representative. Tlie War Cabinet will now be less well able to play tricks, for the Dominion men wiU be independent of them, or at least I hope so. Wednesday, Aug. 21. In France the French have been making good progress north and south of the'Oise, and to- day came news that the British had attacked again north of the Ancre this morning at 4.55 and were making satis- factory progress. I wTote an article on Russian affairs and East-em strategy, also busy with the revision of Vestigia. Week-end, Aug. 24-26. Down to Coombe. A party of men mainly, including Sir W. Tyrrell, Major Griscom, and the Droghedas. I found Tyrrell very interesting, and we had long talks on foreign affairs. He considers that Austria abandoned her independence when she signed the aUiance with Germany in 1878, and that our old friendship with Austria is past praying for. I do not care for breaking up Austria and leaving a lot of potty states for Germany to intrigue with, but it seems that this is our poUcy. In the afternoon Griscom and Mrs. Colston played Major Maze and Lad}- Drogheda, and showed ua really beautiful tennis of the most attractive kind. I returned with Tyrrell on Monday morning. We had a great talk, and ho is certainly wonderfully perspicacious, well-informed, and clear in his vision. Tuesday and Wediiesday, Aug. 27-28. Occupied most of 358 THE DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS the time in arranging for my new journey abroad. Journey- ing in war time is the devil, the formahties are interminable. First I have to get a permit from G.H.Q., and it is deUvered to me at the French Permit Office, 18 Bedford Square. Then there is the passport to be vised at 59 Victoria Street, now the Passport Office, where a large crowd is usually waiting. Then there is money to be changed, and the Q.M.G. branch arranges my seat in train, cabin on board, and for me to be met at Boulogne. The Itahan Embassy inform me that General Diaz and the Itahan War Minister will be glad to receive me. Griscom has also arranged for my visit to Pershing. All the things have to be made to fit in, and the Post is a httle disconsolate at my leaving them. The fighting in France goes well. Byng and Rawfinson are advancing on the whole front east of the fine Arras-Amiens and draw near the Upper Somme and Bapaume. Debeney has taken over the Canadian front on Rawhnson's right and has entered Roye. Humbert advances with skill, and Mangin north of the Aisne has reached the Ailette. The Canadians have been taken up to Arras, I suppose to join Home's Ist Army, and have taken Monchy and are getting on well. We have taken about 50,000 prisoners and several hundred guns since August 8. The Boches are retreating, fighting hard in places, towards the Hindenburg Line, and I think that there is every chance of a big American attack further east very soon. The Boches are showing distress and the tone in Germany is despondent. Affah's have never looked brighter, and if it were not for the doubt about our strengths in France I should be well content. There is no doubt that the War Cabinet actually issued orders to Haig to begin reducing his divisions to 45. On Monday last I wrote a leader in the Post ; it was entitled ' The Winning Hand ' and showed what a fine situation had arisen, but that the War Cabinet would be unprofitable servants if they did not keep up our strengths in France. L. G. and Milner were at Criccieth together, and that night came a wire from Milner to cancel the orders to Haig. What I fear is that L. G. may intend to camouflage his weakness and keep up the old 1918] CLE]iIEXCEAU'S POSITION ASSURED 359 number of divisions at reduced strengths, a course which would be fatal. I shall see when I get out to France how things stand. I am told that we are nearly up to strength but that there are no more drafts except the I8|-year-old boys and the recovered wounded, and that next month there will be no drafts to send o^ing to the enormous requirements of the Air Service, especiall}" for the Independent Air Force. In the evening Pernot dined with me at the N. and M. We had a good talk. Pernot is now half at the Commerce INIinis- try and half with General Behn at Versailles. He considers Clemenceau to be now in a very strong position and that he will remain till the end of the war. He thinks that Foch . means to worry the enemy on the present hues for the next three months, but not to commit himself to a serious offensive, though he keeps the Boche under a continual menace of it. Pernot tliinks that our assurances to the Czecho-Slovaks went beyond their desires, which look to a Confederation mider Austria and not to independence. Pernot is of my opinion that Germany will eventually swallow a packet of potty states, and he does not Hke an undertaking which we may find difficult to carry out. He would have preferred for us to have acknowledged the Czechs as belhgerents. He thinks that the Poles on one side and the Czecho-Slovaks and Jugo-Slavs on the other will always be antagonistic, and says that we are practically following the German plan of dismembering Austria and so plapng the German game. He supposes that Italy has been for much in this ])ohcy, and thinks that Italy and Austria might have reached an agree- ment. Pernot will bo back in Paris next Sunday, and we agree to meet and talk again. CHAPTER XXXVI THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 1918 Journey to France— Major- General Salmond on Air Force questions — ^To G.H.Q. at Roulers — Infantry strengths the main anxiety — Our attacks doing well — Value of our artillery — Visits to Sir Henry Home and Sir Julian Byng — Conversation with Sir Henry Rawlinson — ^The German Armies now in front of us — ^A conversation in Paris over politico-military happenings — Machines versus Men — ^At Marshal Foch's Headquarters — The Marshal on the course of operations — His views of things needed — The Marshal's manner when in a chaffing mood — To Provins, the French G.Q.G. — Conversation at lunch — General P6tain's difficulties — His views of the situation — Paris gossip — Jewish influence — ^A fairy story — A conversation on art — ^M. Berthelot at Baron Maurice Rothschild's. Thursday, Aug. 29. Left Charing Cross 3.15 p.m. Train less full than usual. A perfect crossing. We were well looked after by destroyers, a smaU dirigible, and aeroplanes. Met RusseU, our former mihtary attache at BerHn. He has never been employed where his special knowledge could have been of use. Dined at the station buffet with Haig-Bovie of the Worcesters who was sent to fetch me, and then motored on at about 9.30 p.m. to the guest-house at Trame- court where the King recently stayed. The car went badly. Boulogne, Hke Calais, has been much bombed lately. It was pitch dark, and we had to come through without our lights. At the chateau I found Captain Scott, a former officer of the Dogras, in charge with Townroe, Haig-Bovie, and Thompson. At night the Boches were busy bombing. One tremendous explosion Hke an earthquake and another closer made the chateau rock. Friday, Aug. 30. A fine morning. The air filled with the droning of our aircraft as they swarmed off towards the 360 1918] SALMOND AXD THE AIR FORCE 361 rising siin. After a long delay at the G.S. Censorship and Publicity office I went on to see Major -General Sahnond, who has taken Trenchard's place at the head of the Air Force in France. Found him at St. Andre aux Bois, the old R.A.F. H.Q. of 1917. The house was gutted by fire at the end of last year, but huts have been built with sandbag protection round the lower parts. The locaHty is fairly well concealed by the woods round, and is reported to be diflBcult to see from the air. Salmond, vnih whom I have not had a long talk before, seems a cool clear-headed man. He says that we have 80 squadrons under him, of 19 to 25 machines each, total 1800 aeroplanes. The French have 2500, making 4300 between us. The Boches have 2800 nominally, but Sahnond thinks them to be much below their proper estabhshment. This is, of course, on the Western battle front alone. Salmond is oppressed by two anxieties. First, the Eastern front and home defence eat up from one-third to a quarter of our Air resources. But even more serious is the drain caused by the I.A.F. (Independent Air Force). This force profits by Trenchard's strong individuaHty and enthusiasm, and it is in the extraordinary position of being ' independent ' and of receiving orders from our Air Board. Consequently it is the pet child, and this independence of aU control by Foch, Haig, or Sahnond is naturally resented as it is against common sense. Salmond says that the pohcy is to keep up his present superi- ority, but it is not much, and is mainly due to the fighting spirit of his men. He is short of night bombers, of which he has only four squadrons, and has only one night-fighting squadron. The Boches raid us hard and do much harm ; also S. think.s that had he T.'s bombers he could have made Augu.st 8 to 10 a Boche rout this year. He is anxious about next April, because so much of the Air Board's energy is going into the I.A.F. and the luxury of raiding Germany. The machines to raid Essen and Berlin are soon coming on, but at present T.'s machines are only short-ranging. S. is sure that T. in his heart knows that the pohcy of concentrat- 362 THE BKITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS ing on the military objects of the battle front must be the correct one, but he floods the Air Board with his views, and Sykes does not know enough of our position in France to guide the Board, though S. says that Weir is doing well and has plenty of imagination. I asked whether the I.A.F. had not caused the Huns to keep squadrons for defence, and found that only two flights of 14 machines in all had at present been identified as detached from the front on this duty. We have over 20 squadrons in England. I asked about types of machines and whether S. was satisfied. He said that the Huns had a new fighting one-seater which soared over ours for swagger, but had not attacked yet ; also a better biplane than the Fokker, and another type which climbed to heaven very fast. He did not know their arma- ment but had warned the Air Board that they must be busy. The main thing, however, was for the Board to assure a good supply of proved successful types, and best was often the enemy of good. Our best fighting one-seater could now do 140 miles an hour at 10,000 feet, and those I saw in the air were a great improvement upon those of a year ago. The prisoners stated that against low-flying aeroplanes it was almost impossible to re-form beaten troops. Our planes were coming on with wireless telephony, which is already being used from plane to plane and from planes to ground and is proving most valuable. The co-operation of planes and guns and tanks was now very good. The enemy could scarcely make a movement mthout some slow old observa- tion plane of ours calUng up the fighting planes, wliich were on to the enemy in a flash. S. had 42 squadrons of planes in the August 8th battle. But, as he truly says, the front was short, and we must contemplate an attack on our whole front when the Air Force butter will be spread too thinly. S. thinks that other folk do not attack hke our boys. He has two squadrons of Americans training with him, and has been much helped by the 15,000 American mechanics who came to England. He agrees that the Liberty engine is coming right, but^does not think that the Yanks can do much in the air for some time. 1918] LAWRENCE AT ROULERS 363 I saw a few of Trenchard's old subordinates, and then motored on to Briinshautpre to lunch with the American Major Robert Bacon, witii whom I had a good talk over affairs. He has arranged for me to go to Chaumont, but I have to obtain the approval of the French in Paris. He kindlj' asked me to go with him to-day to a division of the U.S. Army on the Vesle, but it did not suit my other j^lans. Bacon much regrets that only two divisions are left with us in the north. Pershing now has nearly 21 divisions in the east of France, and all accounts agree that he is contemplating an operation. But date and place are properly kept secret. Bacon thinks that all the various criticisms of American troops have now been satisfactorily answered. The last criticism was that their staff was not good enough, but at Chateau-Thierry the staff worked well and Bacon thought that the Americans would soon be able to do all that the others could do. Bacon is getting over his accident, but has temporarily spoilt his looks. Motored on to advanced G.H.Q., which are in a railway station at Roulers. Most inoonvenient, very hot, and the noise of trains passing murders sleep and prevents telephon- ing. I had come to see Bertie Lawrence, Haig's new Chief of Staff, and we had a long talk and then tea in the dining- car with Curly Birch the C.R.A. and Alan Fletcher. L. told me that we had had 80,000 casualties since August 8, but had taken 50,000 prisoners and 700 guns. The Boches were undoubtedly weak in numbers and much depressed. He put the Boche battaUon strength at 500 and the trench strength at 250 only. But our great difficulty was also infantry strengths. The last orders just sent to Haig were to keep up the present number of divisions as long as possible, but as there are few drafts coming this will not be j^ossible for long, and this is L.'s greatest anxiety. L. deplored the want of somebody to judge between rival chiims for men. I said that the War Cabinet existed to carry out this duty. L. was as strong about the I.A.F. aa Salmond, and said that it required not only men and machines but a tremendous amount of labour of which the Army was very short. vol.. II. 2 u 364 THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS Haig's reports on the operations of last March to July went in on August 1 and had not been pubHshed. Why ? I said that depended upon what was in it. L, said that it had more or less covered Gough and had referred to the extension of the front and the reduction of estabhshments, so I do not wonder that it is not very popular in Downing Street. The Despatch seems to be long. . The attack by the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Armies is going well. The same divisions have been in the hne since August 8 without reUef. They are rather tired, but say that with two days' sleep they wiU go on, and L. is trying to get them all into two lines of which each wiU do three days' fight- ing and then have three days' rest. H. has still 14 divisions in reserve, including G.H.Q. and Army Reserves, but L. is trying to increase it by spreading out the 2nd and 5th Armies which have now httle in front of them, and by adding the divisions saved to the General Reserve. L. strongly approved, and had passed on to Du Cane, my remarks in the M.P. about the expanding front of the 4th Army, and Foch had then put in Debeney's Army in place of the Canadians who had been sent to Home. Their appearance east of Arras stunned the Boches. L. did not think that we should do much in the north now, i.e. north of Lens, except to occupy the ground from which the Boche is retreating, but the other three Armies are coming up against the Drocourt-Queant Mne and wiU try to break it. I see that the opinion at G.H.Q. is that we ought to press our efforts this year and not wait for 1919. It is a question which is wisest, but the view is gaining ground that the Boche is reaUy cracking and that we ought not to give him time to recover and put in his 1920 class. I shall see what Pershing thinks of it all, for on this much rests. We discussed artillery with Curly Birch. I asked why practically all our guns were outranged by the Boche guns of similar cahbre, and Birch put it down to the better technical efficiency of the enemy, specially marked in his pointed stream -hue shells which gave a much increased range, whereas we kept the old shape of our shells. He 1918] A VISIT TO HORNE 365 did not thinli that the Boches were increasing theii- charges or wearing out theii' guns. Birch says that we use three or four times more shells than the Boches and fire 12,500 tons of shells daily. Om- field guns, howitzers, and 60 prs. go right up after the infantry attack, and come into action only 1000 yards behind the filing fine. They all say that Winston has been very good and helpful in the lat€ hard times. We put trains into Villers-Bretonneux and Bapaume ^^■ith ammunition \\ithin twentj^-four hours of their capture. L. was very modest about his o\\ti share in the late successes, and praised his predecessor Kiggell's brain and skill, but tliinks that his health had given way under the strain. Tilings were going well, but all depends upon our infantry being kept up. Birch says that our artillery are now from 30 to 40 per cent, of our fighting strength. Had a wash at the officers' rest-house at St. Pol, and went on to dine with Sir Henry Home commanding the 1st Army. He is still in his old H.Q. of Ranchicourt, where I have twice \asit-ed him before. Anderson is still his B.G.G.S., but some others of his stafiE have gone. He showed me his progress on the map, and during dinner reports of more successes flowed in. He is pressing his attack, and is just up against the famous Drocourt-Queant line. Home's de- fences of the Vimy Kidge are a perfect network of trenches and switches. The jDhotographs of them must have frightened the Boches, and on all this front there are some forty miles of trenches built since March 21 and well mred. The Boches lost tembly when they attacked here on March 28 and days following, and now the defence is much stronger. Home's first fine of defence at Vimy is near the foot of the eastern slope. His guns are behind the hiU, which is covered with trendies. I was amused by the story that over a Boche dug-out was a notice saying that ' We fear nothing but God and our own Artillery.' A Boche officer declared that when his men knew that the Canadians wore in front of them they would not fight, and he shot five of them pour enconrager les aid res. Horno has four Army Corps engaged^ The Cttuadiaufl have four divibioue. Theii' tranafer to 366 THE BKITISH AND FRENCH FEONTS Arras from Rawlinson's right was a remarkable piece of work. Home told me that it looked at one time as if the Boches meant to turn the Vimy Ridge from north and south, but his wing divisions held firm, and the attack failed with great loss. Motored back to Tramecourt and slept there. Saturday, Aug. 31. Motored to the H.Q. 3rd Army of Sir Juhan Byng at Vilers I'Hopital. Excellently laid out and well camouflaged, defying the air scouts. Owing to stupid red-tape arrangements I was later than was ex- pected, and Byng soon had to go off. He was very pleased with his Army. They had forced their way along and kept the ahgnment. He joins Rawly a little north of the Somme, and is advancing towards his old Cambrai battle- field. But he warns me that his troops are a Uttle tired and that there is a hmit to everything. He was most concerned about infantry strengths, and urges the strongest efforts to keep them up. Motored on to Sir Henry Rawhnson's 4th Army H.Q. at a chateau some fifteen miles north of Amiens. Lunched with him. Lord Derby, Davidson, Montgomery, Holman and several others, and had a talk with Rawly alone afterwards. His profit and loss account since August 8 shows 25,000 casualties, 25,000 reinforcements, and 22,000 prisoners. I forget how many captured guns, but he has 300 of them parked east of Amiens. All in good spirits, increased by the news that last night the Austrahans attacked and carried the immensely strong point of Mt. St. Quentin, north of Peronne, surrounded by water on three sides and a most dominating position. They seem to have insinuated themselves across the Somme at Clery by night, then crawled through the wire, and turned the hill from the south, finally rushing it and taking 1500 prisoners from the German Guard. A most briUiant and remarkable feat. This is the hill which I examined last year when the Boches retired from it. Lord French had always told me that it completely commanded all this part of the country, and so it did. The French were incredulous to-day when we reported its capture. The Canal line to the south is now outflanked, and there 1918] THE GERMAN ARMIES 367 will be more wailing in Bocheland. I thought that the Boches would try and retake Mt. St. Quentin, but Rawly said that he could now sweep it Mith his guns and did not think they would succeed. The French had also done well in the south. We have also good news from the Lys where the Boches are still going back, and the reoccupation of Kemmel Hill is reported but not yet confirmed. A very good day, and we had a gay luncheon. I find Davidson very strong about going on now, as was LawTence, but Rawly is for waiting for 1919 and the other half of the Americans. All agree that a few American divisions with us now to push the advantages gained by our rather tired troops would be most valuable. Byng also said to-day that a few Americans with the Belgians would sweep the north clear as there are few Boches there now. This is correct. Von Armin's 4th Army has only 13 divisions now in the north, Von Quart's 6th Army on its left has only 11 divisions. The mass of the Germans are on the hne Arras-Craonne, on which stand the 17th, Otto von Below's Army, 27 divisions ; the 2nd Ai-my, Von der Marwitz, 23 divisions ; and the 7th Army, Von Eberhardt, of 20 divisions. Total, 5 Armies of 117 divisions, of which only three divisions are accounted fit. In all there are only 197 German and 4 Austrian divisions in the West excluding cavalry. The others have been absorbed to replace waste. There is certainly a great opportunity for an American dash in the east of France. By the way, I saw photos at the 1st Army H.Q. which show that, though most of the wire of the Hindenburg hne stands, the trenches have not all been well kept up. Motored back to Paris with Lord Derby in three hours. Four tyres went wTong on the way. We came by Beauvais, a charming hne of country. A good deal of tallc. He was most agreeable, and it was nice of him to remain friends after the way I had criticised him over the Robertson affair. He is a strong admirer of Clemenceau's, and considers that one of his chief duties is to inspire confidence towards Haig in French minds, a sound but not enormously large view of Ambassadorial duties. 368 THE BEITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS I am much pleased with my brief visit. Numbers fairly maintained at present. Horses looking well. All arms doing fine. Roads in good order, troops well clothed and equipped, all spirits very good, and all news from the German side most favourable for us. The open question is whether we should throw for a big stake now or wait for the Americans, and I must find out the views of Petain and Pershing before forming a final judgment. , Dined at the Ritz. Mrs. Leeds arriving to-night and Le Roy in the morning. Sunday, Sept. 1. Le Roy came in early and we had a talk. He is leaving next month on account of his wife's health. Things have been not altogether pleasant since I saw Le Roy last. Some proposed precautions in June last for the eventual evacuation of the British colony in case of need seem to have infuriated Clemenceau. I think on the whole that we were right to have made preparations, but that the thing would have been done better by word of mouth and confidentially between the civil side of the Embassy and the Quai d'Orsay. Clemenceau said to have gone as far as to have demanded Le Roy's recall, and Derby said to have rephed that if Le Roy went he, Derby, would go too. Another friend teUs me that poor Spiers is also in trouble. He had been given the names of the two officers whom Clemenceau had deputed to go over and inquire into our effectives. Spiers naturally reported this to London. Then at Abbeville L. G. is said to have got up and asked what it meant. Clemenceau, in the interval, had thought better of it. He got up furious and asked L. G. how he knew about it, and when L. G. said how he knew, Clemenceau accused Spiers of keeping watch upon him. Then afterwards Clemenceau actually sent the Roure mission, and while it gave Clemenceau no satisfaction it upset our people. Laurance Lyon of the Outlook sent his card in. He is next door to my rooms at the Ritz. He has been to Spain. L. found Roma.nones the most interesting personahty in Spain, but R.'s main interest was about L. G., what he looked 1918] FOCH'S TASK 369 Uke, whether he was witty, etc. L. came back to try and induce Pichon to give the Spaniards Tangier, beheving that the Monarchy will fall imless they get paid something at the settlement. I don't think that Lyon can have had any experience of deahng with the French over territorial questions ! Pichon not very avenant it appears, but said that the question was not yet decided, so the Spanish Pandora's casket still has hope left in it. L. declares that the Spaniards wish the Boches to break off relations. They have just sunk two more Spanish ships, and if the Si)aniard8 seize two German ships to make good there will be a fair chance of Spain being gratified by a break. L. says that the Spaniards have made 400 miJhon sterhng out of the war, and are busy ^vith the Germans about after- war commerce. I re- marked that these arrangements depended on the settlement and what we permitted Germany to do. L. says that Clemenceau is removuig de la Panouse to vex Cambon, and sending General Corvisart with orders to be very stiff about British effectives. We had some chaff' over the Outlook's attacks on me. After lunch had a good talk with X., one of the best in- formed men in France. He told me much of interest. He could not say who planned the attack of July 18, but on the 15th Foch learnt by accident from FayoUe that the attack had been postponed owing to the German passage of the Marne. Foch immediately ordered the attack to proceed and tore up the counter-order. The affair was planned as an attack whether the Boches attacked or not. When they did, it became a counter-attack and was most apropos. Foch's luck was then weU in. The English G.H.Q. disbeheved in the Boche attack even up to the night of the 14th, and fearing an attack in the north they wrote to ask for a return of the two divisions lent, ' forthwith.' Tliis readied Foch, who gave it to Weygand who tore it up, Foch had taken up liis command en pleine diroute. His task was easy with success but might be imj)088ible with failure. Our War Cabinet liad written to suggest that Foch should either have an inter-Allied staff or should take over 370 THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS our G.H.Q. en bloc, preferring the last solution. Foch had repUed that an inter- AUied Staff was impossible, and only agreed to take over the British services de Varriere so far as this affected general AUied interests. I said that I could not see where the dividing line could be drawn. In effect, said X., after the principle had been agreed upon Foch drafted a decret conformably, whereupon both Enghsh and Americans objected to it and howled, and so no decret has yet appeared. Foch's way of working was entirely antagonistic to his having an inter- AUied staff. He walks about, studies the map, smokes a cigar, looks out of the window, and then suddenly caUs for Weygand, from whom he is inseparable, gives him some rapid indications and says * etudiez cela.' Away goes Weygand to etudier it, and comes back later with the result, which Foch issues as directives to AUied Commanders. Foch never consults the foreign missions about strategy or anything, except how best to get things done by the various AUied Armies. He is on the best of terms with Haig. Clemenceau and L. G. are said to be now so antagonistic that people's main efforts are directed to prevent them from meeting at aU. The delay in the next meeting of the so-caUed Supreme War Council is due to this cause. X. mentioned various idiotic opinions which have reached our War Cabinet, including the advice that we could not win this war and so should place ourselves in the best position to defend India in the next war ! This advice was given on July 25 ! ! The greatest trouble of aU was about the effectives of the British Armies. We compared notes of our know- ledge about this matter and about Roure's mission. We agreed that all was well everywhere except that we had an unconsciously defeatist War Cabinet. What was to be done ? I thought that it was reaUy wicked that with our population we could not keep up 60 divisions, when France had 100 and America was going to give 80, each of double the strength of ours. H. Wilson, says X., teUs Foch that we cannot, i.e. that L. G. wiU not, and has asked whether we cannot send tanks to replace divisions, a 1918] THE GEXERAL OF THE JESUITS 371 solution at which Foch scoffs. L. G. is all for England pro%iding the macliines of war and httle else, but X. and I agree that Foch and all the Generals demand 60 divisions, and X. fears that if L. G. rats, Clemenceau wall one day say to the War Council that Foch refuses to go on. Clemen- ceau has already made some extremely acrimonious remarks on the subject. Rather a difference between this and the grandiloquent pubUc flatteries which reach our Ministers and Generals ! X. and I only differ in his thinking that an explosion must be avoided at all costs, whereas I think it had better come now to clear the air. X. finds IVIilner still very unconxdnced that we can win and declaring that if we do not vrin next year we never shall. X. thinks that our mission ^^•ith Foch has a hard task, as it is considered too French at G.H.Q. because it tries to support Foch. X. would not have it that the G.H.Q. was now only a post office and that the Army Commanders did the fighting, as I suggested. He thought that Haig, Pershing, or Petain could make or mar an operation. I said that I thought that I had better see Foch to have his first-hand opinion on really vital matters, and later I received a telephone message that Foch would see me on Tuesday. Later in the day the young Count de Sahs came to talk with me about Rome and the Vatican, where his father is our representative. I told him that I wislied to see Cardinal Gaspani, the Carchnal Secretary of State, Cardinal Gasquet, and the latter 's .'secretary, Father Phihp Langdon. I also suggested some names of leading journalists, but de Sahs did not know them. If I went to Switzerland I proposed to see Ledochowsky, the General of the Jesuits. De Salis thought all this good. Ledochowsky has 20,000 highly trained Jesuits under him. There never existed a better Intelhgence Service, and de SaUs deplored the fact that M.I. (1) had not the Confessional at its back as the Jesuits had. I am to address the General of the Jesuits as ' Your Paternity.' I said that it reminded me of Buckingham's famous aside when Charles n. in a speech spoke of himself as tlie father of his people. 372 THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS Gasparri, said de Sails, is the best informed man in Europe. He would value my opinions about the war, as everything that our people teU him he considers to be told to him by orders of our Government. He would question me closely, and directly I left he would recount it aU to the Pope. De SaHs thought that Gasparri would probably be the next Pope. He was a genial sort of Cure, easy to talk to, hberal in ideas, and of great force of character. Gasquet was English and very pro-Enghsh. If I could get Phihp Langdon to talk to me about affairs he would be good value as he knew everjrthing about pohtics, including the Quirinal side. I asked if the Itahans would have me followed. De SaUs said yes, so I decided to teU them at the Ministries that I was going to see what the Vatican knew. Saw Simon Lovat, Lady Rosemary Leveson-Gower, and some others. Dined mth the Comtesse X., who was most amusing about ' I'homme aux colhers de perles ' who had been after her £40,000 necklace. She had also saved a honne bourgeoise, the wife of a jeweller in the Rue de la Paix, and also the possessor of a fine necklace, from the designs of this clever good-looking scamp whose modus operandi is to make love to the ladies who own pearls, to compromise them so that they dare bring no action, and then to steal their pearls on pretence of placing them in a safe. His dossier is awful and he has served many sentences, going under a variety of names. He is young, agreeable, educated, and has all the arts. I saw Wilton to-day. He is going to Siberia via London. He was most sarcastic about Murmansk and is aU for breaking up Austria. Met Boni de CasteUane, who is quite the reverse. I am very anxious about our Austrian poUcy, which appears to aim at creating a lot of weak states which wiU be swallowed by Germany directly we clear out. Where will then be the balance of power in Europe ? Monday, Sept. 2. Wrote in the morning. Lunched with a friend. General Ferry, and J. de S. at Henri's. In the afternoon saw Colonel Herscher, Clemenceau's secretary, 1918] M. ]\L1XDEL 373 and found liim very embittered on account of the effectives question. He was also most sarcastic about Z. We dis- cussed these matters at some length, and I should not be siurprised were a joint Franco-American demand to reach our Cabinet requesting them to give assm-ances that our Ai-my ^^•ould be maintained. H. says that the Americans are getting wind of L. G.'s failm-e to make provision for next year, and are feeUng rather badly about it. Herscher will make arrangements for me to visit Petain and to see Clemenceau. Later saw M. Mandel, Secretaire du President dii Conseil. A young man of about thii-ty, shortish, shght, clean-shaved, a Jew, thin eager face, very quick and in- telhgent, and as sharp as a needle. After we had discussed British effectives and Mandel had given me his opinion that we were not plajdng the game, we had a long con- fidential talk about aft'airs. Dined with Mrs. Leeds in her rooms. We had a long talk and told each other our respective experiences since we last met. She comes to Kenwood for the winter. She told me the whole story of what had happened during her long visit to Switzerland. Tuesday, Sept. 3. Started 9.15 for Foch's quarters at Bombon, about 1| hours' motoring from Paris. Went first to Johnny Du Cane's chateau wliich is a few minutes' distance and had a talk. Then went on to Foch's Headquarters, which are well and comfortably housed in a large stone and red-brick chateau with two projecting wings. The grounds seem extensive, and there are some good outbuildings and an entrance through an archway. The quiet is profound, and large prosj)ects help large views. The telegraph and telephone communications are of course very perfect. There is a series of large rooms on the ground lioor which open into each other and nuike good ofiices. At one end is the dining-room. In the centre a very large room, where Foch's knee-hole writing table is in the centre and the otiier furniture is good, 'i'hero is some fine tapestry, and I noticed some interesting ])ortraits. Better furnished than almost any of the chateaux in Northern 374 THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS France which our generals use, and in better style. On the other side of Foch's room is Weygand's office, in which Weygand and another officer sit. Beyond again are offices. Many maps are on the waUs and on the tables, aU kept up to date to show the movements of our Armies from the coast to Rheims. In one large alcove in Weygand's room the contents are concealed by curtains. Perhaps here are the actual positions of our troops, or the situation east of Rheims which I did not observe on the other maps. Foch greeted me cordially. We had an hour's talk, and then I lunched with him at 12 and stayed on till 1.30. He has twenty officers for his whole directing staff, and at lunch were only four officers besides Foch and me. We had much chaff at lunch and told good stories. Foch's mess is the most informal and agreeable of aU the French generals' messes except Gouraud's. Foch was looking well and was in great form. He was plainly dressed in blue, with brown gaiters and boots, and no spurs or decorations. He did most of the talking, and we occasionally rose to consult the maps. He has got his battle going on a front of 200 kilometres, and said that it would last another six weeks at least, and that while he did not intend to commit imprudences, he did not intend to let the enemy alone, but to go on hitting him. Home yesterday broke the Drocourt-Queant Hne on a broad front, and has taken 12,000 more prisoners to add to the 128,000 which the AUies have taken since July 15, of which half have been taken by us. Foch described how impressed one of his officers was at this fight to see 31 battahons of some 16 regiments of 7 German divisions all retreating hke a mob in disorder. Foch means to keep them on the run. Their next line of defence in front of Byng and Home is the Canal du Nord, but no concrete or piU-boxes are there, and after that there is nothing prepared for defence till the Germans get back to the Meuse, except Lille, which may be turned. Foch and Weygand think the German Armies much demoraUsed and the German people disillusioned. Only the artillery and a 'part — as Foch 1918] A CON^'ERSATIOX WITH FOCH 375 expressly said — of the machine gunners are reported to be fighting well. The loss of over 2000 guns, 13,000 machine guns, and 1000 trench mortars since July IS must affect the enemy seriously. He is not fighting as he used to fight. He has no more reserves at disposal than the French Army alone. Foch declares that he, Foch, has no plan and is merely harr^-ing the enemy, but I suppose that this is only a pose because Foch does not want to talk of his plans, and wisely. He said nothing about the Americans except that they were good troops and that one of the two Yankee divisions in the north was on the march to join Bjaig. Mangin \^ith 9 divisions in fu'st line and 6 in second fine was being hotly attacked N.W. of Soissons, but was getting on well. It is a warm corner. Everybody in Foch's view is always getting on well. He is an invincible optimist. I have discovered that the chief actors in a war are all and always optimists, and the chief spectators the reverse. We went into the question of our effectives, and Foch said that if we did not keep them up he should have to refuse to be responsible for our troops. All he asked was that we should keep up our 60 divisions during 1919. He intended to make his great effort by April 1. The Americans pro- raised well \nth their 80 strong divisions. The French had 104 divisions each of 9 battaUons. He could not feel that we were doing our best in proposing to give only 180,000 men to the Army in 1919 out of 700,000 A men who would be available next year.^ Tliis would only give 15,000 men a month, and it would only meet the ordinary waste and not the casualties of a period of great battles. He wished us all to make the maximum effort by April 1919, and declared that it would be the cheapest thing to do as he wished to finish the war. Above all he wished the old and well- tried Armies of England and France to be at full strength. Foch said he did not care if our units were not quite full during the winter so long as all was ready by April 1 next. He knew that our men were allocated to mines, agriculture, ^ The Mardhal did not toll me whence these figures came. 376 THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS shipbuilding trades, the navy, tanks, and bombing squadrons in great profusion, and that there were many claimants. The Army with us came last, and the infantry last in the Army. We must reverse this process if we wished to win the war. The infantry needed guns, tanks, and aeroplanes, but these did not win battles and were only accessories. It was the infantry that won battles, and when men were short the greatest economies should be practised in other demands for man-power, and such things as tanks and bombing squadrons should be provided on a moderate scale. It was an idea of amateurs that tanks and aeroplanes could win a war. He went further and said that every use of man -power which looked beyond the autumn of 1919 should be reviewed and restricted. It was no good building ships for 1920, and even munitions output might be moderated. It was this large view which we had not understood. He asked me to pro- pagate these views without mentioning that they came from him, and I said that this was easy to do as I thoroughly shared them. We considered our War Cabinet unconsciously defeatist in opposing these views. The Cabinet appeared to be still ruled by amateurs, who had caused our defeats last spring. Foch thought L. G. intelUgent, and that there was no one to replace him. He thought that he might be convinced but was not sure. Our mission at G.Q.G.A. {allie) under Du Cane was perfect and was doing well. He had American and Itahan missions here also. He sent directives, sometimes before seeing Commanders and sometimes after- wards. He had held only one conference of all the Com- manders, and distance did not facihtate the meetings. We agreed that no peace talk should be indulged in. I said that I hoped a Boche flag of truce, trumpeter, and the orthodox paraphernaUa would one day be passed on bhnd- folded to Foch's Headquarters. ' I shall give them a kick,' said Foch, ' and say that I Mdll consider the matter when they are out of France and Belgium and across the Rhine, But it wiU only be a promise to consider the matter,' he added, smihng. Foch did not tliink that the Austrians would again attack. 1918] HOW FOCH TALKS 377 Diaz, who had just left Foch, did not dare to attack, though Asiago was very tempting. Foch had no time to go to Italy, as he was too busy here and the journey took too long. I said that if he pushed Diaz on, the lighting might become loose and then anything miglit happen. I preferred to see the Itahans on the safe side of the river, and I only wanted them to hold the Austrians in place. Foch talks fast, getting up and walking about, \nth ener- getic expressions. When he is in a chaffing mood he speaks in short sentences, with energetic gestures to suit his words. ' Je les attaque . . . Bon. Je dis, allez a la bataille. Tout le monde va a la bataille. Bon . . . Je ne les lache pas, les Boches. Done, ils ne sont pas laches. Bon. lis ne savent que faire. Moi, je sais. Je n'ai pas de plan. J'at- tends les evenements. Bon. Vient I'evenement. Je I'ex- ploite. Ils sont poursuivis I'epee dans les reins. Bon. Ils cedent. Le champ de bataiUe s'elargit. Bon. Ils sont attaques partout. ^'a chauffe. Bon. Je continue. Je les pousse. On tape partout. Cela continuera pendant six semaines. Je ne ferai pas de betises. Mais je les pousse. A la fin ils sont extenues. Bon. On prend prisonniers et canons. Bon. On poursuit avec la baionnette. Tic ! (He makes a lunge at an imaginary Boche.) On les tue. Toe ! (He pretends to fire at a Boche.) lis sont desequilibres. L'AUemagne est desillusionnee. Ils n'ont que la classe de 1920. Bon. Ils sont incorpores le 15 septembre. C'est tout. 350,000 hommes ! C'est pen . . . Bon ... lis ne peuvent pas faire plus avant le printemps prochain. Alors je suis pret avec mes troupes en haleine, mes Americains. Les Anglais ? Dieu sait ! C'est le moment de I'eflfort maximum. Allons-y. Bon ! ' Foch and I agreed that a Franco-American protest was the only way to bring L. G. to terms about man-power. He likes Clemencoau because he has courage and dares. He asked me what Robertson was doing, and whether tiiere was any chance of his being re-cmployod in a high capacity. I said that he was in command in Great Britain and in reserve for emergencies. 378 THE BRITISH AND FRENCH FRONTS Afterwards I returned to Du Cane's chateau, and found Lord Reading there at lunch. Pleasant as always. We talked about America. They were all out for the war, but got tired of some things soon. He had read in some novel the advice of a sage lady to her son, that when he had made a good impression in a house he should firmly leave. He felt that about himself and America. But he expressed his intention to return. He went off to see Foch, who had told me that he would talk effectives to him as he had to me. Our Mission hold that the situation has completely changed, and that people ought to reahse it. Peace through victory is now conceivable. Returned to Paris in the evening. Wednesday, Sept. 4, Motored to Provins to lunch with General Petain at the ungodly hour of 11.30 a.m. We flew in a French mihtary car. I called to see our mission, but CHve was away and I only saw Skeffington-Smyth. He had not much news. Found Petain at a smallish house with pretty good grounds and ponds outside the town. We were fourteen at lunch, several general officers having come in. Freezing formahty as usual. Petain inspires terror except among a few of his old hands. He reminds me of the average Royal Personage, who is one person in company and another when alone. The penalty of grandeur I suppose. Among the Generals was General Deville commanding the 16th Army Corps. In 1895 I had visited the camps at Sathonay near Lyons to inspect the troops preparing for Madagascar, and General Deville — we were both Captains then — had been told off to show me round. I had apparently presented him with my favourite Thornton hunting-knife as a memento, and he had kept it with my card, and had only learnt recently that Captain a Court and Colonel Repington were one and the same person. He has used the knife ever since ! I had quite forgotten the incident until he reminded me of it. General Anthoine is no longer with Petain. General Buat, his successor, impressed me very favourably. As usual no one addressed Petain unless he first addressed them, and only one person spoke at a time. Petain told me that 1918] P^TAIN'S OPINIONS 379 General Corvisart, who is coming to London as M.A., is a good officer and has commanded an Army Corps. Some one told the story of the General who had been trepanned, and the doctor had apologised to him for forgetting to put liis brains back. The officer repHed, ' It does not matter as I am a General now.' ' What about a Marshal ? ' asked some one at the table. The allusion was obvious. ' He is an omni- potent being above criticism,' said Petain di-ily, and the subject immediately dropped. After lunch the others left, and Petain walked with me in the garden and talked. He said that I had con'ectly reproduced in the Morning Post last February our con- versation in that month, and that my fine of 2500 francs had all his sympathy. Now we were in other difficulties, and his view was that as I had rendered the greatest services to the cause before, so I coidd do again. We went into the question of effectives, on which he completely shares Foch's \iews, so I need not repeat them. I said that I would do my best. We then talked of the chfficult days of the spring and of Foch's appointment. I told P. that I had felt it my duty to support any French General elected by the Alhes, and he said that he completely approved of my attitude, which he quite understood, and that he had adopted the same course himself. He had a large party who wished to support him against Foch, but he had insisted that they should desist, and he had helped Foch in every way in his power. It was easier since Foch had been made a Marshal, since he now no longer feared Petain. Foch, said Petain, now has a position of great authority, though it depends largely on his being successful. His appointment derived from the Allied Governments, and not from the French alone. This fact gave him a privileged position, and things were going well. How did the machinery of the Command work ? I a^ked. Who initiated a plan, who prepared the movement ? Foch issued the directives. P6tain issued the orders of move- ment when the plan was made, as did Haig and Pershuig for their troops, but Pershing for the moment waa under VOL. II. 2le the machinery of 1914, 414 THE ST. MIHIEL OPEEATION and the question is to provide the method, order, and organ- isation for the transformation scene. This will probably have to be provided by Government action. The country which best succeeds in this task is Hkely to take the first industrial place in the world. Ernest Lavisse at the Marne celebration at the Trocadero yesterday told the schools that the mot d'ordre of youth hereafter will be intensive work. I have not heard that right note struck by any British statesman yet. I do not think that I have yet jotted the fact down that almost every American considers that compulsory national service mil be maintained in America after the war. It struck me to-day that the stake-burning affair has put Mrs. Leeds still more off the throne of Lithuania, as she does not rehsh frizzling. She prefers England and hberty to a crown and a stake. But she would go if she were told that it was her duty. Tuesday, Sept. 24. Wrote an article on Allenby's victory. Heard from U.S.H.Q. here that my articles on Pershing's victory had given much satisfaction, and had been read with the greatest interest. They had been sent on with but few excisions. I looked in to see Commodore Heaton-EUis at the French Admiralty, to ask for my riding orders in naval affairs if the ItaUans spoke of things of the sea. H. E. said that the desire of our Admiralty was still to have a British C.-in-C. in the Mediterranean, but that the ItaHans would not agree. We had two Agamemnons at Mudros and small craft. They were under the French Admiral Gauchet, who was with seven Dreadnoughts at Corfu. The Italians were at Taranto mainly. The Austrians mainly at Cattaro. The Germans might possibly make three Russian Dreadnoughts fit to fight, but more Hkely only one, together with some smaller ships, and then there was still the Goehen, and for all we knew the Russian Black Sea dockyards were working. We want to give Jellicoe the command, and the French will agree but not the Italians. This explains the Admiral's presence here. 1918] NAVAL AFFAIRS 415 H. E. says that lie believes that the Austrians could sHp by Taranto at any time, though that the Italians will tell me differently. But it ^nll be hard for the enemy to bring about any conjoint enemy action, as Corfu stands in the way, and our ships at ■Nludros, apart from Taranto. The ItaHan poUcy is to keep the ships in port. The destruction of an Austrian Dreadnought and tlie damage of another by small craft have fortified Admiral Di Reval's position in this matter. jMike Seymour commands at Mudros under the French. There were some Boche submarines in the Black Sea. H. E. showed me a ^\'ire to say that Allenby had reached Haifa and Acre and had 32,000 prisoners. Where will he stop ? H. E. thinks that if he reaches Damascus the Turks will cave in. and he mentioned that some experts believed it. Bouglit a book or two for the journey. Leaving the Gare de Lvon for Padua 8.30 r.M. CHAPTER XXXVIII ITALY AND THE VATICAN, AUTUMN 1918 Journey to Italy — The British Mission near Padua — Headquarters of the British Army at Lonedo — Talk with General Gathorne-Hardy — The military situation in Italy — Visit to the Comando Supremo — Talks with Generals Diaz and Badogiio — Visit to the Duke of Aosta — The new Italian liaison service — The French Mission — The Bulgarians ask for an Armistice — French and Italian efforts during the war — Italian strengths — Journey to Rome — Talks with Sir RenneU Rodd and the Embassy Staff — Sir Courtauld Thomson — Distribution of Italian and Austrian Armies — Mr. Harris on Vatican affairs — An Italian painter — Talks with General ZupeUi — A visit to the Vatican — Talks with Cardinal Gasparri and Monsignore Cerretti — ^Dr. Malagodi's views — ^Mr. William Miller — Count de Salis on the Vatican — Conversa- tion with Signor de Martino — ^The General of the Jesuits — Talk with Signor Bergomini — A visit to Cardinal Gasquet — Father Philip Lanedon — Our underpaid diplomats — Observations on the Vatican, Italy, and foreign Powers — German proposal for an Armistice. Thursday, Sept. 26. Left Paris Tuesday night, and after two nights and a day in the train reached Padua to-day about 8 A.M., and after a snack motored to our mission which is at a pleasing capua about ten miles out. Here I found Delme RadcUffe, Major Finlay, and the rest of the staff, as well as Le Roy -Lewis. D. R. seemed cross that I had not arranged my trip through him, and was not at all forthcoming. Colonel Grossi, Chief of the Press Bureau, had met me at the station and was very pleasant. I am in the hands of Lieut.-Col. Ponza di San Martino of the G.S. and of Captain Scaravagho. Diaz returns from Rome late to-night, also his Chief of the StafiE, General BadogHo, who is weU spoken of. Nearly all my old friends of the Itahan G.H.Q. have been moved on, and the good practice has been instituted of 1918] THE POSITION OF ITALY 417 making staff officers revert to troops for practical experience. The French officer, Colonel Griiss, is still here and I must try to see him. The brilliant Russian Enkel has gone off to command a Serb regiment at Salonika. Lancelot Louther was my travelKng companion from Paris ; he was good company, but he was doubled up with a naval officer and I with an Italian. No restaurant car, and not too much sleep these last two nights. I find that we have now R.T.O.s at ]\Iodane and Turin and they look after us. Snow on the hiUs near ^lodane, and every day powdering lower : the cattle are coming down to the lower valleys. Evidently the mountain fighting is over for this season. Why do the ewes here lamb in September ? Or is it a second crop ? I find that our divisions are all changing : •iSth, wliich got into a mess last June at Asiago, may be broken up ; 7th and 23rd to go to France ; names of re- placing divisions not 3'et announced. There seem to be 63 divisions of Austrians lound the frontier. The Italians have 55 or so, and the case for an Italian offensive still needs proving to me. There is precious httle war going on. One can motor along the Austrian Piave front and not be shot at much. I believe the Itafians liave lost over 400,000 killed, and perhaps three times that number wounded since the war began. The Arditi or shock troops are new to me. They are young })icked men with black fezzes, except at the front where all have the casque. Considering how Italy has suffered from speciahsing her Alpini and BersagUeri, I doubt the wisdom of skimming the fine of its l)est elements again. I find that twenty trains a day, each carrying some 400 men, or half a battalion, is about the best that has been put through from Modane. Each train thirty-five carriages. From Modane to the plains the system is electrified, but from 9 A.M. to 1 p.m. each day there is a break for repairing the line. Rivers are a little under half full. Roads in excellent e should leave several weak states to be eaten up at leisure by a discontented Germany. We would take our troops away. America would do the same, and the sooner the better, G. added, to my amusement. What State other and better than a Hapsburg federation could oppose a beaten Germany when her power of organisation restored her to much of her old strength ? Poland he knew. It had a history and tradi- tions. But what w-as Jugo-Slavia, what were its confines, language, history, and traditions ? He did not know of them. I said that I agreed, but that I was in a minority on this point, and that Austria would be much diminished. He said that Sonnino agreed with us, and that what our di])lomac5' was preparing was the resuscitation of Germany and the enslavement of Austria. But, he added, — and he returned to the point more than once — at the Vatican we are only concerned ^^•ith the religious point of view and take no part in politics. It was difticult to see the line of demarca- tion, but 1 did not refer to this, nor to Ireland, as I do not know the present point of view at home. I left him in no doubt at all that our victory in the war was assured. We ranged over the map and discussed personalities and ideas. I found him witty and fond of a joke. A strong, self-confident personahty, well armed with information on every point we discussed ; quick, alert, and combative. In the Borgia days 1 should not have cared to dine with him had he dishked me. He speaks pretty good French. I told him, by the way, that 1 was not a Cathohc, and sympathised with Protestant Ulster. It was not the rehgiouH question that interested me, but the pohtico-niilitary question. I then took my leave of him and went u]) to Cerretti, who received me at once. I told him the pith of my request to the Cardinal, and finding that the matter was of the Alon- signore's competence, and that Cardinal Gasquet and Father Langdon may not be here till the 12th, I asked Cen-etti to arrange; the correspondence. This he undertook to do, and 442 ITALY AND THE VATICAN I promised to write also, laying stress on the need for plain speaking and upon a mutual understanding not to be vexed with frankness. Cerretti speaks a sort of American-EngHsh fairly well. The great hope of the Church is Anglo-Saxon- dom since the Latin races began to desert the churches, and I hope that we shall get the correspondence in order before long. I had left three rosaries with the Cardinal, with the request that the Pope should bless them for three faithful daughters of the Church in England. I had not been talking to Cerretti for twenty minutes before a messenger from the Cardinal brought them back duly blessed. So it was true, as I had been warned by young de Sails, that the Cardinal would go straight to the Pope and tell him all that had passed between us. I found Cerretti much interested in Mr. Hughes and his future as a poUtician. A keen, quick-witted Itahan, anxious to please. Both he and the Cardinal discussed numerous matters which I have not noted here. After lunch Dr. Malagodi, the director of the Trihuna, came up to my rooms, and we had a good talk. I told him that I had come here to obtain better information about the pohtical situation in Italy, and that I wanted him to discuss it with me and would then make a proposal to him. For an hour and a half he ranged over the whole field, and I found him judicious, logical, and apparently unbiased by any crank theories or poHtical association. He holds, strongly, the Diaz view of the mihtary situation, and goes further by asking whether Germany, instead of attempting the recovery of Bulgaria, may not aim a blow at Italy. He holds to the Treaty of London as regards peace terms, and declares that Italy must have Trieste and aU Istria, including Pola. The Cardinal had told me, by the way, that I could regard peace terms between Italy and Austria as already settled in advance, and that the difficulties in the Adriatic, Trieste included, would be overcome by granting a form of autonomy to the regions in dispute. In the late afternoon the painter brought my cartoons. They include the first of a series of allegorical battle pictures 1918] THE HOUSEHOLD CAT OF EUROPE 443 of the war, — that is to say, the red chalk drawing of it — the chalk sketch of the picture ' Life and Death," and the chalk dra\\diig of a frieze in the Aleotti Villa, and some smaller sketches. I find that he has studied and has won the first Prize at ]Milan by twenty-nine out of thirty votes ; also at Turin. He is thirty-three, and has painted for eleven years. I saw Ml'. Wilham ]Miller, Morning Post correspondent, to-day, and had tea with him and his wife at 36 Via Palestro. A clever man v,ith good judgment, but his political views differ from mine. He is for destroying Austria. He told me that the so-called Renter reports of debates here are from the Stefani Agency, wliich is disHked by all journahsts, but has some hold over the Govermuent. It is run by a man called Friedlander, who has an Austrian wife. The so-called Rome tireless which figures in English papers no one here can trace. The Stefani Agency frequently bowdlerises debates, and its messages are tendentious. He asked me to warn GwjTine. Miller a good, cool, independent man with much knowledge of Italy. Thursday, Oct. 3. Went to the Embassy, and Rodd showed me over it. He has some nice ItaUan pictures. The house has been greatly improved. He thinks ItaUan officials honest, and that editors cannot be bought. The public care Httle for the Chambers, but care much for muni- cipal pohtics. Rodd has alwa3^s found the leading Italian papers straight, i.e. the Tribuna, Corriere, G. d' Italia, Messagero, Secolo, etc. Lunched \vith de Safis, Bogey, and the American Stewart, who is doing here the same as Cravath in London, on a reduced scale. Much chaff about Jugo-Slavia. Bogey declares the Vatican to be the household cat of Europe, and whenever anything is lost, or the cream disappears, the cat is accused. De S. says that when the Boche gets beaten he beats his prisoners, andwhon we get beat we beat the Vatican. The Americans are adaptable people, and are very popular hero. They are accused of mixing 11 1) lied Ci'oss and Propaganda. I chaffed Stewart about carrying Chicago samples under the tail-board of hi.s ambulances. De S. says VOL. u. 2 G 444 ITALY AND THE VATICAN that they think in London that a CathoUc British Minister spends his time in kneeUng to His HoUness when he has an audience, but, as a fact, he often speaks very frankly to him, and it would be no good having a Minister who would not speak frankly. The Vatican see it, and know that this is the only way to get on. I told him that after studying the Cardinal I did not want to look further for the dominating influence at the Vatican. De S. was glad that I had come to see for myseK. Some people thought that Gasparri was a querulous old woman in petticoats, but I had seen what a strong individuahty he possessed. He was acute, perfectly informed, and had more statesmanship than all our War Cabinet put together. Besides, the Vatican could always wait, which ephemeral governments could not. It was a great business organisation, perfectly well-ordered, and very alert. De S. could not tell me much of Vatican finance except that they seemed to want for nothing and never beat the big drum or sent the hat round. They had much money invested, but not in Italy for fear of confiscation. In the afternoon I had an invitation from the Princess Faustina to go and stay with her at Viareggio, but I have been away so long that I cannot manage it. Later, I saw de Martino, the Secretary -General to the Foreign Office here. An office stacked with papers. A smalhsh man, confident, logical, and well informed ; a good talker, and he galloped me round the diplomatic steeple-chase course discussing all points of interest. I asked him if I might speak plainly to him, and, receiving permission, said a good many things about ItaHan poHcy, and he repHed to me very frankly. Orlando has just made a statement in the Chambers, and is off to Paris for an AlHed Council on Bulgaria. The Chambers are pro- rogued till the 10th, I think. De M. told me that there was nothing for Italy to do but to hold to the Treaty of London and to admit no compromise. But when the terms of the settlement were finally discussed, then accommodation was possible, and no doubt Italy would then accept modifications on the eastern shores of the Adriatic. The idea is that Italy may surrender some claims to the Southern Slavs that she 1918] DE MARTINO'S VIEWS 445 would not siin-ender to Austria. Italy was in danger of being stifled in the Mediterranean by the ambitions of the Powers. He thought that France and Italy must agree, because Italy took the pUico of Russia for France, and Italy herself had to work with France. But it was no use for France to talk of the Latin Sister, and so forth, unless material advantages were offered to Italy, and affairs of the Eastern Mediterranean deeply concerned Italy's future. Italy is relentlessly practical and without sentiment, quite the re- verse of the usual opinion. She is logical and follows out rml-politik. De M. beUeved that all Italy desired to march with England, and hoped that we were on the same Hues. 1 obtained his views on a variety of subjects, and we parted on cordial t-erms. At the hotel I found Malagodi and had another talk with him. He assured me that the Tribuna belongs to very rich people who leave him absolute freedom, and that he is independent of all control. Dined vilely at the Caccia Club. I have omitted to say that I asked Cerretti about Ledo- chowsky. the General of the Jesuits, and asked why they kept him in Switzerland with, a great separate organisation. It was not good staff work. He reminded me, however, that the General was either an Austrian or a German subject, he did not remember which, and had been deported in con- sequence. He had taken with him the British, French, American, and other Missions, who were stiU with him in Switzerland. ' Then why do you not relievo him ? ' I asked. ' Because tiie appointment is for life and we can't do it,' C. rephed. If one of our political lunatics learns that there is a British ^Dssion under an alien enemy in a neutral country, there will bo a nice fuss ! Tlie Cardinal told me that some of the Vatican letters had been opened, and I must find out more about the junketings of ih(; Vatican Bag. Note tliat I found at the Vatican, as elsewhere, no trace of any hostihty Ixitween tlie Quiriual ami the Vatican, but rather the reverse. They an; hke man and wife who may fall out, but together fall on a third party who int-ervenes. Tiie teiui)oral pcnver cry is long since »tiH«'ted all Wilson's conditions and have asked for a commisHion to arrange details of the evacuation. I write an article on the surrender, and send in two articles on my Italian ex]>erience8. There has been no mention for 464 FINAL OPERATIONS AND THE ARMISTICE a week or more of the Kaiser or the Crown Prince. Max of Baden is Chancellor, with a quasi-parHamentary Cabinet which includes the Left. The reply was sent to Wilson after a meeting of the various kings and princes of the Empire. SoK signs the reply, which is dated yesterday. Coleyn was right, and somethuig more than we know must have happened in Germany. AU faces glad in London, and people feel that it is the beginning of the end. The main difficulty wiU be the guarantees and reparations which we Allies are bound to demand. If Germany is not to be invaded and is to be allowed to withdraw her troops and plant in peace, and escape the worst consequences of defeat, then she must pay for these advantages. That is the purport of my article. The remembrance that Haig had put in his two last fresh divisions on the 8th forbids me to oppose the Armistice. Wednesday, Oct. 16. Parhament reassembled yesterday. In the morning, yesterday, there came Wilson's reply to Solf . It contains three points. Firstly, that Germany must cease her inhumane practices on land and sea ; secondly, that the mihtary authorities will settle details and guarantees of evacuation and armistice ; and, thirdly, that autocratic rule must end. The door is still open, unless the Boches close it. Yesterday, also, the British 2nd Army under Plumer, the Belgians, and a French Army under Degoutte, beat the enemy east of Ypres and penetrated to Roulers, Menin, and nearly to Courtrai : 12,000 prisoners and some 200 guns taken. The King of the Belgians in charge. A very good day. The Germans are leaving the Flanders coast and sending away their heavy guns. Saw various people, including Sir E. Carson and Gwynne. Carson says that no date is fixed for the Election, and nothing decided. He had read my article on the Peace correspondence, and had approved of it. I had an article in to-day on the Flanders fight. We seem to be doing nothing poHtically until the correspondence ends one way or another. The last Wilson note is very indigestible for the Boches. CaUed on Lady Forrest, who gave me all her news of affairs in AustraUa. In touch with various people, and hear what news there is. 1918] SUCCESSES CONTINUE 465 I must put down Major Paine's observation at Boulogne, namely, that those who travel abroad for pleasure in war time would travel to hell for pastime. Friday, Oct. 18. Yesterday our attack in Flanders penetrated to Ostend and the gates of Bruges. The CJernums in Lille evacuated it in the night of the IGth- 17th, and our men of Birdwood's 5th Arm}' occupied the town amidst wild rejoicing. The King of the Belgians and Roger Keyes land at Ostend. There are 120,000 people still in Lille, but all the males over fifteen have been taken away bj'^ the Huns. Much palavering in Berlin, but no answer to Wilson yet. Tins affair in Flanders wiU not make their case more gaud3^ The Boches in retreat in most parts of France. Rawly gave them another push on a nine-mile front south-east of Le Cateau yesterday and took 4000 of them jjrisoners. The American 1st Army have had some hard fighting east of the Argonne, and have worked through to Grand Pre. The}' have been at it since Sept. 26, and, I fear, have suffered much o\\ing to weather, few roads, and strong oppo- sition. I read in the Russian wireless that German troops in Russia have hoisted the red flag and shot their officers. Write an article on the general situation. Later, I hear that the Americans have lost 150,000 men in the last three weeks' fighting. Allenby has overrun Syria and is at Honis, half-way between Damascus and Aleppo. Saturday, Oct. 19. All the news continues good. Lunched with Lady Paget, the Droghedas, Lord Ivor Churchill, and Colonel Griscom, at the Ritz. A merry party. Lady P. drove me to the Dowager Lady Londonderry's house, and I had a good talk with her of oiii' last two mouths' experiences. Sunday, Oct. 20. The 27th and 30th American Divisions acting with Rawly have taken part during the last three weeks in three important battles and many minor actions. They have taken 5000 pri.sonei*8 and many guns. We are clearing up in the north, and all goes well. Went to see Lady Bere«ford, who is laid up with a sprained ankle. The Admiral and EdiuunTol from the north. Both T^toI and Vorarlberg want to set up for themselves. The ItaHans are north of Bolsana (Botzen), and it may be a race for the Brenner Pass. I have \\ritten an article every day this week on all these great events, and for to-morrow have reminded people of Mommsen's ideas on the Caudine Forks affair, i.e. that no Power can be held to a disgraceful peace. Dined with Lord and Lady Ancaster ; Lady Ridley, Lord and Lady Wolverton, Lady Dalhousie, and Hankey. The Ancasters have bought Eresby House in Rutland Gate — a fine large building about 17(30, uith a great Renaissance ballroom and other rooms most un-Londonny. Quite a charm of its own, and very attractive. Most of the talk about the coming meeting of the Unionists before the Elec- tion. Wolverton, who has steadily subscribed £1000 a year to the party funde, inclined to ask what has been done with it. A good dinner. Lady Ridley, as ever, with a very fshrewd judgment on our affairs. I have never met Lady DalhouHJe before: she is Ancaster's sister, and is intelligent and attractive, with pleawant manners. Saturday, Nov. 9. To-day came the ncwb that the Kainor 48o FINAL OPERATIONS AND THE ARMISTICE had abdicated and that the Crown Prince had renounced the throne of the German Empire and of Prussia. A Regency is to be set up. Ebert, Chairman of the SociaHst Party since Bebel's death, nominated 'Imperial Chancellor.' A Bill to be brought in for General Suffrage and for a Constitutional German National Assembly, 'which wiU settle finally the future form of Government of the German nation or of those people which might be desirous of coming within the Empire.' So runs Max of Baden's decree. Thus perishes autocracy, drowned in blood. London more interested to-day in a great Lord Mayor's show, and in visiting the captured German guns in the Mall, than in the Kaiser's fate. The news of the signing of the Armistice hopefully but anxiously awaited. The Delegates communicating with Spa by com'ier. Much confusion on the roads and much firing delays his move- ments. The German Armies in general retreat. The Guards have taken Maubeuge, and the French are near Hirson. The Scheldt crossed in several places by the British and Belgians. All the news from Germany is of revolt at many great towns, including Kiel and all the war ports. The whole machine of Aimy, Navy, and Govern- ment looks hke breaking up, but, on the whole, bloodlessly. In the afternoon went to see Doris Keane in her new comedy, but left after the first act to welcome General Townshend and his wife, who reached Victoria, 3.31 p.m. He was looking brown, and much older and very thin, but, on the whole, well. Lord and Lady Beresford drove them off in their motor. Many other friends present to greet them. Sunday, Nov. 10. Nothing more of a definite character about the Armistice. Lunched with the Beresfords and met the Townshends and Sir Edward Carson. Townshend told us a lot more about his experiences, and we walked back to liis hotel together, and I had some more details from him. I have put it all in an unsigned article for the M.P. to- morrow, and also wrote another article of the negotiations, if one can so call them, Carson in great form and incUned 1918] AEMISTICE DAY 481 to thiiik that L. G.'s place in history may be higher than we thought, when all liis difficulties are considered. Carson is anxious about the red feehng on the Clyde and in the north, and is con\'inced that we must see aU oiu- demobihsed men through the first difficult times till they get employment, no matter what it costs. He is in favour of a General Election. He declares that he beheves in the venerable adage, ' Si vis pacem,' etc. Monday, Nov. 11. Armistice Day. A great day. The Kaiser has not only abcbcated but has taken flight to Holland, deserting his Armies of over 3,000,0'^0 men. A more or less bloodless revolution is in full swing throughout Germany, and all the kings and princes of the German Empii*e are topphng down one after another. We learned also early to-day that the German Delegation had signed the Armistice conditions at a.m. this morning and that hostiUties would cease at 11 a.m. to-day. At 11 a.m. the maroons sent their well-known warning, and then the guns and bells began over all London, flags appeared everywhere, huge crowds filled the streets, and there was much rejoicing and happiness on all faces. In Parhament L. G. read out the Armistice con- ditions, which are severe. The Germans have to evacuate all invaded territory and to be 10 kils. east of the Rhine within 31 days. We are to occupy all the left bank and the towns of Mayence, Coblenz, and Cologne, with a radius of 30 kils. on the east bank. The enemy is to hand over 5000 guns, 30,000 machine guns, 3000 minenwerfer, and 2000 aeroplanes. He is to pay for the occupation by our troops. All our prisoners are to be returned at once. He has to give up all 8{>ecie, stock, and paper money stolen. He has to surrender all submarines, including mine-layers ; and those unable to leave port are to bo under our supervision. Six battle cruisers, 10 battleships, 8 light cruisers, and 50 destroyers are to bo disarmed and interned in a neutral or Allied [tort, and all other service ships to be paid off, disarmed, and placed luider our supervision. We have the right to occupy Hehgoland and enforce these naval conditions if 482 FINAL OPERATIONS AND THE ARMISTICE they are not carried out. All Russian warships are to be handed over to us: 5000 locomotives, 150,000 wagons, and 6000 motor wagons, in good worldng order, to be handed over to us within the period fixed for evacuation. We may occupy aU the German forts and batteries at the entrance to the Kattegat and the Baltic. The fault in the conditions is the failure to insist upon a German demobihsation. Lunched with Mrs. Greville ; Mrs. Keppel, Mr. Pringle,M.P., Lady Kitty Somerset, Fox McDonnell, Mr. Birrell, and Lord Farquhar. All in great spirits and very happy. Pringle thinks that there will not be more than 100 independent members after L. G.'s coming Khald Election. We went up to see the drawing-room floor which the old Lord Craven fitted with the priceless Louis xiv. boiserie some 60 years ago. It is of great beauty, very perfect in taste and design. Later, went down for a chat with Sir W. Robertson, with whom I discussed all these great events of the past fort- night. R. said that it had been shown that the collapse of the Armies of armed nations meant the collapse of the nations themselves. Tuesday, Nov. 12. The rejoicings continue, and London still beflagged. A Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's. Lunched with Ohve, Lady Hope, and Bridget, and dined with the Arthur Robertscs and Joan Wodehouse. Went to the CoHseum — a gay and jojrful audience. Townshend in a box, again acclaimed heartily. All the German thrones and thronelets are falHng hke ninepins. The Kaiser and Crown Prince having bolted to Holland, all the minor princes of his late Empire are off their thrones, and all quietly enough, without fuss or resistance. Dined with the Scarbroughs : Lord Peel, Lady Sarah, Sir George and Lady Holford, Fox McDonnell, and Lady de Trafford. After dinner, it was thought that the Tories could be quite satisfied with L. G.'s written assurances to Bonar Law read out to them. So are the CoaHtion Liberals with L. G.'s assurances to them. Labour alone recalcitrant, and orders its men out of the 1018] FOCH'S PROCLAMATION 483 Coalition. Some of the party went on to Lady Randolph's concert. Here is the French text of Foch's Proclamation to the Alhed Armies : PROCLAMATION DU MARfiCHAL FOCH Commandant en chef des armces alliees G.Q.G.A., h 12 Novciiibrc 1918. Officier?. sous-ofBcicrs, soldata des armees alliees Apres avoir rcsolument arrete renncmi, vous I'avez, pendant des mois, avec une foi ct une cnergie inlassabies, attaquc sans repit. Vous avez gagne la plus grande bataille de THistoire et sauve la cause la plus sacree : la Liberte du monde. Soj'ez fiers ! D'une gloire immortelle vous avez pare vos drapeaux. La postcrite vous garde sa reconnaissance. Le marechal de France, Commandant en chej dea armees alliees : FoCH. CHAPTER XL THE PEACE CONFERENCE, 1919 The rejoicings continue — ^The history of the Police Strike — ^The Allies begin their march to the Rhine — Enthusiastic reception of M. Clemenceau and Marshal Foch in London — Facts about American divisions and strengths in France this year — Hearty reception of F.M. Sir Douglas Haig and his Army Commanders in London — A courteous letter from Sir Auckland Geddes — Huge majority for the Coalition at the General Election— The Peace Conference assembles in Paris — Troubles in the Army the result of strain — The Lord Chancellor and the Dean of Durham — The King reviews the young troops — Some good stories at Sir E. Cassel's house — Parties and gossip — Lord Dalmeny on Allenby — Death of the Dowager Lady Londonderry — Haig and Robertson change places — The march of the Guards through London — Secrecy in Paris — Mr. Lloyd George attacks Lord Northcliffe — Visit to Beaconsfield — Mr. Laughlin's ex- periences — Visits to Easthampstead Park — Our maritime losses — Death of Lady Paget — Visit to the Rhine — Situation of our Army on the Rhine — Return to Paris — A talk with Marshals Foch and Retain — Their dissatisfaction with the Conference — Count Sobansld on Poland — A conversation with Gteneral Pershing — Peace with Germany signed at Versailles, June 28. Saturday, Nov. 16. The rejoicings continue, and London stiU covered with flags. A strange absence of news from the Armies, but the German retreat has begun, and our ad- vance after them begins to-morrow. On Thursday had tea with Mrs. Greville, who has been asked to subscribe to both party funds, and has refused both ! Stayed gossiping late. On Friday hmched with the Ian Hamiltons, and met Mr. Sheldon S. Crosby, of the U.S. Embassy, who was inter- esting on the subject of the future after the war, beheving that we should make a Nineteenth Century Peace because we were not advanced enough to accept an International Army and Navy. He disbeUeves in disarmament and the League 481 19181 THE POLICE STRIKE 485 of Nations, but thinks that the latter wiU some day come from the submei^^ed tenth, and the International Force, too. A good speaker and actor. General Ellison there. I asked him to jot dovm for mo his ideas on the future of Army Organisation. Robertson has sent me his, and I am writing to ^lonro to know his views from the Indian standpoint. Crowds to see the German gmis in the Mall. I took Letty to see them. Two continuous lines of guns each side all the way dox^-n, and half up Constitution Hill. All cahbres. The saddest sight was two bhnd AustraUan soldiers brought up by their pals to feel the guns which the}' had captured. They felt them and patted them all over. Such fine fellows too ! Siniday, Nov. 17. Wrote on the economic and food situa- tion of Germany. Had tea with Freddy Wodehouse to hear the inner history of the Pohce Strike which occurred early in September while I was abroad, and led to his resignation and that of the Chief Commissioner, Sir Edward Henry. There had been a PoHce Union created some years ago by an Inspector who had been dismissed. It had lately become more active, and the Pohce had been forbidden to join it. A constable named Theil had disobeyed and had been dismissed. The Union then gave New Scotland Yard some 36 hours in which to reinstate Theil and increase the Police pay by ISs. 6d. a week. No notice was taken of the threat, and the PoUce were then called out by the Union. They came out, first 800, then 2000, then 4000. Smuts tried to settle matters, and the War Cabinet saw the Union people, when the threat was made — so it is rumoured — that the Trade of London would be suspended the next day unless the Union Lltimatum was accepted. The War Cabinet surrendered. Neither Sir E. Henry nor Freddy could stay in such circumstances. There liad l)ecn no serious complaint of insufficient pay before, but the Police had been unsettled by the great rise of wages all round. Freddy thinks that the want of company officers in the Force had been a mistake, and that there should have lieen an officer in each division to keep close touch with the men. The Police Strike created 486 THE PEACE CONFERENCE the worst possible impression in London, and this once popular body has lost the confidence of the public. The Specials called out did well, except in the working-class areas and East End, where they failed to respond. Our Hampstead S. division turned out well. Sir Nevil Macready has succeeded Henry, and the W.O. loses a good A.G. Sunday, Nov. 24. Six days after the signature of the Armistice the Alhes advance to occupy Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhine Province, Luxemburg, and the Palatinate. We send our two Senior Generals, Plumer and Rawlinson, with the 2nd and 4th Armies towards Cologne. The Belgians are on our left. The American 3rd Army, under Dickman, of 10 divisions, advances on Luxemburg for Coblenz. The French make for Mainz. In all, there are 40 infantry and 5 cavalry divisions to occupy German territory and the bridge-heads. The King of the Belgians enters Brussels amidst great rejoicing, while Petain enters Metz and Castel- nau Colmar. Foch will enter Strasbourg to-morrow. The march of the French into Alsace and Lorraine is a great triumph. This last week, also, our Navy has received the surrender of the German warships. The ships of the High Sea Fleet surrendered to Beatty off the Forth, and the submarines to Tyrwhitt off Harwich, An extraordinary and unparalleled event. All passed off well. Monday, Dec. 2. Yesterday Plumer crossed the German frontier, and the general advance into the Rhineland and the Palatinate began. Yesterday, also, Clemenceau and Foch arrived in London for a conference, and were most enthusias- tically received by the people. Went to see the reception and was much pleased by the sincerity and unaffected heartiness of London's greeting. I have never heard such cheering in staid old London before. Germany in a state of poHtical confusion, in which tragedy and comedy blend in equal parts. Austria nearly as bad, and Russia worse. The losses of the beUigerents begin to be roughly stated. Ours are over 3 milfions : Germany reports 6 millions, and Austria the same : France, 2| milHons net loss, but her 1918] DATA ON U.S. OPERATIONS 487 gross casualties not yet stated ; Russia, G millions, including 2 millions dead : Italy on the way to 2 millions gross : Serbia, 323,000. America has Tost nearly a quarter of a million. All these need estimating on some common s3'Stem, and they do not include deaths or waste by sickness. Tuesday, Dec. 17. The occupation of the Rhine Province proceeds without incident, and we are all now in position and holding the bridge-heads. Prei^idcnt Wilson lands at Brest. He reached Paris last Saturday, and had a magnifi- cent reception. The General Election here has not aroused much interest. The voting took place last Saturday, and the result will be announced on the 28th. Haig, with his chief Staff officers from G.H.Q. and his Arm}- commanders, arrive in London next Thursday. I wrote an appreciation of him in to-day's Post. I asked Griscom to obtain for me a brief statement from the A.E.F. of the facts about American numbers in France and numbers of divisions in the hue this year, and here it is. A fine record, creditable to Pershing and to the Washington Admini.stration. I base an article in the Post on it, which will, I hope, silence the foohsh statements which are current. Office of the Chief of Staff France, December 3, 1918. Memorandu.m for Col. L. C. Griscom. Subject : Data on the Operations of the United States Forces in France. 1. X umber of American Dixnsions in France : — January 1, 1918 . 4 divisions. G divisions February 1, 1918 March \, 1918 April 1. 1918 May 1, 1918 June 1, 1918 July 1, 1918 August 1. 1918 1 di\n.sion in line. 2 divisions in line. 2 divi.sions in line. 4 divisions in line. 6 divisions in line. 9 divisions in hne (3 of these in active sector). 32 divisions ; 10 divi-sions in line (5 of these in active sector, and 10 in reserve in active sector). 8 divi.sions 10 divisions 13 divisions 16 divisions 24 divisions 488 THE PEACE CONFEEENCE September 1, 1918. 37 divisions; 12 divisions in line (13 in re- serve in active sector). October 1, 1918 . 40 divisions ; 19 divisions in line (12 in re- serve in active sector). November 1, 1918. 42 divisions ; 18 divisions in line (12 in re- serve in active sector) . 2. Strength of Divisions. While engaged in active operations it has been the policy of the A.E.F. to keep all divisions as near to war strength as possible. In the Meuse-Argonne campaign many- divisions suffered severe losses, but these losses were replaced as soon as possible. So that, for the most part, all divisions were kept within three or four thousand men of the authorised strength. This war strength, according to the latest Tables of Organisation, is 28,153 officers and men. The maximum number of troops employed at any one time was reached on September 26, 1918, when the Meuse-Argonne offen- sive was started. On this date the number of men employed on the Western front was as follows : — Combatants . . 1,224,720 Non -Combatants . 493,764 Total . . 1,718,484 3. St. Mihiel Operation. The following divisions were engaged at the beginning of the St. Mihiel Operation : — 1st, 2nd, 5th, 26th, 42nd, 82nd, 89th, and 90th Divisions. The 4th Division was later thrown into the fight. The following divisions were held in reserve during this operation : 3rd, 4th, 35th, 78th, 80th, and 91st Divisions. 4. Meuse-Argonne Operation. The Meuse-Argonne Operation consisted of two distinct phases ; the first commencing on September 26, and lasting until November 1, 1918. Upon that date a second attack was made which continued until the Armistice went into effect on November 1 1 . The following ten divisions began the operation on September 26th, in the front Hne : — 4th, 26th, 28th, 33rd, 35th, 37th, 77th, 79th, 80th, and 91st Divisions. Upon this date the following eight divisions were in reserve : — 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 29th, 32nd, 82nd, and 92nd Divisions. All these reserve di\isions were later thrown into the fight, to- 1918] HAIG AND HIS ARMY COMMANDERS 489 gether with the folli nviiig divisions which were placed at the dis- posal of the First Army : — 42nd, 78th, 89th, and 90th Di\isions. The initial attack on September 20, 1918, was very successful, and netted an extreme advance of lU kilometres in two days. From October 1 until October 18, there was continuous fighting along the whole Army front, from west of the Argonne forest to the Meuse, but no concerted attack was made until November 1. On October 25 the line extended almost due cast and west through a point about 2 kilometres north of Grand Pre. On November 1 a general attack was launchctl, preceded by a carefully prepared artillery bombardment. This attack was extremel}' successful, and resulted in an advance of nearly •40 kilometres in seven days. 5. The Second American Army. At the time the Armistice went into effect there were evidences of a general withdrawal along the front of the 2nd Army from the Meuse on the west to the Moselle on the east. The 2nd Army was preparing to follow vigorously this withdrawal. The following divisions composed the 2nd Army : , 4th, 7th, 28th, 33ixi, 3oth, 88th, and 92nd Divisions. Fox Conner, Brigadier-Oeneral, G.S., Asst. Chief of Staff, 0.3. The Armistice has been prolonged with certain minor modifications. Next week there begins the Peace Confer- ence in Paris. A tangled skein to unravel indeed. Thursday, Dec. 19. To-day Haig with his five Army Commanders, Plumer, Rawlinson, Birdwood, Byng, and Home, came to London with the chief officers of G.H.Q. and drove from Charing Cross to Buckingliam Palace. A fine sunny day. No escort, nor did troops line the road, nor were any public decorations ordered. But the reception by the [)ublic was most warm, and the cheering equalled that for Foch and Clemenceau. There were enough Hags to make tlie route gay. I went to see it in Piccadilly from the roof of the writing rf)om of the N. and M. Club. A large scjuadron of aeroplanes n)anoeuvred over our heads. Lunched with King Manuel and the Vicomte Asseca at the Kitz, and dia- 490 THE PEACE CONFERENCE cussed the murder of the Portuguese President and the King's travels in England and Ireland. We were talking of a man who is deaf, and King Manuel told us that his father, who was also a trifle hard of hearing, had once made a famous remark about it, namely, that ' une surdite bien administree vaut mieux qu'un majorat.'' We agreed that Soveral had been far more correct in his views on the war than any other foreign diplomatist in London. I was also amused with the story of Lord Bertie in Paris, after a risky story told at a luncheon party at the Ritz, having turned to OUivier and said to him, * II ne faut pas raconter cette histoire a la Pre- fecture ' (of PoHce). Every maitre d'hotel is credited with recounting all the tittle -tattle of the smart restaurants to the poHce. King M. advised me most seriously to ' Watch Portugal.' Evidently something is due to happen there. ^ Friday, Dec. 20. Mr. Peacock, the manager of the Morning Post, sends me a telegram received by him from General Nolan, Assistant Chief of Staff, American Expeditionary Force, asking permission to reprint and distribute as an official leaflet, and also to pubhsh in the Stars and Stripes, which is the official newspaper of the A.E.F., my article of Dec. 9, on America's Effort. Nolan says that the article is admirable, has greatly pleased all officers of the American Army, and that it is thought advisable to give it very full circulation among the officers and men of the A.E.F. Sir Auckland Geddes has the courtesy to send a nice letter to his N.S.R.s. Here it is : — Ministry of National Seevice, Westminster, S.W.I, llih November 1918. Dear Sir, — Now that, owing to the glorious issue of the War, the work of the Ministry of National Service is coming to a close, I desire to take the earliest opportunity of personally thanking you for your loyal co-operation, and for the invaluable assistance you have given in undertaking the arduous duties of a National Service Representative. The successful recruiting of His Majesty's Forces has been 1 A month later the monarchical rising in Oporto began. 1919] THE GENERAL ELECTION 491 largely due to the enthusiasm and devotion to dut}" which have been sho\\'u by you and other voluntary National Service Repre- sentatives. I well know what a difficult and thankless task was entrusted to you. The smooth and successful operation of measures so inherent I3' distasteful to our countr\'men as the MiUtary Service Acts is no small tribute to the energy, tempered by tact, with which you and other National Service Representatives have carried out your duties. To the expression of m}' deep appreciation of the assistance you have given I add the confident hope that your patriotic and unselfish services will be gratefull}' remembered by the Nation. — Yours faithfull}-, A. C. Geddes. Lieut.-Col. k C. Repikoton, Maryon Hall, Hampstead, N.W. 3. Monday, Jan. 6. The turmoil of the General Election has now calmed down. The Coalition has a huge majority, and all those who have gone against the national sentiment during the war, or are even supposed to have been remiss, have been thrown out. But only 50 per cent, of the new Electorate have voted, and the new female suffrage has not resulted in the return of a single woman member in Great Britain. The Peace Conference assembles this week in Paris. The two months' delay since the Armistice, the inaction of our Armies, and the delays in demobilisation, have caused some unrest, and there have been unruly scenes both in our Armies in France and here at home. The result of reaction after strain. The Marquis Imix'riali and Max-Muller interest me greatly at a week-end party where we liad good talks over the critical days of 1014. Tiie Ambassador is sure tliat Mcnsdorff never believed in war. Mcnsdorff, he says, had the faculty of not looking at things that he did not wish to see or tliat were di.sagreeable, and told lm|)eriali and othera that England would never go to war. Lichnowsky was pessimistic, and Imperiali thought that he had been warned. Ho says that Lichnow.sky's accounts are perfectly accurate, and he can confirm them. VOL. II. 2 K 492 THE PEACE CONFERENCE BerchtoldjForgach, and Herr vonTschirschky,the German Ambassador at Vienna, seem to have drafted the Ultimatum to Serbia together. Max-Muller, who was at Pesth, heard of the Ultimatum on July 23. Imperiali says that the Secret Treaties between France, England, and Italy, by which the latter Power joined the Entente, were signed at 2 P.M. on April 25, 1915, and that the same evening they were mentioned at a cocotte's dinner party at Paris, at which was present an Italian who warned the Ambassador. We could not decide when it was that the Kaiser was won over to the war, but we agreed that his miUtary party took charge of affairs and that the Kaiser rather consented to war than wished war. Fritz Ponsonby, who was with us, is writing a History of the Grenadiers in the war, and lays stress on the difficulty of obtaining German facts. We all agree that a veridic history of the days of June, July, and August 1914 will be hard to reconstruct, so many are the actors involved and so intricate the intrigues. Respecting the disobliging communique about Orlando published in Paris on Sept. 1, and Mandel's statement to me that Orlando had seen and approved it in advance, Imperiali assures me that the text was different from that seen by Orlando. None of the French papers which gave it were allowed to enter Italy. Tuesday, Jan. 21. During the last fortnight the re- presentatives of 25 States have assembled at Paris for the Peace Conference, and after various preliminaries, held their first seance pleniere at the Quai d'Orsay. Clemenceau elected to preside, and he looks like keeping the team in order. The affair began by a coolness between the Conference and the Press because the latter was deprived of news, but the thing has blown over. Foch renews the Armistice again on the 17th for a month. I make out that the Germans had demobiUsed some 2,700,000 men early this month, but still have some 2,000,000 of all sorts under arms. By to-day there are only some 19 German divisions in the East and 5 in the West, and I should say that by the end of this month, including all garrisons, the Grermans 1919] TROUBLES IN GERMANY 403 will be down to their old Peace strength. The French boast that they themselves will have demobilised 2,000,000 by ^larch. The Americans have sent home most of their men in the U.S. camps and from England, but only 114,000 from France yet. We have sent home about half a milhon. AH quiet in Alsace-Lorraine and the occupied parts of Germany. The Germans have had a lot of trouble with their extremists m Berhn, and much fighting has taken place there, culminating in the doing to death of Liebknecht, the fanatical Spartacist, and Rosa Luxemburg, the female fury who was his best help. Most of Germany fairl}' quiet, and the elections for the new National Assembly took place yesterday, resulting in the Majority Socialists, or present Government party, having the largest following, and the Democrats the next biggest. I have been wTiting most days on the questions before the Conference. The real crux is the Russian policy which the Po\^ers are to pursue. An mdiscretion of the Huinaniie, which pubhshed a despatch of Pichon's of Jan. 5, showed us to our dismay that L. G. had been trying to get Bolshevist delegates to Paris. Most people think that Poland ought to be helped by us and also the loyal Russian forces which are fighting Bolshevism, but the Conference cannot make up its mind what to do, and we hear that President Wilson will not let it. I have seen much of the Poles here and have heard their bide, which I am defending. Count Sobanski and M. Zalicki are very u.seful to mc. Winston has the War Office, and is wisely having long talks with Haig about things. The appointments of F. E. Smith as Lord Chancellor and of Walter Long as First Lord are much criticised by the Northcliffe Press, while Winston's nomination to be War Secretary' displeases others. The Duchess of St. Albans promises me her father's (Bernal O.sborne) private Memoirs, which I want to sec, as he knew so much and so many people iu hi.s day. B. O.'s wife, I remember, once said that one of her daughters had married a duke and the other a policeman. The latter was Sir Henry Blake, whom I knew 494 THE PEACE CONFERENCE BO well in the old Land League days. He is just dead, alas ! I think the Irish Convention killed him. I told the Duchess how much I admired him, even before he made his great career as Colonial Governor. At the Duchess of Sutherland's at Sutton Place I met Marconi last Sunday. He terrified us by saying that he had discovered a machine to take photographs through a wall or ceiUng, thus opening up a prospect of unlimited trouble. Photos taken by this horrible instrument in the street show one's figure without the clothes ! Also he said that he could now receive wireless telephone messages from 1000 miles distance, and that some day he would so store energy that a motor car would run for a thousand years without recharging. Heaven grows more and more a better world ! The Sutherlands have made Sutton Place more perfect than ever. They have placed in it their beautiful Romneys, Hoppners, etc., including the exquisite Gower family, and with the tapestries the place is now a treasure house and most comfortable. The great Perseus bronze is very admirably placed on the crest of the slopes on the river-side and looks uncommonly well. Rivaroli's paintings are mostly in a room by themselves, and are very brilliant and decorative on a grey blue wall. Friday, Jan. 24. Still writing daily on the Conference. We are asking the Bolshevist and other local Russian Governments to confer with us at Prince's Islands in the Sea of Marmora, to the extreme annoyance and disgust of the anti-Bolshevists. We are also sending a mission to Poland. Both these plans are to get information. In each case an echappatoire to excuse the Conference from doing anything. We have masses of information on both subjects akeady. Dined with the Scarbroughs, Wednesday — an agreeable evening. Jack Cowans, Lord R. and Lady Moyra Cavendish, Colonel and Lady Florence Willoughby, the Maguires, and a relative of the host's who gave me an interesting account of her experiences in France. We talked rather late. Scarbrough's Volunteers have pretty well ended their activities. There were 305,000 of them 1919] THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS 495 before the war ended, and now S. thinks that the original Territorials "^ill be reconstituted. Bad accounts of the numbers of recruits taking on for the Regulars : it is said only 11,000 as yet ! Dined, Thursday 23, at Lady Downshire's, 43 Charles Street, and met Lord Edward Gleichen, ]Mrs. ChapUn, the Duke of Rutland, Major Graves, Lady Massereene, and ]\li"s. Handford, the Bishop of Down's daughter. Lady Dowiishu'e's husband died about a year ago. A nice medium-sized house formerly Cis Bingham's. The Itahan decorations have been removed, and the house has been done up in early Enghsh style, severe, restful, and in excellent taste. A beautiful and charming hostess, and a very pleasant evening. Tuesday, Feb. 4, All the Russian patriot parties have refused the in\itation of the Conference to meet in the Sea of Marmora. Last week the question of the disposal of the captured territories came up. Wilson wants to apply the mandatory scheme advocated by General Smuts in his pamphlet on the League of Nations, and our Dominions hate it, as do the French, but a provisional compromise has been effected. The Commissions at work at last. There will be much trouble about the League, as President Wilson is apparently trying to make it a sort of World Government and going much too fast. On the other hand, the Peace terms go much too slow. Here we are nearly three months from Armistice Day and we can present no peace terms to the Boche. Went to the first big function since the Armistice, a dinner of 100 at 10 tables at Lord Furness's house and a dance afterwards, where many people turned up. A pleasant dinner. I watched a couple of dances or so and then left. A rare lot of pretty women ; many smart young fellows still, mostly in uniform, and a bevy of pretty girls. Nearly every one in London seemed to be there. All the new dances, if they can 1x3 called dances, and joUy dresses, but very httle of them. Many ladies told me that they felt quite dazed in a throng strange to UH all for nearly five years. How soon the world forgets ! 496 THE PEACE CONFERENCE Hardly a family represented there that had not lost one member or more in the war. Labour troubles very bad. To-day all the tubes were closed. Sunday, Feb. 9. L. G. returned from Paris yesterday to meet ParUament, which has just reopened. Labour troubles more serious. Owing to snow and stoppage of tubes and district railways I am nearly marooned on my mountain. Much trouble with the troops, who are rather unruly. They cannot understand the demobiUsation plan, and march to the W.O. when, as yesterday and the day before, trains are not ready for them to return to France. We have usually had 75,000 men at home on leave from abroad. They return as individuals, and this works all right when things are quiet, but in these times of unrest and with the cold and strikes it does not answer. They do not want to go back to France, and those ordered to return to Cologne to be demobilised and sent back home again, think the plan foohsh, as indeed it is, and do not look forward to the long and cold journey by rail, where a bad service and great delays cause hardship. These stray men have no officers or N.C.O.s with them, and there are not enough rest camps between London and Folkestone to take them in. The hostels in London are also not too popular. Yesterday I found Victoria guarded by Scots Guards and the Blues, and met Mr. John Burns, who was very critical of the want of arrangements and the use of armed force. But things had got beyond a joke, and though all sympathise with the men the indiscipline must be stopped. Robertson has been placed in charge of affairs by Winston. I think that he will get the Guards Division home, as the units in London are very weak. He says that the troops have behaved well in Glasgow, etc., but he cannot get any one to tell him that it is legal to tell troops to break a strike by taking the place of strikers. On the whole, the new scale of bonuses, rising from half a guinea a week for a private, for the Armies of Occupation has been 1919] LLOYD GE0RC4E AND BRL4ND 497 well received, but R. w'ishes the scale applied to all troops, and thinks that the new scale for the future Regular Army must be something nearlj^ the same. Winston promises to try and settle this matter this week. Elisabeth Asquith engaged to the Rumanian Prince Bibesco. Met Lady Cynthia Asquith to-day at Lady Randolph's : she describes the Prince as one of the cleverest men she knows. Soveral, Lady Gwendehne, General Ashmore, and Stephen Leshe all very amusing. Lady R. told a story of an admirer pouring out praises of his lady- love to a cynic. ' Her virtue is above rubies,' gushed the admirer. ' Try diamonds,' repHed the cjTiic. Another tale of M. Cambon on his first sight of the new Jazz dancing. ' Qu'en pensez-vous, Excellence ? ' — ' C'est epatant, les figures sont si tristes, et les derrieres si gaies ! ' S. L. says that the young women, seventeen to twenty-four, are a class by them- selves. They want independence, don't like the generation next older to them, won't meet their friends or read the same books or admire the same art. A general movement of social mutiny against the old feminine trammels. Even quite young girls affected by it. It is not a movement to get more liberty to meet men friends, but rather the contrary. The corresponding young men appear to dislike these ideas. Met Bee Pembroke at Lady Scarbrough's yesterday. The Wilton hospital is closed. Reggie still in Paris. Bee sat between L. G. and Briand one night at the Embassy in PariS; and translated the questions and answers. L. G. asked what Briand would now do in his place. Briand replied that he would have L. G.'s information and would act accordingly. L. G. also asked how many times Briand had been P.M. ' Seven times,' replied Briand. ' When will you be P.M. again ? ' — ' I have been inoculated so often that I am free of the disease.' Bee described L.G.'s infectious enthusiasm as he rushed in to announce Austria's surrender. The terms asked had been purposely made most severe in order to test the weakness of Germany. Scarbrough has many good ideas for the Volunteers and resuscitated Territorials. 498 THE PEACE CONFERENCE Tuesday, Feb. 25. The last fortnight has been marked by the attempted assassination of glorious old Clemenceau, who was badly wounded, but is happily pulling round. Wilson leaves for America, and on arrival makes a great speech at Boston in favour of the League of Nations. The Con- ference marks time meanwhile. Many labour troubles here, and a threatened strike of the Triple AlHance of miners, railway, and transport men. L. G. at home to cope with it. I have met two interesting men lately, one the American, Mr. George Creel, in charge of information, propaganda, and secret service ; and the other, Brig. -Gen. Cockerill, who has been in charge of our secret information and contre- espionnage all through the war. Creel has many enemies, as any man doing his job must have. He is a youngish man with rather sallow complexion and black hair. He has had, he says, 150,000 men under him, and has placed Wilson's speeches in every town of importance in the world within twenty-four hours of dehvery. He has a body of four-minute -speech men who go round and work things up, also a Committee of picked advertisement agents and writers who fill the papers with things to help. He declares that his system has cost a third of ours, and is much more efficient. Cockerill told me the whole story of the adven- tures in London of my telegram of May 12, 1915, about the shells. Neither Cockerill nor any of his best men have had adequate thanks or reward for their work. The usual fate of IntelHgence agents ; and the W.O. hauled him over the coals for issuing an order to thank his men. C. says that by working up the wireless he sometimes gave our G.H.Q. the German operation orders before the operation began, and also helped the N.I.D. to know when a naval operation of the Boches was pending. C. had his greatest difficulties in official stupidity and obstruction. He is now M.P. for Reigate. I have met Winston twice at dinner lately. He is doing well, and the new rates of pay are attracting 1500 veterans of the war per day. He expects to get 250,000 this year in 1919] F. E. AND BISHOP WELLDON 499 addition to untrained recruits. He is very a nti -Bolshevist, and is for strong measures against them. Some 1,500,000 men have been demobilised, and I also see few Dominion men about now. The Guards division are on their way home, and the first unit marched into London to-day. Met Poklevsky one da)' at lunch. He is most anxious for us to recognise the NationaUst Governments of Russia. A large dinner one night at ^Mi's. Keppel's. I think there must have been thirty. Lady Bonham-Carter and ]\Ii's, Charles Hunter, who were my neighbours, were very agreeable. ^Irs. K. and I defeated the American Aimy at Bridge afterwards. Mr. Doubleday, the American publisher, came to lunch, 22nd. Dined at Theresa Lady Londonderry's on the 24th. The Lord Chancellor and Lady Birkenhead as she is now, Scarbrough, the Diike of Leeds, the Dean of Durham, Walter Long, the Ladies Ormonde, Herbert, Ilchester, and Mar. A very pleasant evening. F. E. has been treasuring up for thirty-three years his resentment at having been ploughed, together with Amery, for a Harrow scholarship by the Dean when the latter was Headmaster of Harrow, and he attacked him about it across the table, declaring that he had succeeded in ever)i:hing that he had undertaken in Life except on this one occasion. It was his only failure. ' It was rather my failure,' said the Dean politely. He remembered the occasion. jMrs. Amery had come to him and had told him how clever her son was, but all mothers did that. ' Oh ! ' said F. E., not yet molHfied, ' there was no need for my mother to tell you the same thing about me as she felt certain you would have dis- covered for yourself.' F. E. said to me that thirty-three years was a long time to wait, but that one always got one's own back in time. He had never met the Dean since the Harrow episode ! He finds the Woolsack a great giind. He sits for ten hours a day, either on appeal cases or while the Hou.se of Lords is sitting. He says that one can do everjlhing quickly except sit quickly. The Woolsack is a com foil able seat. No one else is supposed to sit on it unless invited by the Chancellor. But the hours are bo 500 THE PEACE CONFERENCE long that F. E. thinks of taking a wrinkle from Labour and ' downing wigs ! ' Walter Long and others very interesting after dinner about Lord K. and the earher Cabinets of the war. The hostess in her best form and most agreeable. Lunched to-day with Captain and Lady Eileen Clarke to hear about Murmansk. Not much chance of getting our troops away from Archangel till June. Very few Russians have joined. They expected food and money, and when they did not get either they stayed away. The Arctic kit of each of our soldiers costs £28. The most useless expedition imaginable. We have people some 300 miles down the railway. Clarke now A.D.C. to Archie Murray at Aldershot. Lady Eileen has been doing chauffeuse for generals. Cis Bingham joined us and told us a good story against her. One old general had forgotten who his chauffeuse was and asked her, as they nearly ran over some one, ' Who the hell is that ? ' — ' I 'm damned if I know,' Lady E. is credited with having suitably replied. Another story of another lady of title who was driving a Minister who was a peer. He gave her some directions, and she said, 'Yes, sir.' — *I am usually addressed as My lord,' said the Minister haughtily. ' And I am usually addressed as My lady,' replied the chauffeuse. Sunday, March 2. A quiet week in Paris, but the new Armistice conditions for Grermany promise to be nearly preUminary peace terms and to be very onerous. Things in Grermany are unpleasant. Munich and some other towns have practically gone Bolshevist, and Kurt Eisner, the Bavarian Prime Minister, has been murdered. It is doubtful whether the Government at Weimar has the power to keep order. President Wilson busy in America in favour of his League of Nations. I am supporting him, though the Post is not very friendly to the scheme. But we cannot get Wilson to sign the Peace without the League, and if the signature of the U.S. is not on the Peace we shall have to revert to balance of power policy pure and simple, and this will mean war again later on. So we 1919] HABITS OF FISHWIVES 501 have to pay for the American signature by accepting various inconvenient things which are in the League Draft Convention, Lunched with Mrs. Astor on the 26th, and met Lady Sack\'ille and Bogey. I am concerned that j\Irs. A. has to go to a nursing home for an operation. Dined with Lady Sarah the same night, and found the Laver3'^s, the Winston Churchills, Sir Ernest Ca^^sel, the Lord Chancellor and Lady Birkenhead, General Brancker, Lady Nunburn- holme, and Lady Mar. An amusing talk after dinner. F. E. and Winston in great form. It appears that the Grovemment thought of prosecuting the Morning Post again the other day for some sarcasm about Winston, and F. E. expected to win the case and get £2000 damages. But tlie Attorney was less certain, and so, wisely, nothing was done. Lunched with Lady Pembroke, 27th ; Jack Cowans, Lady Mar, Mrs. Beckett, Lord Lonsdale, Lady Muriel Herbert, and Charles de Noailles. Lady Muriel just back from her camouflage school in France, where she has been in charge of some hundreds of Boulogne fisher- women who have been employed on the work. She saj'^s that they have an argot of their own very hard to under- stand. Also any fisherwife beaten in an argument with another, collapses on the ground on her back, and begins to drum with her heels to attract sympathy. It is a regular fashion, just as our greatgrannies used to get 'the vapours ' and faint. Charles de N. says that Lady Muriel had a succes jou in Paris. Her plain khaki dress, short dark hair, and air of peculiar distinction won the hearts of all tlie fashionable ladies who raved about her. Several of the party had been at Princess Patricia's wedding, and were full of it. Jack C. is to become Chairman of an Oil Combine in MesoiX)tamia, and will go on half pay, but no announcement is to be made yet. An amusing luncheon at Lady Massereene's on the 28th. Lady Carson, Islington, Mrs. Tom Bridges, and Denis Bingham. A lot of Irish Ktories, but only one remains with me. An Ulster working woman in order to keep her 502 THE PEACE CONFEEENCE children away from a dangerous pond told them that it was 'chock-full of wee popes.' They would not go near it afterwards ! Dined with the Maguires the same night ; Lady Mar, Lord Buckmaster, Colonel Stanley, Lady Nunburnholme, Sir Ernest Cassel, Lady Wolverton, Lord Lurgan, Lady Bingham, Sir R. and Lady Graham, Lady Delia Peel, and one or two more. Graham seems to be worked to death at the P.O. in the absence of Hardinge and other P.O. men. Pleasant and interesting talk. Lunched with Mrs. Keppel, Saturday. She and I and Lady Lihan Wemyss wallied into the Park later to see the King's Review of the young soldiers' battalions which are off to the Rhine. A fine day and a good show. We were late and had no tickets, but wallied through as if Hyde Park belonged to us, and got a good place. The King and Queen, Duke of Connaught, Prince of Wales, Sir W. Robertson, and many people present. The crowd estimated at 100,000. The young troops looked uncommonly well, and the King seemed very pleased. To-day Jack Stirling came up to lunch and told us much of interest about the Germans in the Rhineland. His battaUon of the Scots Guards is on its way home. The Boches are very obsequious at Cologne. They do not seek to avoid the troops, but study them with deep interest. No one ever averts his head, and there have been no offences against the Army of Occupa- tion. Jack thinks that the rich get fed, but the poor not, and that if we feed the people we should control the whole distribution, or the German regulations will not be applied properly. There seem to be scarcely any German troops on the Western front now. J. thinks that patriotism, as we and the French understand it, does not exist in Germany. Theresa Lady Londonderry lunched with me at Claridge's one day this week, and was in her most enter- taining mood and full of good stories and recollections. She is still the best company of any woman in London. Sunday, March 9. The President left New York on the 1919] DEATH OF F. E. MACKENZIE 503 6th for Paris. His journey seems to have been only a moderate success, for the Republican Senators are opposing the League of Nations Convention as drafted. He gives out that the country is with him, but the uncertainty on this subject will weaken him in Paris, and we shall have to give a balance of power bend to our policy for our security if the League fails or becomes jelly-fishy. Went on the 3rd to the memorial service for F. E. Mackenzie, formerly correspondent of the Times at BerUn, at St. Andrew's, Wells Street. The 'Dead March in Saul' magnificently rendered, A good man at his work, very modest and retiring, and a great loss. All my old Times friends there, including those good fellows, John and Godfrey Walter. Geoffrey Dawson, who was there, has resigned the editorship, which has been given to Wickham Steed, and Fleet Street wonders whether the pohcy of the Times vAW now be Croatian, Serbian, or Slovene. G. D.'s letter of resignation appears in the Morning Post, but not in the Times. He complains that Northchffe dishked the fact that D. did not follow N.'s pohcy as ventilated in other papers. I am amused that the Times treated G. D.'s letter of resignation as G. D. treated mine and did not publish it. The biter is bit. It is said that N. wrote to complain that G. D. was lagging behind his policy, and that G. D. denied this, saying that on the contrary he had never attempted to foUow ! G. D. tells others that he has felt hke a dog with a tin pot tied to his tail. I respect his motives for resigning, but am glad he is out, as he was not big enough, and I can never forget nor forgive that he failed us at the crisis of the war. Lunched with Lady Massereene on the 4th, and met Lord Curzon, l^dy Islington, Mrs. Handford, Lord Dalmcny, and some others. Some talk with Curzon about the naval side of the war, with which he is well aequo intcd. Lunched with Bogey Harris on the 5th, and met Lady Sarah, Sir W. and Lady Menzifs, Mrs, Keppel, and others. The house very nice, with some charming Italian bronzes, marbles, and pictures. 504 THE PEACE CONFEEENCE In the evening of the 6th a man's dinner party at Sir E. Cassel's ; King Manuel, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Crewe, Sir Matthew Wilson, Billy Lurgan, and FeUx Cassel. Winston expected, but was being assailed in the Commons over a Bill and could not get away. Much good talk. We all gave examples of Lord X.'s tall stories. Mine of his teUing me that he always hacked 80 miles to covert on the Saturdays and 80 miles back was only voted good till better were told. One was of his appearing at the meet one day with a long -tailed straight -shouldered animal that no one knew, and saying that it was one of his mother's carriage horses which he wanted to teach to jump. All thought that he would get a rattling fall, but when the fox broke and the hounds streamed away X. was with them, the carriage horse fencing beautifully and soon lost the field. The horse turned out to be a famous chaser which has just run second in the Grand National ! The best story was of a grouse drive, at which after one beat, when other guns had at most some 10 to 20 brace, X. came along and said that he had killed 250 brace. All were astonished, and Lady Y. went to look, and sure enough there they were, piled round his butt. Then she turned them over and found that they were stiff and cold. She rejoined the guns and taxed X. with her discovery. ' Cold, were they ? ' said X. * Oh ! yes, that 's easily accounted for ; / was using chilled shot.' Played Bridge after dinner with the King, the Chancellor, and Lurgan. The Kjng won a good stake and plays well. He told me that the Revolution in Portugal had been premature, and that he had done his best to stop it. F. E. reduced from £30,000 a year to £3000 by taking the Woolsack, but he intends to make his turn at it more memorable than any since Brougham's and he is quite capable of it. He added another story to our Lord X. collection. He stayed with him years ago, and got so annoyed by the tall stories that he began to cap each one by inventing better stories of his own. When he was gone some one asked X. w^hat he thought of F. E. ' He 's a nice fellow enough,' said X., ' only 1919] F. E.'S TOMBSTONE 505 he 's such a d cl har.' F. E. says that he will see to it that the inscription on his own tombstone runs that :— HE WAS LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND AND WAS CALLED A LLA.R BY LORD X. In spite of these stories we all agreed that Lord X. was a quite unique personaUty, a good sportsman, and a true friend. On Saturday night I turned dramatic critic for a lark and went to The House of Peril at the Queen's Theatre. Wrote an account of it for the Post. Not much in my line I think. My critique seemed to me extraordinarily poor. It seems that one has to learn things before one does them. I had quite forgotten the fact in watching politicians running a war. Saturday, March 15. The President now back in Paris, and things are stoking up for big decisions. The Conference at last concentrating on what they ought to have begun with, namely, peace with Grermany. During the four months* delay since Armistice day we must have wasted — England alone — some 600 millions on war expenditure. If our War Cabinet had got their terms ready, which was their business, instead of muddling about with strategy, which was not their business, we might have saved much of this. A pleasant dinner at Belle Herbert's on the 10th ; the Dowager Lady Londonderry, the Robertsons, Midletons, Lister Kayes, and Lady Florence Willoughby. A good talk with Lady Londonderry about people and politics. She told me that she had had a temperature of 101° the last time that I dined with her, but refused to stay in bed. Her heart is troubhng her and she ought to lie up, but it is the last thing that she will ever do. On the 11th dined with the Maguires. An agreeable evening. Sir Fritz and Lady Pon-sonby, George Peel, I^jrd and I^id}- Harcourt, Lady Massercene, Sir Seymour Fortescue, Lady Keppcl, and some others. A lot of the first Sir Robert's plate ])ut out on the sideboard and dinner 5o6 THE PEACE CONFERENCE table. It was late George iii. and had the Royal Arms, having belonged to the Duke of York. Very massive and gorgeous. After dinner I taxed Hai-court about his diary. He admitted that he had a complete record of the whole of our times since he was nineteen. He wa^ secretary to his father, Sir William Vernon - Harcourt, and when he was nineteen he had been given the key of the F.O. despatch boxes by Gladstone, who told him that he trusted Lulu and was the only man who could give him the key. When could he pubUsh ? Lulu did not know, as the diary was too complete, and he thought that the pubhc hangman would probably burn it. He thought that no one had a fuller account of the Gladstone, C. B., and Asquith ad- ministrations. He had a full record of the crisis of Dec. 1916, from hour to hour, just as Montagu has. I wonder how they will compare ! Lulu says that a diary is no good unless written up within twenty -four hours of events, and I agree. McKenna was right in thinking that the Harcourt Memoirs would be one of the chief documents of our time. But posterity will have to remember the pohtical bias of the writer, and must season his Radicalism with many grains of Conservative salt. On the 12th lunched with Lord Dalmeny at his father's house in Berkeley Square to talk over Palestine and Allenby's campaigns. A very comfortable house. The pictures here, as elsewhere, are being resurrected from the cellars. We agreed that Allenby ought to be made High Com- missioner and placed in charge of Egypt, Messpot, and Palestine, but Wingate still said to be going back, and the F.O. may not be wilhng to give up its cherished preserve. Dalmeny told me of the great confidence of all in Allenby, and of his immense prestige. His name written in Arabic reads like El Nebi, the prophet, and therefore the legend that Jerusalem would be retaken by a prophet who had come out of the West had come true. One doubting Thomas of an Arab even asked whether Allenby had changed his name when he came upon the scene ! D. told me that when I was with Allenby watching him direct his Arras 1919] DALMENY ON ALLENBY 507 battle in A])ril 1917 there was one thing which I did not know. This was the uncommonly poor send-off which he received before launching his attack. He gave me details. D. said that I could now appreciate the coolness of Allenby in deciding to attack in spite of this wretched send-off, and his calm throughout the battle, even more highl}'- than before. Yes, indeed ! His whole professional repute was at stake, yet I never saw a man more cool and confident, and his battle was the biggest success we had had up to that date. D. said that no man was more patient with his subordinate generals than Allenby, or had degomme fewer of them. He had lived through very trying times in France and Palestine, and D. thought that Allenby's reorganisation of his Army, after nearly all his white divisions had been taken from him after the smash of March 21 in France, was one of his finest services. He never complained, but went cheerily on and smashed up the Turks with his most nondescript Army. Dined witli the Ernest Cimards the same night. A pleasant party of the Spanish Ambassador and Madame Merry del Val, quite recovered from her serious illness ; Jack Cowans, who is leaving the W.O. on Saturday ; Mrs. Hall Walker ; Sir Sidney Greville ; Belle Herbert ; Mrs. Arthur James ; Mr. Mason ; Admiral Sims, who is returning to America this month to the deep regret of all of us ; IMrs. George Keppel ; Lady Sarah, off to France this week; and several others. An interesting talk with Greville after dinner about the young Prince of Wales, and a farewell talk with the gallant Admiral. The Ambassador called me aside just as I was sitting down to play Bridge to say that he thought my articles on the Conference the best that had apjxarcd here, and that he had drawn the attention of his Government to them. Lunched with Colin Agiiew and Ix)rd Berners in South Andley Street on the 13th. A quiet and comfortable flat. A good talk about art and politics. Btrners I had met in liome last year. He is a man of intelligence, and one of the best amateur musicians in London. Dined the same VOL. II. 2 L 5o8 THE PEACE CONFERENCE night with Lady Downshire in Charles Street. A small party, including her sister, Miss Ruth Foster ; Mr. Ingram, a Canadian writer who was very kind about my work and told us much of interest of present American views ; Mr. Leo Trevor, the playwright, witty and pleasant ; Wood of the Grenadiers, who played the piano well ; and others. The most restful house in London. Sunday, March 16. Heard this morning with deep sorrow of the death of Theresa Lady Londonderry last night, after a short and sharp illness. She was in the House of Commons only on Tuesday last. A great figure gone, and a real true friend. A grande dame of a period which is passing ; one of the most striking and dominating feminine personalities of our time, terrifying to some, but endeared to many friends by her notable and excellent qualities. She was unsurpassed as a hostess, clear-headed, witty, and large-hearted, with unrivalled experience of men and things social and political, and with a most retentive memory and immense vivacity and joie de vivre. A heavy blow to her relatives and friends. In the last fortnight I have met her several times, and each time she seemed to be at her best. It seems scarcely credible that she is gone. Sir W. and Lady Robertson lunched at Maryon. Haig is on his way home to take R.'s place, and R. goes out a month hence to command the Army of the Rhine. He will have ten good divisions under him, besides one cavalry division. His L. of C. will be by Antwerp and Rotterdam. All the rest of the stuff left in France by us will be gradually swept up, by General Asser probably, who will do it well, and R. will have nothing to do with it. He will try and get precise orders as to his powers and who is his master before he leaves. On the whole, he is glad to go. It is a good thing for him to command the Army on the Rhine. At home the position is so uncertain, with all the Army Commanders coming home, that R. thinks that he is better out of it. He tells me that all the reports concur that the poorer Boches are terribly short of food. The whole of Germany is fed up : fed up with the late Government, 1919] AFFAIRS IN PARIS 509 with theii' Pi'ess for deceiving them, and -svith the present Gkivermnent for being unable to make peace. We had a little talk over R/s attitude and mine and Maurice's during the crisis of last year. R. thinks that as time goes on and memories of the crisis fade away, people may forget how nearly we were losing the war, and that our attitude during that serious time must be judged by the critical state of affairs which the pohticians had spared no effort to conceal or distort. I agreed and said that the politicians had done what we had told them to do, but nine months too late, and only after the Boche had kicked them hard. It was our men, fighting against odds, that saved our bacon. It comes to this, we thought, that no one but a perfectly d d fool can lose a campaign with a British Army to back him. Sunday, March 23. The past week at Paris has not been good. There is still nothing done. President Wilson's wish to attach the League Convention to the Peace Treaty with Germany helps to hang it all up, for AUies and Neutrals, including some RepubHcans in the U.S., all want to amend the Convention, while the folk at Paris are still not unanimous about what they want from the Boches in the way of frontiers, reparations, indemnities, etc. The Boches are naturally growing uppish again : they refuse passage for Poles through Danzig, though they agreed to it under Article 16 of the Armistice of Nov. U, and there are gi'ounds for beHeving that a party in Germany does not mean to accept our terms. The Bolshevist menace is unchanged, and in Egypt and Syria there are serious troubles. Allcnby sped West last week, and after thirty- six hours in Paris flew back to suppress the Gyppies, who are more or less in miki revolt, and there arc rumours of massacres at Aleppo and Damascus. Allcnby goes back as Special High Commissioner. Wingate is at home. Allcnby has seen L. G., Clemenceau, Pichon, etc., and will have brought some life into our Eastern policy 1 liopc. Gur Ijubour troubles at JK^mc hjok like settling down pro ttm. by the usual process of giving miners, railway, and 510 THE PEACE CONFERENCE transport men about three -fourths of all they ask at a heavy cost to consumers and our general trade. At the rate we are going England will in the end become a home for rich cosmopolitans attended by Chinese cooUes, and no working men will be able to live in it, as we shall produce every- thing at such a cost that we shall be undersold all round. Cotton goods from Japan now being sold here at a lower price than Lancashire can buy the cotton for them. I saw Winston at the W.O. on Wednesday last, and had an hour's talk with him. He is using the same room as Haldane and Lord K., with his own huge writing-table arranged as K. had his, with the light from the left. He was in good form, very energetic and cheerful. Winston revels in work. He is pleased with the Haig-Robertson exchange, which he seems to have carried out himself without consultation. He wondered how the country would take a grant to Haig, and I said that the country only wondered why it had been so long delayed. He had, with surpassing tenacity, successfully commanded British Armies which had beaten all previous records, and we honoured them in honouring him. Besides, I told him, he will be invaluable to you in your reorganisation, and in these matters there is no better guide. Winston says that in the matter of new recruits we are now on the old pre-war standard. His great difficulty is what to do with the senior officers, of whom he can employ only about one in five. He has not got out his new pay scale for the future Regulars, and I told him that he could not expect a good flow of recruits until he did. I asked him about a Defence Minister, and he thought it the correct solution, with a soldier, a sailor, and a flying man at the head of their departments, represented in the House by Financial Under - Secretaries, the Defence Minister living apart, perhaps in his own house. But he has no intention of advocating the change. He does not contemplate a separate staff of Jacks-of -all-trades over the whole, but the best men of each service should learn the general functioning of the other services. He is doing a lot of spade work, much 1919] THE RETURN OF THE GUARDS 511 neglected of late, and has two large cases of papers which he gets daily to see what is going on in his department. Not before it was needed. On Saturday took Letty to see the triumphal march of the Guards through London. The Household Cavalry all on foot, and then the three Brigades of Guards, each battalion followed by its demobilised men in mufti and then by wounded men in lorries. A fine eight, and they took more than two hours to pass. A cold day and a bitter Annd. The young Prince of Wales — the White Pi-ince — riding a chestnut behind Lord Cavan. A dapper well-set-up young figure, and he was received with acclamations from all. He has much come on since 1914 when I saw him so often in France, and has had a quite unique experience and a splendid education for a Prince. The Guards have had over 44,000 casualties in the war, and they went out under 10,000 strong. Few, alas, of the old lot left. They were all good and steady, and there was a great crowd to greet them. The cheering rather subdued : the heavy losses were too much on all our minds. The service for Lady Londonderry was at St. Peter's, Eaton Square. A very large gathering, with all the best known people now in to^vn, and several Ambassadors and IMinisters. Dignified and impressive and very sad. Madame ^lerry del Val drove me away in her car after- wards, and we mutually deplored the loss which we had all suffered. Madame also told me how deeply touched she herself had been during her recent illness by the kind- ness of her London friends. Her house was always heaped with flowers, and the King and Queen and Princess Mary had called or sent to inquire every day. She would never forget it. Finished reading Jellicoc's book on The Gratid Fleet. An honest book of an honest man. Let the critics cavil as they will. There are the facts, and let every one make what he will of them. To-day went to see Mrs. Afltor, who is just back in (irosvenor Square after nearly three weekid of the nursing home. She was looking 512 THE PEACE CONEERENCE like a beautiful French eighteenth-century aquarelle, half sitting up in a French bed with blue silk hangings and coverlet, and with pink pillows and pink jacket with much lace on it. A levee, or whatever the word should be, of self, Wolkoff, Brancker, and Sir George Clerk. She has had a bad time, but was in great spirits, and we told her all the news and the 'potins. WolkofE and I walked away- together, and he told me the latest news of the Bolshevists. Their system is economically impossible and must fail, but at present by printing miles of paper notes everybody more or less gets a large salary and does Uttle work. There are no private shops left, and the Red Guards supply the Bolshevist restaurants by forced requisitions on the peasants, from whom relief may eventually come, Wolkoff thinks. The rouble notes are the only currency in Russia, but the Bolshies are said to be printing bilhons of foreign notes, and W. says that the Petrograd mint is better equipped for this than any outside of America. They evidently intend to deluge Europe with false money. The latest arrivals from Moscow think that most people detest the Bolshevist rule, but reaHse the awful state of affairs which must come about with the eventual crash, and so would vote Bolshevist as at all events they are fed and paid at present, and might be neither at first with a change of regime. An appalUng prospect. We compared notes about the goings-on at Paris. I made the acquaintance of General Sir John Monash, the AustraUan Commander, this week, and regret not to have met him before. A very alert, wideawake, shrewd man, who has proved himself on many fields in Galhpoli and France a first-rate leader. There are only 55,000 Australians left this side of the water now, and they are going back at the rate of 5000 a week. An immense number have married ; up to 1000 in one week recently. Tuesday, March 25. Yesterday came the news that Karolyi had resigned and Hungary had gone Bolshevist. This gravely compUcates our task, but may galvanise the Paris Conference into action. Dined with Lady Downshire 1919] THE BIG FOUR 513 yesterday and met Mrs, Jack Wilson, the Becketts, IVIiss Foster, and Lord Queenborough. A pleasant evening; much talk of many things. Q. told us that the Lords were having a field day with the pacificist ^i", who were pleading for the interned Germans. Lunched with Lady Massereene to-day and met IMi-s. Arthur Ci'ichton ; iVIis. Bate, who was Vera Ai'kwright, and lias been working all these years at an American hospital in France ; Colonel Frazer Hunter, a Canadian officer in an Indian Cavalry regiment, who has been much in Persia and Russia lately ; Sir Sidney Greville ; Lady Paget ; and George Peel. Hunter seems to me a good man. He declares that the Bolshevist plan is to attack France through Italy, and that the Hungarian upset is the first move in the game and is of Bolshevist and German origin. He thinks that Germany wiU do as Hungary has done, as it is her only chance of escaping the severities of the Peace Terms. He thinks that our chance of succouring GJeneral Dcnikin was three months ago, and that the General's cri de coeur sent from Ekaterinador on the 5th and only published here to-day, is a warning that he cannot hold out much longer, Mrs. Bate very pretty. I met her at Lord Ribblesdale's early in the war, and have not seen her since. She was expected to marry either X. or Y., and then married an American artist in Paris. Drove off with Lady Minnie, and we discussed Paris affairs, private and pubUc. Monday, March 31. Owing to some indiscretion, L. G.'s hostile views about the Polish corridor have become known, and also his fury thereat, the result being that he, Clemenceau, President Wilson, and Orlando now meet in secret and httle comes out. No decisions yet announced, but the French Press very anxious. Lunched with Sir John and Ltidy Lister-Kaye, the Max-Mullers, the Duchess of Rutland, and some others. Went off early to Bridget Guthrie's wedding to Colonel James at St. Margaret's, Westminster. A pretty wed ling, and the bride and her attendants very sweet, including Violet, who was very self-possessed and statuesque. Met many jKople later 514 THE PEACE CONFERENCE at Lady Kerry's house where the reception was held. Lunched with Lady Bridges, 27th ; Mrs. Ernest Cunard, Madame Merry del Val, General Kennedy, Lady Furness, and Sir F. Swettenham. Madame full of good stories. Sir F. S. djdng to have his Press Bureau closed as they have nothing to do, but the W.O. is preventing it on various pretexts, the chief one — utterly absurd — being that com- mercial orders may come by Press messages ! Sir F. thinks that vested interests are keeping all this huge organisation going needlessly. The P.B. is a small affair financially, costing £30,000 a year, but the rest of the W.O. machinery is costing over tlu-ee quarters of a milUon. Lady F. off to the Mediterranean next month. Went to Easthampstead Park, Saturday to Monday, to stay with Lady Downshire, and found Mrs. Jack Wilson, and Leo Trevor also there besides Lady D.'s stepson, the present Marquess. Weather bad, much snow. We did some walking and motoring, and looked over the grounds, gardens, and stables. Lady Downshire has transformed the interior of the great house, which is now in perfect order and very comfortable. The park looking lovely, the air good, and the place very calm and peaceful. No papers on Sunday, no Bridge, and a very friendly party. We all came up to town to-day except young Lord D., who had one of his last days this season with the old Garth. Saturday, April 5. Met the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovitch at Lady Paget 's one day at lunch. A possible heir, if there be an heir, to the Russian throne, if it be ever put up again. A young man about twenty-seven. His father was murdered a few months ago with the other Grand Dukes at Petrograd. He was indirectly concerned in Rasputin's murder. He was only exiled by the Tsar and escaped into Persia, where the Marhngs took charge of him. He fought for us, and was to-day in English uniform. He was very critical of all our failures to help the loyal Russians, and of the French doings at Odessa, where, he says, the French black troops refused to fight. The Lady Minnie will make him Tsar if any one 1919] ANXIETIES ABOUT MURMANSK 515 can. Lady Marling also at lunch and very agi'eeable. Dined witli Lady Massereene, ]\Ii's. Handford, and Lord Edward Gleichen at the Ritz. Colonel Frazer Hunter joined us later, and we took the ladies home. Gleichen drove his own car to the Ritz, and Hunter declared that he ran into everjiihing that he met on the road. Violet Keppel introduced me to her fiance, Captain Trefusis, a good-looking and well-groomed young man. The Lionel Guests and a party also there, and Lord Ludlow with a large party of people. Things at Paris continue to drag dangerously, and we have not yet reached the stage of decisions about anything. L. G. and Wilson appear to be unable to agree to the drastic courses desired by the French, Poles, and Czechs, while the German indemnities become less and less, and there is much anxiety amongst all our friends. We are also anxious about our troops in the Arctic regions who are threatened by superior forces, and at Archangel are frozen in and can neither be relieved nor reinforced. S^inday, April 13. A dulhsh week pohtically, and still no decisions. Lunched with Belie Herbert last Monday; her boys, Sidney and IMichael, Olive, Lady Horner, and some others. Much interesting talk of current events. Tuesday a large party at Lord and Lady Massereene's for dinner ; the Midletons, Lady de Trafford, the Spanish Ambassador and Madame Merry del Val, Mrs. Handford, Sii' G. Macdonogh, Lad}' Loughborough, Lord Dalmeny, Lady Belper, Colonel Frazer Hunter, Mrs. Crichton, Lady Bridges, and one or two young men. Found myself next to Lady de Trafford and Lady Loughborough, so had an agreeable and amusing dinner. Lady L. an Australian, very dainty and charming. She married Rosslyn's eldest son in Egypt two years ago, and has already had two sons, of whom she says that she is frightened to death. Talked Peace Conference when the ladies had left the table. Macdonogh says truly that it is no good for the soldiers to give advice wlien a government does not act on it. Dalmeny 'a news from Egypt not very good. 'J'licre seems 5i6 THE PEACE CONFERENCE no doubt that we have given some encouragement to the Egyptian NationaUsts, and that we are not without blame for having failed to foresee the troubles which have broken out there. I liked my (distant) cousin, Lady Belper, who was a Bruce. Lord M. appeals to me more and more as a fine chivalrous figure. I think he would be happiest either crusading or among his books. Circumstances have called him to share in the labours of the day. He has been soldier- ing all through the war, and is just back from Mesopotamia. Wednesday, lunched with Sir J. and Lady Lister -Kaye at the Ritz, and sat between Lady Carisbrooke and Lady Cohn Keppel. Lady Carisbrooke an attractive character of much charm and dignity. With Lady Keppel I had much talk of her Admiral in old Nile days and found her very pleasant. Lord Carisbrooke also there with Lords Chesterfield and Curzon ; an agreeable party. In the evening Lady Downshire, Lords Scarbrough and Peel, the Ernest Cunards, and Baroness van Heemstra dined with me at Claridge's. Judge Darling and Lady D'Abernon were to have come, but the first was detained on a Court- Martial Committee, and the latter returned too late from work at Godalming. We went on to a music hall to laugh with George Robey, who kept us all well amused for an hour or two. The ladies so agreeable that I could not have the talk with Peel that we had hoped to arrange. On Thursday Ireland and Kitty dined with me. He was looking bigger and stronger than before his experiences in the East. Kitty very sweet and pretty, and they seemed very happy. Friday I lunched with Sir W. Robertson at the Cavalry Club, and with Seymour, his A.D.C. He leaves to take up the command of the Army of the Rhine next Friday. He is still without instructions, and still does not know whom he will be under. We talked of our present affairs and of the past. There seems to be a good deal of camouflage about all the late belligerent Armies. Our squadrons down to sixty horses, and the artillery too very weak. As to the past, R. told me that had it been 1919] L. G. ATTACKS NORTHCLIFFE 517 ordinary times when he was C.I.G.S. he might have accommodated himself to the wiles of the politicians, but he could not accept any compromise ^^hen affairs were so critical. A plan, for him, was eitlier right or wrong. The country trusted him and he could not compromise between good and evil. In the evening talked with Sir Hubert Gough just back from Transcaucasia. He thinks the Bolshevists are be- coming milder and the anti-Bolshevists more hberal, with the result, as we are not helping the latter enough, that the two may combine. This, he says, is also the view of the Russian Cblonel Enkel whom I met in Italy in 1916, who has been with the Volunteer Army and is on his way round to Finland to become Chief of Staff to General Mannermann command- ing the Fimi Army. If Russia becomes reunited, asks Enkel, what will she do and where will she go ? General Briggs is with Denikin, whose late victories I now under- stand. The advance of the Bolshevists caused less alarm at Nikolaieff than in London, and many non-Russians remained without any fear of them, while a British officer was hospitably received by them. Went in the evening to see the first night of Romeo and Juliet given by Doris Keane. Beautifully produced with fine scenery and dresses. Ellen Terry as the Nurse and Leon Quartermaine as Mercutio could not be bettered. Doris and Basil Sydney much taken to task by the critics in the name parts, and Doris very dissatisfied when we went round to see her after the play. It needs a lot of experience and superb elocution to play Shakespeare. But I hope that in a month or so the play will much improve. Even as it is, it has great beauties and is wonderfully staged. Friduy, April 18. Lloyd Ceorge returned to the fold Tuesday, and made a great speech in the Commons Wednesday. He told us httle except that he was against hostihties with the Bolshevists, but abounded in generalities, and made a bitter onslaught on Northcliffe, whom he likened to a graHshopix;r, and on the Times, which he described ati a three|x:nny edition of the iJaili/ Mail. Went to Ciro'.s, 5i8 THE PEACE CONFERENCE Monday, and talked to several soldiers at the Y.M.C.A. there. One negro soldier said that he liked music, and, when asked what he would like, asked for Tales from Hoffman. Lunched with Mrs. Hall Walker at Sussex Lodge, Tuesday. It is being done up after the hospital time, and promises to be very nice. The big room will be cut in half again as in the time of Sir Francis Grant, P.R.A., who used part of it as his studio. Mr. Fisher of New Zealand and Mrs. Clare Sheridan also there. Fisher does not think that AustraUa will permit the mandatory system to hamper her much when she takes over the German Colonies in the Pacific. Promised to go and see Mrs. Sheridan's studio and her sculpture, of which people speak so highly. In the evening dined with Lady Massereene and Mrs. Handford at Claridge's. Tom Mosley, M.P., was to have joined us, but was speaking in the House and could not get away. We had an amusing talk of men and women and current events, and then went back to Eaton Place, where M. Soldatienkoff, the Russian, joined us and we had some music. On Thursday went to Mrs. Sheridan's studio at 35 St. John's Wood Studios, Finchley Road, and stayed there to a pot -luck luncheon, but a very good one. The studio full of her work, which shows great talent and much variety of treatment. Her bust of Princess Patricia very successful, and so were many other busts, statues, statuettes, and bas-reliefs, including a bronze H. G. Wells and a noble head of a Siamese. The natural pose of her figures and their easy attitudes are particularly striking. She has only been at this work for two years and is already self-supporting. Monday, April 28. During the last ten days the Con- ference has been making convulsive efforts to get ready the Treaty with Germany, and the Boches are arriving at Versailles this week. At the last minute a row began between President Wilson and the Italians. Instead of waiting for the last negotiations, Wilson published a sort of encyclical appealing to the ItaUan people against their 1919] RIOTS IN INDIA AND EGYPT 519 Government, with the result that Orlando and Sonnino left the Conference and are received with immense acclaim in Italy, where the people are all for holding on to Fiume and the Dalmatian coast. There is sure to be some com- promise, so the anxiety is not great. A foohsh act of Wilson's. Qa ne se fait pas en diplomatie, and if democratic diplomacy has these manners we shall get into trouble. Much rioting and some bloodshed in Egypt and India caused by agitators, and evidently the feeUng in Eg>^t is particularly bitter. Went do\^ii to Grenville for the week-end of the 19th to 22nd to stay with Miss Greenwood. A very pleasant visit . Spent most of our time on the downs or in the woods, now carpeted with spring flowers. Returned Tuesday, and went to the Opera \yith IMi's. Hall Walker, Mrs. Sheridan, and ]\[r. Fisher. On Friday lunched with Mi-s. Harry Higgins, and met amongst others the Danish Minister, also Mrs. Peto, who was looking very pretty. In the evening to Lady Cunard's box at the Opera, where I found Lord and Lady Carisbrooke, Lady Worthington (a pretty and pleasant woman), the Spanish Duchesse Machcna, Lady Acheson, Lady Hamilton, and some men, including Sir Basil Zaharoff, whom I was glad to meet. He is the mystery man of the war to most people, but not to our Ministers, with whom he is always in close touch. I have heard his name mentioned often abroad and with some awe. He is the largest shareholder in Vickers. He supported the Greek Army to the tune of some millions, and has founded several Chairs at our Universities. He is above the middle height, aged sixty-eight, with a good head, and French in appearance. He di^hkcs pubhcity, and for years his name has not l)ccn mentioned in the French Press. He prefers to work behind the scenes and get things done. We had a good talk when the others left the box between the acts. On the 2Gth went down to Beaconsfield to stay with Mrs. Afltor. A party of twelve, including Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin of tlic U.S. Embassy, Olive with David and Violet Guthrie, Alice Astor, Sir Seymour Fortescuo, Commander Moore, U.S. Navy, and Lady Randolph. Early on Sunday 520 THE PEACE CONFERENCE there came on a very heavy snowstorm with huge flakes, and by evening many inches of snoAv had fallen, and our visions of golf and tennis vanished. I had a good talk with Mr. Irwin B. LaughHn about his experiences in London as First Secretary and Chancellor of Embassy during the war. He has almost broken down under the strain which fell heavily on him because of Dr. Page's frequent illnesses and absences. Laughlin was usually at the Chancery from 9 A.M. till past midnight. The period before the U.S. came into the war was most trying to him. He thinks that the U.S. could only have come in at the time of the sinking of the Lusitania, and that there was no other good cause for her coming in until the ruthless U-boat war began. The U.S., he thinks, did not for long realise what the war meant. She therefore failed to make a great protest against the violation of Belgium, and did not believe in the Boche outrages, thinking that such things were not done. Laughlin thinks that we were too slow and timid about our blockade, and that had we blacklisted cotton earlier we should have done better, and the American trade would also have profited from stable conditions. I have an idea that we are greatly indebted to LaughHn and his colleagues at the Embassy, as well as to Dr. Page, for seeing things more clearly than Washington in the early days and years of the war. LaughHn had been at Berlin before the war, and told us many stories of the Kaiser, of whose moral cowardice he was convinced. His version of the incident when the Kaiser signed the declaration of war against Russia was that the Kaiser, after signing, flung his pen across the room with a violent gesture, and hurling the document at his Councillors, exclaimed : ' Take it and take the consequences with it.' From various conversations with Americans lately I should judge that, when President Wilson first came over, volumes could not contain the matters on M'hich he was misinformed. As one American said, ' He knew no more about European politics than a Hindu knows about skates.' Saturday, May 3. Lunched, Monday, with Lady Cunard. 1919] THE GER^UNS AT PARIS 521 The Carisbrookes there, also the Ladies Diana Manners, Acheson, and Randolph Churchill, Lords Farquhar and D'Abernon, and Wolkofif. Lady Acheson a clever and well- informed lady of democratic inclinations. Lady Diana was looking very fresh and briUiant, and was quite cliarming. Tuesday I lunched with Sir Basil ZaharofE in a private room at the Carlton. A large party. Lord and Lady Farquhar, Sir George Younger, the Duchesse Machena and her two daughters — of whom I found the unmarried one, Mile, de Bourbon, very clever and outspoken — Lady Cunard, IMrs. Walter Long, the Max-Mullers, and Sir Vincent Caillard, who has almost broken down from overwork but is mending I am glad to hope. A bouquet of wonderful malmaison carnations for everj^ lady. Found the Duchess very quick-witted, well-informed, and agreeable. Sir B. Z. told us many interesting tales. One story of the X. pearls diverted me. If pearls could only speak ! Let us be thankful that they cannot. Wednesday Mrs. Sheridan dined with me. Dined with the Massereenes on the evening of Friday at the Ritz and discussed events in Ii-eland and here. Many Irish stories. One of an American leaving Ireland. A fellow passenger asked him how he Uked it. The Yankee said that it was a horrible country — cold, damp, and full of Papists. ' Oh ! ' said the other in a very pronounced brogue, ' you should try Hell. It is warm, dry, and crammed full of Protestants ! ' The Carisbrookes, Marconi, the Cis Binghams and Mrs. Burton, Mrs. Lionel Guest, and various fair charmers dining. The political week has been marked chiefly by Orlando's enthusiastic support from the Italian Cliambers, and by the arrival of the German delegates at Versailles. The terms of the Peace are to be presented to them next week in a book of 350 pages. Orlando not yet back in Paris from Rome. The Belgians much distressed that they do not get the promise of a large indemnity at once, and the Japanese still dissati-sfied about the colour question and Kiao-Chau. 'Jliiugs fairly qiiiet in England, but more trouble brewing in the Police. A row in Paris on May Day, and the 522 THE PEACE CONFERENCE mob dispersed by the soldiers. Denikin in a baddish posi- tion in S.E. Russia, but Koltchak doing well, and Petrograd threatened by the Finns. Archangel expecting an attack. Old Hindenburg retires from the High Command in Germany. Munich has been recaptured from the Spartacists by Grerman Government troops. We have only taken 18,206 recruits for the Army from November last to April 26, and 66,679 re-enUsted men since Jan. 1. In the last month 6625 new recruits and 4200 re-enUsted men have joined. Friday, May 9. On Wednesday, the fourth anniversary of the sinking of the Ltisitania, the terms of Peace were presented to the Boches at Versailles. A memorable event. Orlando had returned in time and was present. Clemenceau made a short speech, after which Count Brockdorff-Rantzau, the German Minister, remaining seated, made a disagreeable speech in reply, arrogant in manner, creating a deplorable impression. But he said nothing of any real importance, and promised to examine the terms with goodwill. These terms are out to-day in summary form. They are very severe and are better for us than most people expected. But they reduce Germany to a powerless condition in which a nation of 60 to 70 miUion people can never be content to live, and I fail to see how they can be maintained on their mihtary side if Germany joins the League and claims equal rights with the rest of us. Meanwhile L. G. and Wilson agree to submit to their respective Parliaments an engage- ment to support France immediately if she be attacked by Germany in an improvoked manner, and this guarantee should greatly calm French opinion. The Germans are natur- ally raising a great outcry about the severity of the terms, and the chance of their refusing to sign has to be considered. Lunched with Belle Herbert on the 6th ; Sidney and Michael, Sir G. Clerk, the Duchess of Roxburghe, and Mrs. Edwin Montagu. Clerk very amusing on the subject of the Foreign Office affairs and persons connected therewith. Jack Stirling and I forgathered on the 9th and discussed the last phase of the war. He gives up command of the 2nd Scots Guards next week and returns to the city, poor 1919] EASTHAMPSTEAD PARK 523 chap. How he will hate it after five years in Franco ! Cat or, who gets command of the battaUon in peace, has commanded a division in war ! Jack learnt from Grermans at Cologne that the four Boche divisions who attacked on the Albert front a year ago became stone cold and would neither advance nor retreat nor move right or left. Jack regards the Boche break through at Armentieres last year as a godsend, for they got into tlie low ground and many of Prince Rupprecht's best reserves were draAvn in there and wasted, suffering immense losses. Saiurday, May 17. Went do^^^l to Easthampstead Park on the 10th for the week-end. Jack Downshire and the Baroness van Heemstra, besides Lady D. A glorious day. Sat for my portrait to the two ladies, and then had a good game or two of single tennis with Lady D. On Sunday there came down Mr. Dawson, who has been em- ployed on the naval secret service watching the Spanish coast, and told us much about it. We played lawn tennis all the afternoon, and walked in the gardens in the morning. They were beautiful, full of blossom and bathed in sunhght. Miss Tice, the lady gardener, has done wonders and is a remarkable personality. Mr. Curry, the agent, dined Sunday and was gloomy about agriculture because the Government will not declare a pohcy. It is not very likely that the farmers will benefit by a fixed high price for wheat unless the Government guarantee it, as they will not be able to sell at this price when cheaper wheat comes in from abroad. If there is no guarantee wheat will go out of cultivation again, and all the advantage of the additional land laid down for wheat will be lost. Wages are up to 36s. Curry thinks that it costs so much to sow the grass again that farmers will grow clover and rough grasses and do what they can with it, and that in time England will find nothing pay but dairy farming. We shall be in the old mess in case of another war. Lady Downshire sold her chesnut colt at Tattersall's for 320 guineas. Not bad for an unbacked and untried two-year-old. Dined with T^ord Haldane on tiie 12lli and wo discussed VOL. n, 2 M 524 THE PEACE CONFERENCE present and past affairs. We regretted that Lord French had not had his articles on the war edited by one of us. They are appearing in the Daily Telegraph and doing him harm, as there are reflections upon Lord K. and various subordinate generals. A few excisions would have made the thing all right without spoihng the story, which is fascinat- ing. Haldane thinks that our terms will not be changed and that the Boches must sign. He says that at the Cabinet, on Aug. 4 or 5, 1914, Lord K., Lord Roberts, French, and Haig were all for different courses with regard to the use of the Expeditionary Force, but French's view prevailed. Saw the M.G.O., Sir W. Furse, at the War Office on Tuesday, 13th, and went into the question of the new 18-pr. equip- ment with him. He admits that the traversing is defective, the weight greater, and that the shrapnel range is unchanged, but says that a clock fuse will be found, the traversing put right, and that the improved stability and increase of range for H.E. shells from 6200 to 9200 and eventually to 11,000 yards are great advantages which cannot be despised. We only had one of these batteries in the field just at the end of the war. Some eighty of these guns have been built by Vickers. The M.G.O. has now taken back design from Munitions. A talk in the afternoon in the stalls of Covent Garden Opera House with Lady Cunard, Sir Thomas Beecham, and Harry Higgins. Beecham has spent vast sums for ten years on re-creating English Opera and deserves immense credit for it. He should be better supported, but the Press is not too kind to him. He has laboriously collected an EngUsh orchestra and aims at rivalling foreign national opera houses, an object which all should support. Last Saturday was the first night of the new Covent Garden series. Melba was a great success, and Burke, the new tenor, had a triumph. We wondered how Melba could go on so long. Harry Higgins said that it was because she never took anything out of herself. Her singing was still a great education even if she had not all her old powers. Dined with Mrs. Lockett Agnew on the 14th. General 1919] ETONIAN ARMY COMiAUNDEBS 525 Sir Julian and Lady Byng there. Bungo and I discussed the war. He has refused the appointment offered to him, thinking that at fifty-six and after all that has passed he might not be very keen to prepare for the next war, which would l)e the only incentive in going on at peace soldiering. He reckons his most important day with the 3rd Army to have been the capture of Havrincourt by the 56th Division in September 1918. He supported it quickly with two other divisions, and the Boches threw two of the old Vionville divisions of their 3rd and 10th Corps, Brandenburgers and Hanoverians, against him with two more in reserve. They were well beaten, and the heart was out of the enemy afterwards. We talked Eton and thought how interesting it was that three out of the five Army Commanders in France should have been Etonians, and two of them, BjTig and Rawly, 3rd Form boys. Cavan, commanding in Italy, was also an Etonian. Byng says that he himself was the stupidest boy at Eton till Rawly arrived, when the latter was in a class by himself. They were scugs, and Plumer a camouflaged scug too. We agreed that the best men matured late and practically never at school. Went to see the Academy, Wednesday. I admired some of the Sargents and J. J. Shannons, I thought Sargent's portrait of President Wilson very fine. It is the face of a thinker. Boyes's very modern ' Dust and Shade ' a striking picture. The old pre-war throng of society folk at Burhngton House was remarkable for its absence. Lunched with Lady Massereene, 15th, and took Betty with me. The Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovitch in good mood and both amusing and intelhgent. Lady Downshire, the Dufferins, Sir G. Macdonogh, and Mr. Mosley, M.P., also there. Liidy Massereene lunched with me on the 16th at Claridge's, and we laughed so much over our resjx^ctive stories that we were almost turned uui. We had been tt'lking over the telephone in the morning and had been constantly interrupted by a feminine voice asking if either of UH was the baUcr. Liidy M. held the telephone after 526 THE PEACE CONFERENCE we had finished, and was again pestered to know if she was the baker. * Do you want to know who I am ? ' she asked. ' Yes,' said the voice, * I have been trying to find out for half an hour.' 'Well,' said Lady M., ' I am the thirteenth wife of the Shah of Persia.' The interruption then ceased. The Germans shrieking over the Peace terms. There are figures to show that our total maritime losses during the war were 7,733,212 tons, the ships lost numbering 2217. America has only lost eighty ships of 341,512 tons. The Austrian delegates have reached Paris. Here are some curious and illuminating figures given to me by Brigadier- General Sir Alfred Balfour of the movements at Port No. 1, Southampton, Aug. 9, 1914, to May 10, 1919. Totals handled and daily averages were : — Totals handled. Daily average. Personnel Horses and mules . Guns and Umbers . Vehicles (all sorts) . Parcels and mail bags Stores, ammunition (tons) Ships handled 8,034,931 859,198 14,261 166,039 7,650,068 3,444,341 16,918 4631 495 8 96 4409 1985 9 Saturday, May 24. The Boches are busy assimilating our Peace terms and drafting many and various and furious answers and objections. We give them an extra week's law from the 22nd. Germany protests she will not sign, but no one much disturbed by the thought. Operations against the Bolshevists are now being more aided by the Allies . Petrograd is threatened, while Denikin and Koltchak are doing better. Afghanistan under its new Amir is attack- ing our frontier, and Barrett is beating them on the Khaibar front, while other troops are concentrating to teach them a lesson. Lunched with the Beresfords and Lady Ebury, 17th. In the evening to the Opera with Lady Cunard's party, which included the Cromers, Dufferins, Duchess of Manchester, Lady Ian Hamilton, Lady Randolph, and a few more. Melba has put up her price for smging from 1919] AN ADDKESS ON THE PEACE 527 £200 to £400 a night and the opera people had refused to pay it, so we did not hear her in La Boheme, but the new tenor, Burke, was singing and should have a career. Monday, 10th, hinched with Sir Aj'lmer Hunter- Weston, and had a good talk about parhamentary and political matters. Dined in the evening \Wth Lady Hamilton, and found General Childs, — christened Fido by Macready — Lady Cunard, ]\Irs. Keppel, I\Ir. Fisher the IVIinister for Education, Eddy Marsh, the Countess Pappenheim who has a new name and a new husband, IVIrs. Astor, and various others. Lunched, 20th, with Captain Jack (Stanley) Wilson, M.P., and we compared our recollections of some critical days in May 1915 in France, and also discussed various private matters. Hunter-Weston and I dined with Comyn- Platt at the Windham, and we went on to the 1900 Club, where I gave a short address on the Peace terms, Lord Malmesbury presiding. After H. W. and other members had to fly off for a division on the Finance Bill in the House of Commons, I was asked a string of questions and answered them all. On Wednesday, 21st, came the sad news that Lady Paget had died the previous day in Paris from a sharp attack of pneumonia, following influenza. Another old, true, and loj-al friend passed away. A woman of indefatigable energy and undefeated spirits ; certainly one of the most successful hostesses of these times, and with the gift of collect ing round her all the lions and stars of the day, male and female. Fond of fun and laughter, she dehghtcd in good stories, was kindness itself, and was unwearied in good works, having, I believe, collected more money for Anglo- American enterprises than any one else alive. Though quite lame from her fall in the lift in Belgrave Square fourteen years ago, she refused to be beaten by fate and went on living her old life and remaining the centre of a large circle which constantly attracted new members. I was due at Coombe, June 7th, and now Coomlx^, I suppose, will Ix) no more. A great loss to her many 528 THE PEACE CONFERENCE friends and a hard blow to Sir Arthur, following on the death of his briUiant soldier son, Bertie, a little over a year ago only. Friday, May 30. The Peace Conference drags on and is becoming a bore. The Boches are handing in a volume of objections. Labour and Police troubles again threatening at home. Went to HaUingbury for the last week-end, and had a very pleasant visit there. The grounds and forest looking perfect, the azaleas in full bloom, and the wistaria in all its glory. The rock and sunken gardens showing all their old attractions. On Monday saw Lieut. -Colonel Charles Nicholl back from the war after five years away from the office, and was very pleased to have a talk with him. On Tuesday, 27th, lunched with Lord Esher at Brooks's Club, and we had a good talli over the past and discussed the future. He tells me that he went to Paris in September 1914, at Lord K.'s request, to keep K. in touch with the Army and with pohtical and miUtary affairs in Paris. Asquith also asked him to stay on there, and then L. G., though the latter only by word of mouth. E. subsequently wrote constantly to Robertson, and must have been a valuable source of information. It is questionable when E.'s Memoirs of this time can appear, but the story will not be complete until they do. Sir George Murray joined us and told us that when the armament firms met the War Office people early during the war and all the experts had given their advice about munitions and contracts, he entered a caveat that all depended upon their getting labour and raw materials, and that they looked to the War Office to provide them. This was just what was not, or could not, be done. Dined with Lord and Lady D'Abernon at Foley House. A large party of twenty, including the L3rttons, McKennas, Granards, Montagus, Mrs. Astor, Lord Ribblesdale, Sir Seymour Fortescue, Sir Lionel Earle, and others. Much talk of Lord French's book and revelations. Lady Lytton a picture in white and very agreeable. Attended the service for Lady Paget at St. Peter's, 1919] A POPUL^VR BRIDE 529 Eaton Square. A large attendance of her old friends. A very sad ceremony. It is a pity that the Church of England does not imitate more the R.C. ritual and prayers for the dead with all their impressive features. Dined with I\Irs. Greville the night of the 28th ; a large party of thirty at a long and narrow table : the Lord Chief -Just ice and Lady Reading, the Marquis and Marchioness of Cambridge (Duke and Duchess of Tcck), and their daughter Lady Victoria, Lady Ridley, the Douglas Dawsons, Maguires, and Fchx Doubledaj's, Lady Sarah back from France, George Keppel and Sonia, the Aga Klian, Arthur Stanley, and some others. A very pleasant dinner, and found my neighbour, Mrs. Fehx Doubleday, very good company and a pretty and attractive woman. She told me much about France and America. A good talk with Lady Ridley afterwards : as sensible and wise as ever. She gets back into her hospital house soon. Mrs. Ronny very well and in her old spirits. The Cambridge ladies in the long court dresses looking mid-Victorian, and were rather plaintive on the subject. Lunched with Lady Massereene on the 29th. Five lovely ladies, including IVIrs. Peto, Lady Titchfield, Mrs. Eric Chaplin, and Mrs. Burton. The Prince of Wales receives the Freedom of the City and makes a good speech. Friday, Mrs. Greville lunched with me, and we had a pleasant talk. I also met Lovat and Ellcs of the Tank Corps. Monday, June 2. Lunched at home and then picked up Lady Massereene at the Ritz, and went on to St. Margaret's, Westminster, to see Lady Diana Manners married to Mr. Duff Cooper. A huge crowd outside and in the church. The bride a groat popular favourite, and richly deserves to be for she is a sweet lady. Everybody in London at the wedding. Went to Arlington Street after- wards and liad a talk to the bride, who was most charm- ing to all her old friends. Her letter to thank me for a trifling present was a model of what such letters should be, and ({uite touched me. Heaps of lovely presents. Dined 530 THE PEACE CONFERENCE at home after completing preparations for a journey to the Rhine. We were thrilled in the morning to read that Mrs. John Astor had been married quietly to Lord Ribblesdale. A most suitable aUiance. There is no one the least like either of them, and I am sure that they will be very happy. Tuesday, June 3. Left Victoria, 8.50 a.m., for Folkestone. Found Miss Phyllis Boyd in the train on her way to Paris and the Riviera to join the Marlborough-Wimbome party. She was very jolly and shared my cabin on the boat as she was in very short skirts and a light coat, and it had suddenly turned very cold. M. Barreda from Peru is chaperoning her on from Boulogne, and Charles de Noailles is to meet her, so she will be all right. Saw M. Cambon on board and had a talk with him on the affairs of the Baroness, about which he gave me some advice. A fine crossing. Boulogne still pretty busy, but to-day was a hoUday and most of our people were away from their offices. Walked on the sea front. A dull long wait till night, when I took the 10 p.m. express to Cologne. Found some beastly Sauterne, but some excellent ChabUs at Meurice's. Wednesday, June 4. A cold journey through the night and a cold day following. The Cologne Express or Staff train is a long one ; most of the carriages on the hospital principle, with no compartments and two tiers of beds each side, but the carriage which I was in had compartments each for one or two. We were very cold at night on a hard couch and one thin blanket. Breakfasted at the Club at Charleroi. This and other Belgian towns seem almost untouched, and there was little sign of devastation on the line we traversed by Namur, Huy, and Herbesthal. Many factories and mines at work, but some were silent. Heaps of rolling stock, and the railways in fair order. Belgium has the greater part of her young manhood still intact and should recover quickly from her sufiferings. Reached Cologne, 4.40 p.m., and drove to Robertson's chateau outside the town and near the Rhine. A well-built house in good grounds, large, roomy, spick and span, most comfortably 1919] OUR ARMY OF THE RHINE 531 furnished, and with excellent bathrooms. I found JNIiss Decima Moore with four of her ladies at tea with the staff and about to play tennis. Leo Maxse ending a visit to G.H.Q. He has been to Verdun, Bonn, etc. He finds nobody thin in this part of Germany except some pigs, and declares that his own pigs are thinner. An amusing talk at dinner. We have still 10 divisions and the Cavalry, some 200,000 men in the aggregate, and they are distributed over 60 miles of front and 60 of depth. There are 21 squadrons of the Air Force, each squadron 18 machines. No Boche troops in the occupied territory. We hold with posts all approaches into the rest of Germany. Cologne full of people, and our men go about quite unarmed. The Boches behave civilly and all is peace. The rich aspect of the Rhineland plain is very striking. To\\iis, villages, factories, and countryside all speak of wealth and ease. The story of the Scottish sergeant who would not allow the Boche lady to fraternise with him is a good one. Thursday, June 5. The Boche beds still a foot too short and of no use to any one. Went into Cologne in the morning and visited our Headquarters, some Clubs, and IVIiss Decima Moore's Leave Club. All very well kept. Saw Generals Archie Montgomery, Haldane, and Sillem. General Elles of the Tanks came in. Little harm done here by the British long-range air -bombers. Leo Maxse left for home. In the afternoon a long motor drive with Sir WilHam. Went first to Bonn and looked over the town and then for a tour in the hills, visiting the billets of our troops. They seem very hap])y and are living in the houses of the people and get on well with them. Generals Sir W. Henekcr, Hugh Elles, and Harman dined at the Mess to-night. The}' are agreed that this part of Germany is full of money, marvellously organised, and better electrified than any country in Europe. Heneker exacts from 3000 to 5000 marks a week in fines. The Municipahties are most obedient. Every order given is carried out. It is the general impression that the Boche, being disciplined and hard-working, will como to the top again industrially. 532 THE PEACE CONFERENCE Friday, June 6. Went off with Sir William into the hills to the West and inspected battalions and camps of the Highland Division. Lovely scenery. The Camerons, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and others in very good fettle. They were in fighting order, in which the complete equipment should weigh 64 lb., which is excessive, but I doubt that they had nearly so much to-day. Many battalions now under canvas for training. Their transport was in admirable condition and the horses and mules ex- cellent. The training limited to four hours in the forenoon, and the rest of the day passed in recreations and sports. In the afternoon attended the Southern Division Race Meeting : seven races and good fields. A large crowd came. The race -course is a Boche aerodrome and the grand stand is a Boche fort. The chap who made it would have burst had he known that its first use would be as a stand for a British Army Race Meeting, and that its for- midable obstacles would be decorated with flowers by Boche feminine hands for us. All very well organised and ordered, and very sporting races, steeple and flat. The last race was for mules ridden by soldiers. There were seventy starters. The mules galloped like stags. Two coaches, either begged, borrowed, or commandeered from the Boches. They had chargers for the teams and a horn for each coach. Sandown redivivus. In the evening there dined General Lawford commanding the 41st Division, now the London Division, and Wilson the Chief Vet., besides Dillon, De Burgh, and Lithgow of Robertson's Staff. I met various people at the races. All are astonished at the excellence of the organisation of the country by the Boches, and some think that British officers controlling Boche organisation is nearly perfection. Robertson told me that he had to cashier about one officer a day in confirming court-martial sentences. The best of our young officers have not remained. The Cavalry are much down. N.C.O.s poor, and only one or two Regular officers per battalion. In two or three months the Army of the Rhine is expected to have completed its reorganisation. 1919] OUR MILITARY GOVERmiEXT 533 Saturday, June 7. Spent the morning with Sir William inspecting the Air Force, of which we saw some six or seven squadrons on the right bank of the Rhine. Mainly Bristol fighters, a two-seated aeroplane with one 270 horse-power Rolls-Royce or Sunbeam engine, and the new Snipes, a one-seater fast scout which can do 130 miles an hour at 10,000 feet. The personnel and machines looked fit and efficient. All planes are now fitted with wireless to com- municate with the ground, but as yet they are not able to communicate from plane to plane, nor from the ground to planes at long ranges. In one of the Boche aerodromes used by us there is a huge Zeppehn shed from 600 to 700 feet long and 120 feet high, strongl}'' but lightly made, with concrete floor and doors which roU open. This shed takes the aeroplanes of many of our squadrons. In the afternoon had a long talk with our Governor of Cologne, Sir C. Fergusson, and with his G.S.0.1, Colonel Ryan, formerly of the 1st Army. Sidney CUve is unfor- tunately away. We have about 2,500,000 Bodies in our area, of whom 658,000 in Cologne. Fergusson deals through the Regierungs Prasident with the country generally, and tlu'ough the Ober Burgermeister for Cologne. The Boches are satisfied with our presence because we save them from Labour and Revolutionary disturbances, and the letters opened by our Censors prove the fact. We have had to take over the duty of suppressing strikes because they interfere with us mihtarily, but we only give a judg- ment when the ordinary Courts of Arbitration have failed. If the strikers are still naughty we deport their leaders into the unoccupied parts of Germany. At the same time we advise on wages questions, and wages have gone up 25 |x.*r cent, since we came. The increased price of food and the fall of the mark make it hard for the poor to get along, as it costs a working man eighty marks a week to live, and he only gets some fifteen marks a day. The wages earned by wife and children help him out, but it is a near thing. The eight -hour day is now general in our area. FerguHHonMecentraliHes through flic Divisional and eajxjci- 534 THE PEACE CONFERENCE ally the Brigade Commanders, who are allotted certain areas and deal with the Burgermeister or group of Burger- meisters in their area. The fines are levied by order of small courts of military magistrates. All the German Administration is willing and ready to help us. Fergusson thinks that there are 5 per cent, of rich men in the area, but that the rest are far from rich and only make 5000 marks a year at the most, and that the de- preciation of the currency makes the case harder. They are pretty well through their local supplies until next harvest, but Hoover's food and our Army supplies help out, while food is coming from Holland and a little from other parts of Germany. The arrival of food from outside tends to release the hoarded stocks which have been held for a rise in prices. So the gravity of the food question has been to some extent overcome, but Cologne is not getting its share of the promised American 340,000 tons a month, which is coming very slowly. The French and Belgians and Americans were before us in the field for trade. They swamped the markets and have taken millions of pounds' worth of orders. Only 1 per cent, of the trade travellers were British up to a few weeks ago, and now the figure is only 4 per cent. We are handicapped by the sentimental desire not to trade with Germany, by our refusal up to ten days ago to take German payment in marks, and by difficulties in transport. The Boches have many things we need, but only one cargo of potash has yet gone to England. There is a tremendous demand for EngUsh cigarettes, which are fetching one mark each in Germany. SmuggUng is rife, especially on the Diisseldorf side. The attempt of some Mainz people to estabHsh a Rhenish Republic is not well seen at Cologne. Here they might accept it if it meant economic independence, and inde- pendence from Prussian rule, but they do not wish to be severed from Germany. Representatives have just left for Versailles to negotiate with the Paris Conference. We 1919] OUE ARMY OF OCCUPATION 535 are neutral in the matter. The Americans refuse to allow the Mainz Proclamations to be published in their area. The French are busy and have taken a feel here. The German reply to our economic demands has impressed Paris. The Germans seem ready to pay 5000 millions sterling at the rate per year of their whole pre-war income. This seems to have astonished Paris, which did not expect more than 2000 miUion. The Germans say that they must know the full debt, and that if it be left to depend on how much they earn there is no inducement to them to earn money to pay to others. Trade is undoubtedly reviving here, and we pour much money into the country by our troops. The Hohe Strasse is as full of our men as of civilians. There is very Httle open fraternising ; in fact, one may say none. The Germans say that we are very proud, ignore them, and look upon the place as our own. Fergusson has a large organisation most skilfully con- structed. It seems to be very well run. Our G.H.Q. consists of Sir William and 4 A.D.C.s ; a Military Secretary. Sir A. Montgomery, C.G.S. ; 2 B.G.G.S.s for O. and S.D. (of whom one was Brig. -Gen. G. F. Boyd, but he now has the IVIidland Division) ; 4 other G.S.O.s for 0. ; 2 for S.D. ; 4 for Training ; 6 for Education ; and 8 for InteUigence, which is under Colonel Beddington. Sillem is D.A.G. with a staff of 15; Chichester D.Q.M.G. with 14 officers, Suppy and Transport under B. G. F. M. Wilson ^nth 12 officers, and other services to match. Salmond is over the Air Staff. E. B. Hankey commands the Tank Group. The 2nd, 4tli, Cth, 9th, and 10th Army Corps are under Jacob, Godley, Haldane, Braithwaite, and Morland. The Cavalry Division is under Peyton. The division-s are now : — Western under Strickland Light M Whigham Northern >> Devercll Midland 1 1 Boyd (late Hull) Lowland )l Butler 536 THE PEACE CONFERENCE Southern under Heneker Lancashire „ Jeudwine Eastern ,, Nicholson London ,, Lawford Highland „ Campbell. Each division three infantry brigades, each ten battaUons, including pioneers and a good force of artillery. There is a Rotterdam and an Antwerp Base Staff in the Command. It has taken a long time to equalise the units and reorganise the Command, but the work is nearly done now. The Army has elements of weakness due to few old Regular officers, inferiority of the regimental officers who have joined since the war and are staying on for the greater part because they are not sure of other employment, paucity of good N.C.O.s, weakness of the cavalry, and so on. But the higher Commanders are all excellent, and there is nothing much in front of us at present, so the Army serves its purpose, and also improves daily. The young battalions are smart and keen. Musketry and artillery practice are coming on, and there are still a good few of the old fighting battalions as a stand-by. In the evening there dined with as General and Madame Mangin, three or four other French officers. Sir C. Fergusson, General Jacob whom I was glad to meet. General Strickland, and a Mrs. Harjes, the pretty wife of one of the Morgan firm in Paris. A cheery dinner. I found Madame Mangin pleasant but deaf. The General and I found it trying to say pretty things in French, and then have to repeat them louder while all the rest stopped talking to listen. General Mangin came in the smart black tunic which French generals wear, and with all his decorations. He had been with Marchand at Fashoda. We fell to talking of those days and of the old Anglo -French Colonial rivalry, thinking how much the Boche must have had to do with it. After dinner General Mangin talked to me about the Rhenish Repubhc. He complained a little that there had been no common agreement between the Alfies, and that 1919] THE EXD OF A CHAPTER 537 even this evening neither Sir W. nor Fergusson had discussed the subject "sviih him. Mangin said that he had received no advice whatsoever from his own Government. His aim certainly is to separate tlie whole Rhineland from Germany, but I objected that thLs would not be accepted, and that if we could make it economically independent of Prussia the rest might come later. He allowed that the Boche people at IMainz had been indiscreet, and he had hauled them over the coals. We should now see what the mission to Versailles would effect. Sunday, June 8. Went to Church with the General and De Burgh. Full of troops with a good sprinkling of British visitors, nurses, V.A.D.s, etc. Two good young padres who spoke up like men. The pulpit is behind the altar, but the padre did not use it when he preached. It was covered by a Union Jack. The men sang well. Very affecting to hear * God save the King ' sung in the cir- cumstances in which we were placed. ' Victorious, happy, and glorious ' had a new meaning. The end of a very moving chapter of history. We came back over the bridge of boats. Caught the 2.8 p.m. train for Paris. A piping hot journey, but the amenities of foreign travel are returning, and we had sleeping berths and a restaurant car. Monday, June 9. Found my old rooms kept for me at the Ritz, and was lucky, considering the crowds in Paris now. In the morning saw Sir George Grahame at the Embassy. He should go far in diplomacy. Derby laid up with a chill. Saw David Henderson at the new M.A.'s office, 22 Rue de I'Elysee. He was in plain clothes and has become Director-Grcneral of the League of the Red Cross Societies at Geneva. Found Marshal Foch at home at the Boulevard des Invalidea at o, and had a good talk with him. He was looking much more worried and careworn than when I saw him last. Fighting with the politicos is much mere wearing than fighting Bodies. He Ix'gan by asking me my impressions of the Rliine front. J told him. Foch has got 42 divisions in his French Aimies, and the classes retained are up to 538 THE PEACE CONFERENCE thirty years of age. If there has to be an advance we are to take Diisseldorf, Essen, and the Ruhr Valley factories and the mines and foundries. Foch does not expect any serious opposition in the West, but believes that when the Poles try to take Germanised Poland they will be resisted, probably successfully, and a month after Peace is signed we may be all at war again if we let Poland shift for herself. Foch is evidently fed up with the Peace Conference. He took a strong Hne about the Rhine, which we both consider to be the proper miUtary frontier, and says that now the Big Four almost never consult him, and do not follow his advice when they do. We went to the map, and agreed, as I have frequently written of late, that the Rhine and the Alps are the proper frontier for the Allies as they were for Rome. Foch says that he can hold the Rhine with a small force, and by controlhng the railway bridges control the passage, but that, if the French frontier is thrown further back, then he cannot pretend to control the river Rhine, and very large forces will be needed to guard the frontier. We British are concerned because events have shown this to be our frontier. What is the answer, I asked, to the argument that if we keep the Rhineland we create a Grerman Alsace-Lorraine ? Foch says that the answer is that he only wants to keep his garrisons where they are, and does not seek to administer the country, which can be left as it is now, under the German administration. It would be a great soulagement if a small number of British troops could be left there, and he would even be content with a weak division. We discussed the Rhenish Republic, and Foch agreed that a province economically independent of Prussia was as far as we should go at present. He was most sarcastic about the Paris Conference, and said that we should have had peace six months ago, and that he was getting tired of the delay and was thinking of resigning. I told him that he could not and that it would be almost a desertion. He admitted that he could not till peace was signed ; 'Done je reste.' I asked why he did not leave Paris without beat of drum and 1919] WORDS OR NATURAL FRONTIERS 539 establish his headquarters with the Ai-mies, and he told me that he thought of doing so. We discussed the political folk, and I asked what had happened to the Tiger. ' Oh,' laughed Foch, ' lie has never been a tiger, it is only make-believe. Pi'csident Wilson leads the Conference and does what he hkes. I may not have my Rhine frontier because it is against Wilson's fine principles, and so when war comes again we shall have fine principles in place of a natural frontier.' The politicians understood nothing of natural frontiers, it was all one to them how a frontier was drawTi. Foch was sore and bitter on this subject, and the rift between him and Clemenccau is obviously serious, and a thousand pities. He can get no policy laid down for him on any subject except as regards the Rhine front, and even about the Rhenish RepubUc no lead is given to the soldiers. A very unsatisfactory position. In the late afternoon I received a telephone invitation to dine to-night with Marshal Petain, and just had time to catch the train to Chantilly, where the Marshal's car with an A.D.C. met me. We went to look at the great carp in the ditch of the chateau, picked up Major Benson of our Mission, and found Petain in a pleasant well-kept garden of a smaULsh but comfortable house, where General Buat and the other half dozen members of Petain's Staff joined us after the Marshal and I had had a first talk alone in the garden. After dinner we adjourned to a terrace outside, the evening being hot, and had a long talk, Buat leaving us after the first twenty minutes or so. I found Petain as dissatisfied as Foch with the interminable delays of the Conference, and he said that both the country and the Army were growing nervous under the long strain. The younger officers, who were underpaid with eight francs a day when all civiUan salaries were being raised, threatened to form a syndicate. He was dissatisfied himself, but thought tiiat it would be a i>(iil tmhison if he left before peace was signed. No one really governed tlie Army now. Clemenceau was in tlie hands of Mordacq and Muudel, vol.. II. 2 N 540 THE PEACE CONFERENCE and the different heads of the administration each panned out for themselves. They were well-meaning, however, and came to P6tain for advice. Petain has all the post- war regulations finished. He has also almost completed a weU - documented history of the operations of the French Armies and showed me a typed copy of part of it. It seems admirably done with a clear and concise account of the operations, including explanations and a reason for the action taken, and then all the chief orders given, but no comments or criticisms. I told him that I wanted our people to have a good account of the work of the French Armies, and he offered to put me up for six months while I studied and took all I wanted from his account. A good ofier and I must consider it. His Staff have worked splendidly to get the rapport done so quickly. It will be finished in about a fortnight. The rapports by Foch, Jo fire, and Nivelle will complete the military story from the French side. Petain says that he has fifty-one divisions in all, but nine are weak. People have tried to set him up against Foch, but he will not lend himself to the plan. He agrees with Foch and supports him. He never goes to Paris unless ordered there, has taken no part in any banquets or festivities, and has had no Deputy at his table except Ministers who have the right to come. As he makes no exceptions, this satisfies everybody. He keeps quiet and to himself, so the Press never mention his name. Clemen- ceau is now making advances to him, but this is because Clemenceau is at loggerheads with Foch, so he does not respond. Foch, thought Petain, was right to have given his mihtary opinion about the Rhine, but he should have handed in a written memorandum to disengage his responsibility, and if the Government refused to take his advice this was a governmental decision which should have been respected. Instead of this Foch spoke at a meeting of the Conference without being invited, and tried to force acceptance of his views, continuing his opposition afterwards. L. G. is 1919] SARCASMS OF FOCH AND PETAIN 541 reported to have said that if any British general had done the same thing he would liave been dismissed a quarter of an hour later. Petain was looking very fit and well. The open life campaigning has agreed with him. He rides at 6.30 A.M. daily, and is very happy and contented in his garden. The Bodies are said to be preparing the elements for the restoration of the Army in all Army Corps regions. The mixed brigade in each region is the nucleus of an Army Corps, and there are 350,000 men under arms. Petain scoffs at the idea that the Boches can be compelled to reduce to 100,000 men, and lays stress on controlling the output of material. Petain wants ' at least ' one British division left on the Rhine pour faire acte de presence. The Marshal also told me that the new Civil Commission for controlhng the occupied territories is so arranged that Foch is practically- eliminated from the leadership of it. The Civihan Commission can be counted on to spoil the soldiers' work. The feehng of the French soldiers is that the Conference is spoiling the work of the Army, and that it is incapable of taking decisions. Foch was most amusing to-day on this subject. He said, 'They work Hke this,' and then began, as liis custom is, to show how they worked. He began to manipulate an imaginary pestle and mortar, working the pestle round with his hands. Then he stooped and looked down. ' It is not made yet . . . but there is a bad smell ... it gets on . . . there are poison gases,' and then he set to work again with the pestle harder than ever, putting on a most serious look. He thouglit that they were dis- sipating the profits of the Allied victories. Public opinion also begins to menace Clcmenceau largely on account of the still severe censorship, but also because of certain jwr- quisitions among Paris Pressmen, which have caused great annoyance. President Wilson is not loved. One may almost say that he is detested. Petain told me that no one controlled distant oixrations, and that all was chaos on this side. He and Foch both think that whenever the Bodies cry out loud enough the Big Four surrender something. There is no courage, and there arc no decisions. 542 THE PEACE CONFERENCE I lunched to-day with Harold Nicholson of our Mission. He is engaged on Czech, Greek, Bulgarian, and other matters, and is one of the brightest of the younger men in our team. He thinks that Venizelos has made the greatest reputation here, not only in Greek affairs, but in advising on other matters. He felt, on the whole, that L. G, was doing well in most difficultcircumstances,but that most of the older men were played out and that the younger men should take over control. I hear from other sources that L. G. is tired out by all his worries here. WilHe Tyirell has returned to London since a month. Eyre Crowe is doing very well. There are two ways of running the Conference, one by a process of empiricism and improvisation, and the other by trusting to the experts. Our people pass alter- nately from one to the other, and often find that their experimental processes are unworkable. Then all is begun again. There is an amusing story that L. G. and Venizelos were discussing Greek claims over a map in which the low ground was painted green. L. G. thought the green was a non-Greek population and frequently tried to refute Venizelos by showing him on the map great blocks of non-Greek population. V. did not know whether he stood on his head or his heels, but eventually discovered L. G.'s error. There have been passages of absolute comedy, and not one of the Big Four, except Orlando, really under- stands the questions that come up. Neither military, diplo- matic, nor economic experts are given a chance. Nichol- son thought that if the League began with small things and were modest we might do some good, but all orthodox diplomacy was opposed to it while pretending not to be. He said that after the League had had an innings at London, Washington, and then again at Paris, it would move to Geneva next spring, and then Germany might be admitted. The Boches could not get the conditions of the Peace altered, because the Peace was one with the Convention, and only unanimity could alter the text of the Treaty. David Henderson told me to-day that his successor as M.A. in Paris should be a gentleman, a trained soldier, and a 1919] LLOYD GEORGE AXD POLAND 543 French linguist. We have few men who answer all these requirements, though we have many who could meet two of them. Returned late from Chantilly by train crammed full of hohday makers. Reached Paris about 12.30 a,m. The way that Frenchwomen half undi-ess in a crowded train is disconcerting, Tuesday, June 10. Fixed up meetings with General Pershing and M. Herbette for to-morrow. A number of pretty ladies at the Ritz. Met tcne Brown, Jeanne de Salverte, Lady Hadfield, Lady Curzon, and had tea with ISIis. Leeds. Lady C. looking a dream of English loveliness. Tlie process of having one's passport vised at the Prefecture de Police now takes the place of the old rules. A surging mob of people there, of whom two thousand can be passed a day. It looked as if I might be there for hours, if not days, but by a great stroke of luck I happened to ask my way of I\I. Picquart, the cliej de service, who was returning to work after lunch, and he very kindly put my affair through in a few minutes. Found ]\Irs. Leeds scarcely recovered from her illness during the winter and from her anxieties during Lad}' Paget 's fatal illness in her rooms. She leaves for G^eneva to-morrow and will be back at Kenwood within the fortnight. She will be leaving for America later. IMi-s. Gordon Bennett and Poklevsky came in. A good talk with Count Sobanski later. He told me a good story of the Conference. A certain diplomatist was asked what he thought of the Treaty. He rephed : ' Le trait6 rcmplit toutes les conditions d'une guerre juste et durable.' Sobanski savage with L. G., who has been odious about Poland and has sent her no help in her need as other Alhes have done. L. G. impatient with Poland, and says she is never satisfied. Sobanski says that Poland has 300,000 men, but that her economic re- habilitation is not yet accomj)lished. He scoffs at the proposed referendum in Tpjx^r Silesia, where the Germana have imprisoned the leading Poles, and the German clergy and Prussian patrons will manipulate the ignorant masses. S. says that L. G. has made England thoroughly uiii)0})ular 544 THE PEACE CONFERENCE in Poland. He asked why English pubhc opinion did not show itself. I repKed that the public knew httle of what was happening in Paris, and that until we got the text of the Treaty nothing could be done, and then it would be too late. He told me that he heard from fairly sure Swiss sources that the German Government had asked Hindenburg whether he could beat the Poles, and that he had repUed Yes, provided that all the present miUtary resources of Grermany were placed in his hands. But he added that in the given case the Alhes would inundate Grermany, occupy Berlin, and compel the Germans to disgorge, so he failed to see the utihty of the enterprise. I told S. that the danger was not there, but in the probably rapid demobiUsa- tion of the Alhed Armies after the signature of Peace, and in the opposition which the Prussians would make to the occupation of PoUsh Prussia by the Poles. I suggested that it should be agreed that the evacuation should be at stated times, and the arrival of the Poles at other stated times later, and that a mixed Inter - Alhed civil and military Commission should regulate the whole affair. Some one said to me to-day that the Peace Conference marked the demise of democracy, for its most representative organ, the Parliament in each country, had gone for nothing in the whole of the world work, and had neither been informed nor consulted. Some other one added that there were no real delegates, but only four autocratic de facto chiefs of States, whose urdimited powers had never been equalled in history. Their eyes were fixed on their own internal policies. Yet a third observed that their powers were only equalled by their flippancy, and their flippancy by their ignorance. A story was told that Clemenceau complained of the difficulty of presiding over L. G. and Wilson, since the former imagined himself Napoleon, while the latter considered himself Christ. Clemenceau, like Talleyrand of old, has attributed to him all the good stories. Dined in the evening with Brigadier-General Charles Grant at Jemmy Rothschild's house, 31 bis Avenue du Bois 1919] A TALK AVITH PERSHING 545 de Boulogne. Quite perfect cooking and some beautiful tapestrj' and eighteenth-century furniture, besides an unequalled dinner service, of which there are 400 pieces. The acme of comfort, taste, and cuHnary skill. We dis- cussed the times and found that our deductions about the general situation concurred, but Grant thinks that only eighteen of the French divisions are full up. We admitted, just to each other, that the ideals of the League of Nations were the only hope for civilisation. Wednesday, June 11. Busy at the French F.O. in the morning. Saw General Pershing at his house, 73 Rue de Varenne, later. He was looking well and cheerful. I told him what I wanted to know about his operations in order that I might be well posted when I went to America, and he told me that he would give me aU he had and could say no more than that. I had been, he said, very helpful, and my articles had been widely read in the U.S. He may be breaking up his G.H.Q. at Chaumont by July 15, but will have all necessary papers sent to me. He thinks that American pohtics have much to do with attacks on him and his Staff, but, on the whole, doubts whether the Republicans will take up a strong line of criticism against the U.S. Army during the election campaign, as they will not care to decry a great national work or place themselves in opposition to the war in any way. He tells me, a propos of not keeping up his divisions who fought alongside of us, that he was so short of drafts that he had to break up entirely ten of his divisions which were in France waiting to be trained. He was short of many things, but did not consider it fair to blame the administration, who were doing their best. He told me that on no single occasion did the Government at Washington send liini any plans of campaign, suggestions, or criticisms, and tliat he had told the President that this was a record and tiiat no C.-in-C. in the field was ever left 80 free a hand. He had been congratulated by his French and British colleagues iipon being so far away from home I He agrecfl with me about t}i(> strength and organisation of 546 THE PEACE CONFERENCE Germany, and felt as sure as I did that she would soon revive and attempt to recover her losses. He was as im- pressed as I was by the fact that there was no sign of war in Germany, that the whole machine of Government worked smoothly, and that the towns, fields, and factories were just as usual. Pershing favours the ideals behind the League of Nations, and thinks that even if the present plan is more or less scrapped we may have a better substituted. He thinks that the future of civihsation rests upon the co-operation of England and America, since the whole affair rests on con- fidence, and those two countries, alone in the world, have confidence in each other. Pershing said that in his opinion the re -insurance Treaty of France, England, and America all held together, and that the thing dropped if one fell out of the hne. He gave me his views about France. He admitted that he had not been in favour of the Armistice. He trained his troops hard for three months afterwards, and would have had a fine Army by the spring. I agreed, and said that if his present critics would remember that we all were, to the last, playing up to April 1919 as the date of the decisive offensive, Pershing's actions during the war would be better comprehended. Affairs had gone better and faster in the last campaign than any of us, even Foch, had expected. Charles Grant, by the way, suggested last night that Foch was the most secretive of men about his plans, while always protesting that he had none. Grant thought that this was not correct, and mentioned the meeting of the AlUed generals on July 24 last year when the operations of the two following months were sketched out by Foch. Lunched at the Chateau Madrid in the Bois under spreading chestnuts . A delightfully cool place for lunching in this hot weather. The tables vmder the trees, excellent cooking, and a good string band. The bust of Fran9ois i.'s lady still looks out for his return, and the old oak which the king planted is just outside the railings of the chateau. Returned to the F.O. at four to 1919] A STORMY CROSSING 547 Bee M. Herbette, Saw the Countess Jeanne de Salverte. She gave me a photograph of herself with her lion cub. Only one goldfish left in the celebrated bowl. Thursday, June 12. Left Paris midday and arrived London 10.20 p.m., after a very stormy crossing of the Channel, where it was blowing great guns. One roll took everybody across the deck, — chairs, people, and baggage — but happily only some of the bags went overboard. The ship took quite an appreciable time to right herself, and I was told that one of the water-ballast tanks had not been filled. We all arrived rather woebegone. In the Pullman met Dr. Sidney Beauchamp, who has been doing doctor to the Conference and was as pleasant as ever. He attributes to Countess Benckendorff the reply to the question how long the Conference would last — ' Neuf mois pour sur, puisque le plus celebre accoucheur anglais y est.' My neighbour was Sir George Foster, the Canadian Minister, and we talked most of the way to London. A man of perspicacity and broad serious views whom I hked very much. He thinks that we shall have all Canada ^v^th us in drawing close to America, and he shares Pershing's views about France. We had an interesting talk on the Roman Catholics in Canada and upon finance. Saturday, June 28. This day the Treaty of Peace with Germany was signed at Versailles. NA]\IE INDEX Abekcorn, Duchess of, ii. 321. Acheson, Viscountoss. ii. 510. 521. a Court, Miss Bettv, ii. 35(), 525. Adam, Mr., i. 220." 252. Addison, Rt. Hon. C, :M.P., i. 05, 605, fil9; ii. 1. . Mr. and Mrs., ii. 74. Aga Khan, H.H. Sir Sultan Ma- homed Shah, G.C.S.I.. G.C.I. E., i. 57-9, 70. 7G, 80, 85, 8G, 95, 90, 98, 218. 252 ; ii. 529. Agnew, Captain, i. 526. . Mr. Colin, ii. 48, 253, 319, 323, 507. . Mr. W. Lockett, i. 55, 92, 129, 145. 290, 300, 339, 357, 375, 381, 400, 431. 435. 441, 477. 574, 575, 612. 020 ; ii. 48, 03, 197, 230, 231. , Mrs. Lockett, i. 290. 300, 574 ; ii. 231, 323, 341, 524. Alba, Duke of, i. 309. 370. Albertini, Signor, ii. 428. Albery, Mr. Wyndham, i. 467. Albrecchi. Colonel, i. 238, 239. Alderson, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Edwin, K.C.B., i. 304. Alen^on, Colonel d', i. 499, 553. Aleotti, Baron, i. 360. , Baroness, i. 360, 370. Alexander, Brig.-Gen. E. W., V.C.. C.M.G., i. 60. Alexandra, H.M. Queen, i. 68, 80 ; ii. 213. Alexeieff. General, i. 78, 79, 244, 345, :i'>(K 353, 357, 372, 387, 399, 442. 443, 490, 500, i304, 514. 586. Alington, Lord, i. 89. . Lady, i. 89 ; ii. 258. Allenhv. Kield-Marshai Viscount H. H.,G.C.B.,G.C..M.G.,i. 268-70, '2Hr,. 372. 520-31. 533 5. 573, 577. 008, 010, 010 n., 014. 015 ; ii. 11, .50, 57, HI, 00, 110. 115-17, 128. 129. 133, 138. 140. 145, 140. 153-6, 101, 108, 170. 179. 180. 236, 247, 249, 203, 207, 285, 294, 300, 305, 409, 412, 414, 415. 405, 409, 470. 471. 472. 478. 500. 507, 509. .\llondalc. Lady. i. 299. Althorp, Viscoimt, ii. 322. Alvord. Brig.-Gen. B., ii. 80. Amerv. Lieut. -Col. L. C. M. S., M.P., i. 419 ; ii. 219. Ames, Colonel Oswald, i. 107. Amir of Afghanistan, tlie, ii. 52, 115, 526. Anca.ster, Earl of, i. 83, 98, 116, 122 ; ii. 47t>, 479. , Countess of, i. 83, 98, 116, 122, 409 ; ii. 467, 476, 479. Anderson, Lieut.-Gen. Sir C. A., K.C.B., K.C.I.E., ii. 112. , Major-Gen. W. H., C.B., i. 531 ; ii. 365. , W. C, M.P.. u. 242. Andr6, Mme. von, i. 552. Anglesey, Marquess of, ii. 245. , Marchioness of, i. 182, 508 ; ii. 245. Annaly, Colonel Lord, G.C.V.O., D.L., i. 397. Annesley, Countess, i. 375, 604, 612 ; ii. 55, 267. Ansaldo's, ii. 435, 438. Anthoine, General, ii. 10, 80, 99, 223, 378. .\ntrim, Countess of, i. 473. Aosta, H.R.H. the Duke of, i. 240 n. ; ii. 426, 428. Apostol, M. Mouravieff, ii. 130, 319. , Mme. Mouravieff, ii. 130. Applin, Colonel, ii. 388, 392. .Argyll, Duke of, i. 410. Arkwright, Mrs. Esuk's i. 503. 578. .\rmin, General Sixt von, ii. 367. Armstrong, Mr., ii. 182. , Commander Sir George E., Bt., C.M.G.. R.N., i. 115. Arnold-For8t<'r, Major V. A., D.S.O., ii. 411. Arran, Countoss of, i. 305, 307. Arthur. Sir George C. A., Bt.. M.V.O., i. 107, 581 ; ii. 195. 272, 285. . Laert, i. n. 73, 106. 2. 3, 60, 390, 406. 428, 183, 244, 501. BeddiiiKton. Colonel E. H., C.M.G., D.S.O.. M.C., ii. 535. Bedford, DucIiohh of, i. 26. lieecham. Sir TIioh., Ht.. i. 326, 576. 604 ; ii. 28. 267. 345, 524. Beerbohm, Mr. Mux and Mru., ii. 323. Belaieff, Greneral, i. 252. Belgians, H.M. the King of the. i. 33, 90, 125, 174-6, 183. 233, 510; I ii. 219. 464. 465. 486. ' , H.M. the Queen of the, i. 33, 1 88-91, 125, 174, 175, 183.272 ; ii. I 219. Belin. General, ii. 359. Bell, Colonel, i. 156. . Mr., i. 369. Beliuirs. Commander Carlyon, R.N., M.P., i. 467. Bolloc, Mr. Hilairo, ii. 243. Bollville. Mrs., i. 389, 572. Below, General Otto von, ii. 169, 224. 367. Belper. Lady. ii. 515, 516. Benckendorff. Count, i. 68, J4, 399, 401, 433, 446. , Countos.'^. ii. 547. Benedict xv., Hi.s Holiness Pope, ii. 54, 372, 402, 432, 436, 442, 447, 450, 451. Bennett, Mr. Arnold, ii. 196. , Mr. Gordon, i. 476. , Mrs., ii. 543. Benson, Mr. E. F., i. 378, 575 ; ii. 243. , Major, ii. 539. , Mr., i. 1 16. Bentinck, Mrs. W. i. 468, 471, 587 G. Cavendish-, ; ii. 315, 322, 326-8. Berchtold, Count, i. 18 ; ii. 492. B^renger, M., i. 557 ; ii. 207. Beren.son, Mr. Bernhard, ii. 343, 354. Beresford, Admiral Lord (Charles Wm. do la Poer), G.C.B., G.C. V.O., i. 57, 58, 75, 76, 85, 102, 103, 395, 400, 428, 448, 507, 567. 613 ; ii. 128. 260, 261, 285, 304, 465, 480. , Ladv, i. 57. 69, 75, 76, 85, 102, 103, 400, 427, 448, 463, 473, 507, 613; ii. 128, 260, 261, 285, 304, 324, 465, 480. Bergomini, Signor, ii. 446. Bernor.s, Lord. ii. 507. Benwtorff, Count, i. 441, 449. Berry. Mr., ii. 97. Borthaut, General, ii. 279. Bortholot, M. I'hilippe, i. 170, 173, 174, 201, 217. 218. 254 ; ii. 385, 386, 396, 402. 435. Borti(<, Viscount, of Thame. (i.C. 13., G.C.M.G., etc., i. .59. 166. 169, 147, 575; ii. 24. 6!». 77. 313. 409, 490. Bortior de Sauvigny, Coniinandant, 552 THE FIRST WORLD WAR i. ], 143, 144, 151, 153, 183, 188, 314, 316, 317, 357, 358, 370, 387, 408, 463, 551. Bertotti, General, i. 241. Beseler, von, Governor-Greneral, i. 191, 136, 138. Besobrazoff, General, i. 79. Bethell, Lieut.-Col. A. B., ii. 87. , Capt. the Hon. Richard, i. 60. Bethmann HoUweg, Herr von, i. 619 ; ii. 280. Bethune, Lieut.-Gen. Sir E. C, K.C.B., C.V.O., i. 113. Beynon, Maj.-Gen. Sir W. G. L., K.C.I.E., etc., ii. 111. Bibesco, Prince, ii. 319, 497. , Princess, i. 325, 326. Bibhokoff, M., ii. 383. Biddle, General, ii. 94, 337. Bidou, M., i. 220. Bigham, Lieut.-Col. the Hon. C. C, C.M.G., ii. 385, 412. Bignon, M., ii. 356. Billotte, General, i. 156. Bingham, Maj.-Gen. the Hon. Sir Cecil E., K.C.M.G., C.B., C.V.O., i. 28, 95, 203 ; ii. 55, 184, 185, 319, 321, 495, 500, 521. , Lady, i. 57, 64, 68, 75, 95, 98, 114, 195, 203, 343, 345, 413 ; ii. 267, 282, 319, 321, 339, 438, 469, 471, 491, 502, 521. , Denis, ii. 501. -, Maj.-Gen. the Hon. Sir Francis, K.C.M.G., C.B., i. 362. Birch, Lieut. - Gen. Sir Noel, K.C.M.G., C.B., ii. 363-5, 460-2. Birdwood, General Sir W. R., G.C.M.G.,K.C.B.,K.C.S.I.,C.LE., D.S.O., i. 82, 83, 105, 526, 539, 568 ; ii. 194, 465, 489. Birkbeck, Maj.-Gen. Sir Wm. H., K.C.B., C.M.G., i. 566. Birkenhead, Lord, K.C., i. 39, 120-3, 126, 202, 203, 295, 360, 369, 370, 374, 398, 503, 586 ; ii. 2, 3, 240, 241, 244, 245, 273, 306, 493, 499, 500, 501, 504, 505. , Lady, i. 123, 126, 295, 360, 369, 374, 499, 501, 503. Birrell, Rt. Hon. Augustine, i. 503, 587 ; ii. 482. Bischoffsheim, Mrs., i. 74, 459, 614; ii. 319. Biasing, von, Governor-General, i. 137. Bissolati, Signor, i. 230 ; ii. 107. Blackburne, Captain G. Ireland, and Mrs., i. 87 ; ii. 353-4, 356, 516. Blackwood, Lord Basil, i. 178, 334, 336. , Lord and Lady Fi'ederick, i. 340. Blair, Major, i. 607. Blake, Sir Henry, ii. 493-4. Blake-Forster, Miss A., ii. 312. Blandford, Marquess of, i. 343, 397 ; ii. 346, 354. Blatchford, Maj.-Gen., ii. 87. Bliss, General, ii. 94, 140, 317, 410. , Mr., ii. 211. , Mrs., i. 254; ii. 211. Block, Sir Adam S. J., K.C.M.G., ii. 46. Blow, Mr., i. 162. Blumenfeld, Mr. Ralph D., ii. 260. Blunt, Rev. A. C, ii. 217. Boehm, General von, ii. 344. Boldini, M., i. 294. Bolo, ii. 68, 69, 73, 79. Bols, Maj.-Gen. Sir L. J., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 269, 526, 533, 534; ii. 116. Bompiani, General, i. 238. Bonaparte, T.I.H. Prince and Prin- cess Victor, i. 108, 143, 302, 410, 492 ; ii. 254-5. Bonham-Carter, Sir M., X.C.B., K.C.V.O., ii. 298. , Lady, i. 379, 471 ; ii. 141, 499. , Lieut. -Com. Stuart S., D.S.O., R.N., ii. 288. Borden, Rt. Hon. Sir R. L., G.C.M.G., etc., ii. 328. Boris, Prince, of Bulgaria, ii. 449. Boroevic, General, i. 225 ; ii. 33, 435. Bourbon, Mile, de, ii. 521. , Prince Sixte de, ii. 274. Bourne, H.E. Cardinal F., ii. 439. Bowman - Manifold, Brig. - General M. G. E., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 272. Boyd, Maj.-Gen. G. F., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., ii. 462, 535. , Captain, ii. 87. , Miss Phyllis, i. 503, 578 ; ii. 232, 530. Boyle, Colonel, ii. 48. Brade, Sir Reginald H., G.C.B., i. 122. Bradford, Countess of, i. 305, 307. Bradley, Brig. -Gen., ii. 87, 88. Braithwaite, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Walter, K.C.B., etc., i. 104 ; ii. 535. Brancker, Maj.-Gen. Sir Sefton, K.C.B., ii. 28, 128, 257, 294, 299, 470, 478, 501, 512. NAME INDEX 553 Brand, Rear-Admiral the Hon. Sir Hubert (George). K.C.M.G., C.B., C.V.O.. R.X., ii. 15. Breteuil, MarquLs de, i. 255. Brett. Lieut. -Col. the Hon. Maurice V. B., O.B.E., M.V.O.. i. 541. 557. Briand. M., i. 59, 80, 89, 170-3. 207, 210. 217. 323. 32f>, 332, 347, 402. 405, 418, 420, 424. 427. 429, 4t;2, 482. 540. 541, 54ti, 5()2 u. ; ii. 70, 150. 205, 210, 213-17, 22(), 249, 250. 497. Bridge. Captain, i. 175. 17(3. Bridgeman, Admiral Sir F. C. B., G.C.B., etc., i. 209. Bridges, Maj.-Gen. Sir G. Tom M., K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.. i. 33, 91. 372, 408, 412, 581-() ; ii. 104, 141. 160. 188. 272, 32(>, 400. , Ladv. i. 412. 012 ; ii. 320, 470, 601. 514. 515. Brienen, Baroness de, i. 199, 314, 315, 379, 402, 5G8 ; ii. 295. Briggs, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Charles J., K.C.B.. K.C.M.G., i. 357 ; ii. 110, 124, 517. Brinckman. Mr., i. 338. , Colonel Sir Theodore F., Bt., i. 145. Brinton, Mrs., i. 325 ; ii. 271. 295. Briscoe, Mr., i. 127. Brittain, Sir Harry E., K.B.E., i. 130, 142. Brock, Vice-Adm. Sir Osmund, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., ii. 15. Brockdorff-Raiitzau, Count, ii. 522. Brooke, Brig.-Gon. Lord, i. 335. , Colonel Ronald G., D.S.O., i. 289, 375 ; ii. 190. -. Mrs., i. 289, 012 ; ii. 196, 323. Buckmastor, Lord, ii. 190, 502. Budworth, Maj.-Gen. C. E. D., C.B.. C.M.G.. M.V.O., i. 523. Bulkolov-Johnson, Colonel, i. 536. , Mr. F. H., i. 52. Billow, Count von, ii. 448. Bunbury, Maj.-Gen. Wm. E., C.B., i. 281, 000. Burger, Cienornl, i. 430. Burgess, Lieutenant, i. 520. Burian, Count, ii. 401, 403. Burke. :\Ir., ii. 524, 527. Burn, Colonel Charles, M.P., i. 587 ; ii. 275, 279, 297. Burne-Jones, Sir Philip, Bt., i. 428. Burnham, Lord, i. 572 ; ii. 149. Burns, Rt. Hon. John, M.P.. ii. 496. , Mr. Walter, i. 437. 572, 575, 581 ; ii. 282. 310, 344. . Mrs., i. 437, 511, 572, H.. Brougham, Lord, ii. 504. Brown, Mr. Constantine, ii. 278-9. Brugfere, General, i. 6 ; ii. 74, 207. Brun, General, i. 0. Brusati, General, i. 222, 223. Brussiloff, General, i. 215. 225, 244, 24.5, 278, 321, 358, 370, 404, 586. Buat, General, i. 255 ; ii. 378, 539. Bucclouch, Duke of, i. 275. Buchan, Mr. John, ii. 310. Buchanan, Rt. Hon. Sir George \V., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., i. 53, 483. 495 ; ii. 170. Buchel, Mr., i. 322. iiuckey, Colonel, ii. 433. 434, 453. Buckle, Mr. G. E., i. 13. Buckl.iy, Lieut. -Col. G. A. M., D.8.O., ii. 46. 575, 581 ; ii. 310, 328, 344. Burtcheiell, Lieut. -Gen. Chas. C.B., etc., ii. 380. Burton, jMrs., ii. 469, 471, 529. Butler, Lieut. -Col. Lewis, ii. 9. , Liout.-Gen. Sir R. H. K., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., ii. 9, 101, 103, 104, 268, 535. Butter, Mrs. Archibald, i. 473. B\mg, General Lord, G.C.B., 'K.C.M.G., etc., i. 82, 101, 104, 532, 533 ; ii. 101, 104. 143-8, 153, 270, 358, 366, 367, 374, 461, 489, 525. , Ladv, i. 145, 201, 435, 510 ; ii. 183, 435. 525. Cadooan, Hon. Sibyl, i. 617. Cadorna, General, i. 133, 152, 222, 223, 233, 239, 240, 241. 243. 283, 280. 321, 324, 335, 388, 429, 430, 493, 503, 504 ; ii. 31, 33, 35, 50, 02, 06, 84, 107-9, 126, 127, 129, 130, 132, 145, 178, 427. Caillard, Sir V'incont H. P., i. 201, 404, 610; ii. 234, 312, 343, 521. Caillaux. M., i. 109; ii. 220, 226, 2.-)0. Callaghan, Admiral Sir G. A., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., ii. 22. Callwell, Maj.-Gon. Sir Chas. E., K.C.H., i. 40, 104, 352. Cuhiiuiui-Liivy, .M. (Ja-ston, ii. 453. Calmette, M., ii. 77. Cambon, H.E. M. Paul, D.C.L., etc., i. 2-4, 10, 332, 344, 401, 446. 468, 482. 551. 574 ; ii. 24. 142, 194-0, 20«>, 258, 280-2, 285. 313. , M. JuloH, ii. 24. 554 THE FIRST WORLD WAR Cambridge, Marquess of, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., C.M.G., and Marchion- ess, i. 573 ; ii. 529. , Lady Victoria, i. 288 ; ii. 529. Camerana, General, i. 241. Campbell, Captain Arthur, ii. 295. , Maj.-Gen., ii. 536. , Mr. Gerald, i. 152. , Miss Joan, i. 188, 292, 300, 410, 411, 413. -, Mrs. Patrick, ii. 129. Campbell - Bannerman, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry, i. 3, 12 ; ii. 235, 506. Canongo, Count San Esteban de, ii. 251. Canterbury, Viscount, i. 611. Capel, Miss Bertha, i. 69. Capello, General, i. 241, Caraman Chimay, Countess Ghis- laine de, i. 83, 89, 175, 217, 254 ; ii. 219, 220. Garden, Admiral Sir S.H., K.C.M.G., i. 47. Carisbrooke, Marquess and Mar- chioness of, ii. 516, 519, 521. Carnarvon, Earl of, i. 468 ; ii. 466. , Countess of, ii. 356, 466. Carnock, Lord, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.. G.C.V.O., K.C.LE., i. 88, 301, 309 ; ii. 6. Carpenter, Captain, R.N., ii. 286, 287. Carson, Rt. Hon. Sir Edward H., K.C., etc., i. 39, 50, 54, 69, 75, 181, 199, 287, 341, 367, 374, 383, 399, 403, 448, 451, 479, 578, 579, 590, 591, 600, 601, 613, 619 ; ii. 6, 13, 31, 35, 63, 140, 240, 241, 283, 284, 297, 298, 464, 480, 481. , Lady, i. 69, 367, 368, 578 ; ii. 232, 282, 283, 284, 501. Carstairs, Mr., i. 339. Casement, Sir Roger, i. 202, 203. Cassel, Rt. Hon. Sir Ernest, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., i. 70, 74, 410, 412,413; ii. 130, 141, 319, 501, 502, 504. , Felix, K.C., ii. 504. Cassels, Miss Emmie a Court Allan (Mrs. Wallis), i. 420, 433, 434, 492. , Mrs., i. 420, 433, 435, 444, 492. Castellane, Marquis de, 1. 254; ii. 97, 372, 382. Castelnau, General de, i. 143, 153, 154, 156, 160, 167, 172, 216, 256-8, 388, 409, 445 ; ii. 225, 390, 486. Castenskiold, H.E. M. de Greven- kop, i. 410; ii. 319, 519. Castlerosse, Captain Viscount, i. 120. Cataigi, M., ii. 36. Cavan, General the Earl of, K.P., G.C.M.G., K.C.B., ii. 201, 202, 400, 418, 421, 425, 454, 469, 525. Cave, Rt. Hon. Sir George, K.C., etc., ii. 244. Cavell, Miss Edith, ii. 475. Cavendish, Lieut. -Col. Frederick W. L. S. H., C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 256-8. , Brig. -Gen., i. 433. ■ , Lieut. -Col. the Rt. Hon. Lord Richard F., C.B., C.M.G., i. 409, 452, 572 ; ii. 144, 322, 494. -, Lady Moyra, i. 409, 452, 453, 567, 568, 572, ; ii. 322, 494. Cecil, Rt. Hon. Lord Hugh, i. 452, 567, 602, 603. , Rt. Hon. Lord Robert, K.C., etc., i. 183, 431, 437 ; ii. 151, 161, 455. Cerretti, Monsignore, ii. 402, 432, 435, 438, 441, 442, 445. Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. Austen, M.P., i. 87, 92, 101, 118, 133, 181, 278, 330, 334, 353, 458, 602, 613 ; ii. 25, 278, 282. , Mr. Arthur Neville, i. 413, 425, 426, 436, 458, 460, 472, 484, 485, 494, 506. Champion de Crespigny, Sir Claude, Bt., ii. 292. Chaplin, Hon. Eric, D.L., C.C., ii. 257, 304. —, Hon. Mrs. Eric, ii. 257, 304, 529. , Rt. Hon. Henry, Viscount, etc., i. 89 ; ii. 133, 252. -, Mrs. Vere, ii. 299, 495. Chapman, Major William Percy, i. 251. , Mrs., i. 251. , Miss, i. 251. Charles, M., i. 578 ; ii. 6, 55. Charteris, Capt. the Hon. Evan, i. 83, 310, 368, 487, 566 ; ii. 2, 244, 245, 282, 315. , Brig.-Gen. John, D.S.O., i. 255, 258-60, 266, 520-2, 535, 541, 557 ; ii. 84, 98, 99, 159. Chauncey, Miss, ii. 321. Chesterfield, Earl and Countess of, i. 288 ; ii. 516. Chesterton, Gilbert K. ii. 243. Chetwode, Lieut-Gen., Sir Philip, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 27. 511, 564; ii. 155, 471, 472. NAME INDEX 555 Chetwode, Lady. i. 337 ; ii. 471. Chichester. Maj.-Gen. A. A., C.B D.S.O.. ii. 535. Chilcot, Mr., i. 205. Childs. Maj.-Gen. K.C.M.G.. C.B.. ii. Chirol. Sir Valentine Chisholni. Mr. Hugh. i. 474. Christie. Miss. ii. 2(>. Christopher. H.R.H. Prince, Greece, ii. 383-4. Churchill. Spencer-. Viscount, 292. . Lady Gwendeline. i. 360, 368. 378. 379. 495. 578 ; 6. 27. 28, 188, 232. 497. , Lord Ivor, i Sir Borlase, 527. i. 300. 474. of ii. 46, ii. 465. Major John. i. 441 198. 11. >32. 575. 578. , Ladv Randolph, C.I., etc., i. 46, 54*. 68, 101, 188-90, 193. 198, 325, 327, 328. 335. 344. 368, 411, 412. 413. 495, 510. 511, 567, 575, 587 ; ii. 27. 55. 143. 181, 201, 235. 244, 294. 312. 323, 354, 483, 497. 519, 521. 526. , Rt. Hon. Winston L., i. 19. 46-8. 55, 67. 68, 121, 125. 189. 190-3. 198, 199, 203-5. 208, 209, 211, 212, 287, 288, 204. 319. 327, 328, 335. 336. 340. 341. 343-5, 350, 352, 354. 360. 3H8-70, 375, 376. 378, 379. 397, 403. 411, 413, 438. 441. 451. 461. 513, 517, 567. 572. 580, .586, 605, 619 ; ii. 6, 16, 20. 33. 35, 36. 43, 44, 45, 52, 66, 129. 182, 229, 238. 283, 291, 326, 365, 411, 412, 461, 493, 496-9, 501, 510. , Mrs. Winston, i. 190, 199. 211, 212, 327, 334. 335. 343. 36(t, 369, 370, 379, 380, 403, 438, 441, 451, 513, 517, 507, 572 ; ii. 232, 326. 501. Ciancio, General, i. 241. Cipliana, General, i. 241. Cipnano, General, ii. 422, 428. Citroen, M., i. 551, 552, 558. Claricetti, Colonel, i. 226, 237. 248, 249. Clarke, Captain, ii. 500. Clarke, Lady Kiloen, ii. 322. . Mi«H, ii. 322. Clayton, Lieut.-Gen. Sir K. T., K.C.B.. K.C.M.G., i. 338-40. 342, 386. 414. ClenienceHii. .M. GeorgeH. i. 32, 52, 455 n. ; ii. 74-8, 145. 146. 150. 162. 164. 175. 178. 193-6. 200. 202. 203. 207-9. 211. 212. 219. 220. 222. 235. 241. 242. 246. 249, 250. 260. 266. 280. 281. 296. 299. 310. 320, 359. 367-73. 377. 380-2. 384-6, 397, 400-7. 410. 423. 428, 429, 456, 457, 459, 460, 472. 486. 489. 492, 498. 509. 513. 522. 539. 541, 544. Clerk. Sir Cieorpe. K.C.M.G., C.B.. ii. 26. 512. 522. Clifford. Lady, of Chudleigh, ii. 162, 239. Clive, Maj.-Gen. G. Sidney, C.B., C.M.G.. D.S.O.. i. 28. 405. 590 ; ii. 83-6. 221. 224, 378. 400. 533. Clonmell. Countess of, i. 72. Clvnes. Rt. Hon. J. R., M.P., etc., ii. 242. Coates, Major Sir Edward F., Bt., i. 403. , Lady, i. 403 ; ii. 125. Cochrane. Captain Lord. ii. 467. Cockburn, Brig.-Gen. George, C.B., D.S.O., i. 446. Cockerill. Brig.-G^en. George Kynaa- ton. C.B., i. 40 ; ii. 498. Cocks, Captain J. Somers, i. 311, 343, 369. Cointet, Colonel de. i. 30, 157. 161 ; ii. 59. 84. 85. 224. 381. Coke. Colonel the Hon. Edward, D.S.O., M.C., ii. 310. I , Mrs., i. 199. ' Colebrooke, Lord, i. 98. , Lady, i. 52, 54, 57, 72, 87, 93, 98. 101. 108. , Hon. Bridget, i. 381, 452. Coleyn, M., i. Ill, 1 12 ; ii. 295, 296, 463. 464. Collard, Maj.-Gen. A. S., C.B., C.V.O.. ii. 186. Collin, Colonel M.. i. 551. Colston, Mrs., ii. 357. Colville. Admiral the Hon. Sir Stanley, G.C.M.G.. G.C.V.O., K.C.B., i. 591. C«ilvin, Mr. Ian. ii. 198. 296. 315, 328. Comber. Major, i. 176 ; ii. 64. Comyn-lMatt. Mr. T.. ii. 139, 627. Congor, Liout.-Col.. ii. 90. Congrovo. Liout.-Gen. Sir Walter N., V.C.. K.C.H., M.V.O., i. 534, 535 ; ii. 206, 268. 407. , Lady. ii. 206. 211. 218. Connaught, H.R.H. Duko of. i. 412. 479. 487 ; ii. 12, 294, 295, 346, 474, 502. VOL. II. 20 556 THE FIRST WORLD WAR Connaught, H.R.H. Duchess of, i. 74, 479, 487. , Prince Arthur of, i. 237. , Princess Patricia of, ii. 7, 8, 12, 501, 518. Conner, Brig. -Gen. Fox, ii. 90, 489. , Colonel W., ii. 90. Constantino, H.M. the King of the Hellenes, i. 50, 173, 407 ; ii. 128, 407. Cook, Sir E. T., K.B.E., ii. 231, 306. Cooper, Mr. Alfred Duff, ii. 529. , Miss Gladys, i. 57. Cora, Signor, i. 57. Corbet, Sir Vincent, Bt., i. 64, 75. Corbett, Mr. Howard, i. 378, 433 ; ii. 188. Cornford, Mr. L. Cope, ii. 198. Cornwall, Major, i. 539 ; ii. 98, 99, 336, 347. Corvisart, General, ii. 369, 379. Cosson, M. de, ii. 49. Courtney, Lord, i. 90. Cowans, Lieut.-Gen. Sir John, G.C.M.G.,K.C.B.,etc.,i.23, 53, 58, 76, 77, 86, 89, 90, 98, 102, 104, 121, 182, 279, 280, 289, 293, 300, 327, 351, 360, 393, 397, 399, 400, 406, 408, 414, 422, 428, 445, 447, 452, 463, 482-3, 565, 666, 573, 577, 612, 614, 616 ; ii. 46, 63, 128, 139, 162, 259, 260, 261, 304, 305, 315, 317, 324, 354, 494, 501, 507. Cox, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Herbert V., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., C.S.I., ii. 50-2. , Lieut.-Col. P. G. A., i. 127, 349- 50. , Colonel, ii. 157, 336, 345, 347, 400. Cradock, Admiral, i. 47. Craig, Lieut.-Col. Sir James, Bt., M.P., and Lady, i. 604 ; ii. 181. Cravath, Mr. Paul D., ii. 306, 324, 333-5, 337, 443, 467, 468, 471-3. Craven, Earl of, ii. 482. Crawford, Earl of, i. 268, 666. Crawshay, Mrs., i. Ill ; ii. 143, 251. Creagh, General Sir O'Moore, V.C., G.C.B., etc., i. 607. Creel, Mr. George, ii. 468, 498. Crewe, Marquess of, i. 85, 87, 285, 381, 581 ; ii. 304, 322, 504. , Marchioness of, i. 381. Crichton, Mrs. Arthur, ii. 513, 515. Croft, Brig. -Gen. Henry Page, C.M.G., M.P., i. 471. Cromer, Earl of, i. 129, 383, 450 ; ii. 526. • , Countess of, ii. 626. Crosby, Mr. Sheldon S., ii. 484. Crosfield, Sir Arthur H. and Lady, ii. 137. I Crossley, Sir Savile, i. 145. Crowe, Sir Eyre, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., i. 88 ; ii. 25, 26, 463, 478, 542. , Brig.-Gren. John Henry V., C.B., i. 60, 162. Crown Prince of Germany, the, i. 130; ii. 345, 362, 464, 480, 482. i Croy, Prince, ii. 106. Crozier, General, ii. 254, 255. Cubitt, Sir Bertram, K.C.B., i. 37. Culme Seymour, Rear-Adm. Michael, C.B., M.V.O., ii. 415. Cunard, Lady, i. 54, 68, 70, 71, 178, 188, 189, 193, 194, 286, 297, 301, 312, 325, 326, 334, 335, 340, 342, 344, 366, 360, 369, 370, 375, 379, 404, 406, 411, 461, 468, 495, 507, 508, 613, 673, 575, 587, 604, 619 ; ii. 27, 28, 55, 133, 141, 178, 232, 258, 264, 267, 320, 345-7, 519-21, 524, 526, 527. , Ernest H., i. 201, 479, 572 ; ii. 267, 304, 324, 340, 341, 478, 507, 514, 516. Cuninghame, Lieut.-Col. Sir Thomas A. A. M., D.S.O., ii. 393. Cimningham, Sir Henry, K.C.I.E., and Lady, i. 299. Currie, Mr. Leo, i. 339. Curry, Mr. A. H., ii. 523. Curzon of Kedleston, Earl, K.G., G.C.S.L, etc., i. 39, 61, 64, 66, 72, 88, 89, 90, 107, 116, 119, 125, 181, 278, 286, 301, 327, 335, 353, 354, 397, 411, 418, 464, 510, 581 ; ii. 31, 50, 51, 60, 190, 236, 252, 259, 315, 320, 322, 503, 516. , Countess, i. 411, 473. , Viscountess, i. 334, 335, 566, 572 ; ii. 267, 294, 299, 327, 643. -, Hon. Frank, i. 286 ; ii. 328. — , Lady Irene, i. 89, 473. -, Mr. Richard, ii. 344. Cust, Lionel Henrv, C.V.O., etc., i. 286, 360, 404, 411, 447. Czernin, Count, ii. 210, 214, 221. D'Abernon, Lord, i. 64, 326, 331, 381, 397, 399, 462, 463. 612 ; ii. 131, 188, 232, 233, 306, 313, 521, 528. , Lady, i. 381, 397, 399, 462 ; ii. 137, 313, 314, 516, 528. Dalhousie, Countess of, ii. 479. NA^IE INDEX 557 Dall" Olio, General, i. 28r>, 321 ; ii. 46. t>2. Dalmenv, Lieut. -Col. Lord, D.S.O., M.C., M.P.. i. 2G9, 526, 528, 539 ; ii. 503. 506, 507, 515. Dalziel, Rt. Hon. Sir H. J., M.P., ii. 461. Dankl. General, i. 224. Darling, Sir Charles John (Rt. Hon. Mr. Justice), ii. 197. 198, 516. Daudet, M. Leon, ii. 77. David, A. J., K.C., i. 106, 127. Davids, Lord St.. i. 247. Davidson. Maj.-Gen. Sir John H., K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.. M.P., i. 535 ; ii. 84, 366, 367. Davies, Major David, M.P.. i. 558 ; ii. 127. 128, 242. , Lieut. -Gen. Sir F. J., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.. etc.. i. 82, 348 ; ii. 176. , Mr. J. T., C.B., i. 46, 52, 53. , Mr. Wilham H., i. 188, 189. Davignon. M., i. 289. Davis, H.E. John VV.. ii. 468. , Mr., i. 406; ii. 313. Dawnav, Major the Hon. Hugh, D.S.6., i. 28, 127. Dawson, Brig. -Gen. Sir Douglas, G.C.V.O., C.B., C.M.G., ii. 176, 629. , Lady, i. 301 ; ii. 529. , Geoffrey, i. 298 ; ii. 32, 34, 35, 106, 126, 129, 132, 133, 149, 152, 181, 187, 245, 284, 503. , Mr., ii. 523. Deacon, Miss Gladys, ii. 221. Debeney, General, ii. 358, 364, 473. De Brocqueville, M., i. 183. De Burgh, Lieut. -Col. T. J., ii. 532, 537. De Forest, Baron, ii. 32. , Baroness, i. 57, 566. Degoutte, General, ii. 461, 464. De Lalaing, M. and Mme., i. 491. Delcaase, M., i. 171 n., 173, 174. Delysia, Mme., i. 304. Demidoff, Prince de San Donate, i. 462. Denikin, General, ii. 513, 517, 522, 526. DeniHtoun, MrH., ii. 46, 139. Derby, Earl of, K.G., G.C.V.O., etc., i. 43, 56. 61, 64-7, 85, 86, 90, 95. 100, 101, 109, 113, 115, 135, 136, 145, 146, 275, 283, 290, 331, 345. 400, 404. 406, 408, 414, 419. 426, 428. 429. 434. 436, 441. 444. 446, 451, 458, 460, 468, 469. 471. 483, 513, 518, 574, 588, 600. 601 ; ii. 29, 101. 162. 166. 181, 198, 204, 225, 228-30, 238, 259, 270, 276. 280, 281, 285, 298, 299, 313, 366, 367, 368, 385. 400, 409, 455. 637. D'Erlanger, Baron Emile Beau- mont, ii. 217. , Baroness, i. 193. Dernburg, Count, i. 141. De Robeck, Vice-.A.dm. Sir John, Bt.. G.C.M.G.. K.C.B., i. 47. Derwent, Lord, i. 568. Desborough, Lord, K.C.V.O., etc., i. 347 ; ii. 277. , Lady, ii. 232. Dessier, Colonel, i. 156. Desshio, General, i. 439, 441, 442, 443, 444, 468. 491. 497, 500, 570. 576 ; ii. 37, 46. 47, 60, 106, 144, 145, 245, 246, 261. , the daughter of, i. 576. Deterling, M. ii. 295. Deuvign^, Colonel, i. 156. Deverell, Maj.-Gen. C. J., C.B.,ii. 535. Deville, General, ii. 378. Devlin, Mr. Joseph, M.P., i. 399. Devonshire, Dukeof, K.G., G.C. V.O., etc., i. 411. D'Eyncourt, Tennyson-, Sir E. H. W., K.C.B., i. 345 ; ii. 411, 412. Diaz, General, i. 226, 232, 233. 236 ; ii. 130, 160, 201, 358, 377, 403, 406, 416, 418, 421-6, 428, 429, 433, 437, 442. Dick, Colonel Sir Arthur, K.B.E., C.B., C.V.O., i. 115. Dickman, General, ii. 486. Dillon, Dr. E. J., i. 114, 124, 262, 574, 587 ; ii. 348. , John, M.P., i. 93, 483. , Major S., D.S.O., ii. 532. Dimitrieft, General Radko, i. 244 n., 389. Di Reval, Admiral, ii. 45. Di Robilant, General, i. 222, 223, 240. 247 ; ii. 426. Djemal. the Great, ii. 116. Dmowski. M. Roman, ii. 221, 226, 226. Dobell. Maj.-Gen. Sir Charles, K.C.B.. C..M.G.. D.S.O.. i. 511. Domvilo, Captain Barry E., C.M.G., R.N.. ii. 44. Donald. Mr. Robert, i. 136 ; ii. 278, 461. Doubleday, .Mr., ii. 499. , Mr. and Mrs. Felix, ii. 529. DouglaA. General Sir CharloH. i. 20, 22 : ii. 86. 558 THE FIRST WORLD WAR Doumergue, M., i. 445. Down, the Bishop of, ii. 495. Downshire, Marquess of, ii. 514, 523. , Evelyn, Marchioness of. i. 107 ; ii. 495, 508, 512, 514, 516, 523, 525. Doyle, Sir A. Conan, D.L., LL.D., ii. 292. Drexel, Mr., i. 88, 169, 203, 301 ; ii. 2, 3, 34. , Mrs., i. 88, 182, 203. Driant, Colonel, i. 216. Drogheda, Earl of, C.M.G., i. 107, 211, 343; ii. 267, 357, 465. , Counte.ss of, i. 57, 68, 343 ; ii. 137, 198, 232, 284, 267. 357, 465, 471. Drumm, Colonel, ii. 396. Drummond, Lady, ii. 252. Dubail, General, i. 166, 169 ; ii. 151. Du Cane, Lieut. -Gten. Sir John P., K.C.B., i. 76, 77, 94, 147, 286, 363, 524, 626 ; ii. 275, 340, 364, 373, 376, 378, 461. Du Cros, Sir Arthur P., Bt., M.P., i. 325, 337, 359, 375 ; ii. 320. , Lady, i. 359. Dudley, Earl of, i. 428, 450. Duff,GeneralSirBeauchamp,D.S.O., i. 198, 278, 280, 285, 317, 318, 605, 606. • , Lady Juliet (now Trevor), i. 103, 106, 188-90, 193, 381, 388, 447, 450, 487, 490, 619 ; ii. 7, 141, 166, 178, 234, 237, 242, 245, 284, 292, 300, 348, 470. -, Miss Veronica, ii. 141. Duf?erin and Ava, Marquess of, ii. 283, 304, 525, 526. — , Marchioness of, ii. 304, 525, 526. Duggan, Mrs. (now Countess Curzon of Kedleston), i. 55, 76, 98, 107, 108, 109, 120, 125, 279, 280, 286, 287, 326, 327, 335. Du Hamel, M. Jean, ii. 320, 345, 346, 354. Duke, Rt. Hon. Sir Henry, i. 381, 457, 602. Duncannon, Major Viscount, C.M.G., M.P., ii. 219. Dunlop, Captain, i. 415, 430. Dunraven, Earl of, i. 85. Dupont, General, i. 30, 153, 156, 219, 402, 501, 507, 557. D'Urbal, General, i. 49, 269. Durham, The Rt. Rev. Bishop Welldon, Dean of, ii. 399. Earle, Sir Lionel, K.C.B., C.M.G., i. 124, 126-7, 335, 408, 471, 567, 568 ; ii. 195, 201, 304, 310, 315, 317, 318, 322, 324, 474, 528. , Lieut.-Col. Maxwell, C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 124 ; ii. 318. -, Sirs. C. W., i. 126; ii. 8. Eberhardt, General von, ii. 367. Ebert, Herr, ii. 480. Ebury, Lady, ii. 526. Edward, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, K.G., i. 27, 28, 237 ; ii. 23, 220, 243, 418, 502, 507, 529. Edwards, Senor don Agustin, i. 604. Egerton, Maj.-Gen. Granville G. A., C.B., i. 188, 279 ; ii. 106. Eichhorn, General von, i. 245. Einem, General von, ii. 344. Eisner, Herr Kurt, ii. 500. Elcho, Lady, ii. 257, 337. Elles, Maj.-Gen. Sir Hugh Jamieson, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., ii. 460, 462, 529, 531. Elliott, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Edward Locke, K.C.B., K.C.LE., D.S.O., ii. 201, 282. , Miss Maxine, i. 201-3, 211,212, 307, 374, 375. Ellis, Sir Charles E., G.B.E., K.C.B., ii. 412. Ellison, Maj.-Gen. Sir Gerald, K.C.M.G., C.B., ii. 485. Elsie, Miss Lily, ii. 162. Enkel, Colonel, i. 243, 244, 256, 282 ; ii. 417, 430, 517. Epstein, Mr. Jacob, ii. 6. Erzberger, Herr, ii. 479. Esher, Viscount, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., etc., i. 3, 4, 5, 11, 216, 217, 218, 220, 252, 254, 258, 540, 550, 557 ; ii. 68, 528. , Viscoiuitess, i. 218. Essex, Earl of, i. 203, 345, 536. , Adela, Countess of, i. 116, 203, 282, 345, 487, 495, 496, 613 ; ii. 7, 86, 97, 106, 145, 188, 232, 316, 344. Etienne, M., i. 6. Eugenie, H.I.M. the Empress, i. 492-3 ; ii. 255. Evert, General, i. 79, 225, 245 n., 257. Ewart, Lieut. -Gen. Sir J. Spencer, K.C.B., i. 14, 82, 105, 110, 604. Fabbri, General, ii. 426. Fabricotti, Countess, i. 360. Fabry, Lieut.-Col., ii. 386. I NAME INDEX 559 Fagalde, Colonel, i. 1G6 ; ii. 2. 58. 59, 63. 04, 1)5, 92. 107, 137, 148, 150, 151, 152. 102, 188, 241, 265, 279, 298. Fairbairn, Mr., i. 301, 508. Fairfax, Lord, i. 335. , Miss. i. 391. Falconer, Captain Lord, i. 83. Falkenhavn, General von, i. 131, 138, 319, 340, 354, 392 ; ii. 01. 115. 154, 155. Falmouth, Viscountes-s, i. 290. Fanshawe, Lieut. -Gten. Sir E. A., K.C.B., i. 525. Farquhar, Viscount, i. 473 ; ii. 482, 521. . Viscountess, i. 508. 521. Farquhai-son. Joseph, R.A.. ii. 322. Faueher, Commandant, i. 157, 158. Faustina. Princess, ii. 444. Fauthier, M., i. 389. FayoUe, General, ii. 205. 309. Feilding, Lady Dorothie, i. 34. Fellowes. Captain the Hon. Reginald A., ii. 374, 472, 478. Fenton. Mr., i. 342. Fenwick. Mr. Mark, i. 390. Ferdinand, Tsar of Bulgaria, i. 317, 404 ; ii. 449. Fergusson, Lieut. -Gen. Sir C, Bt., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.. etc., ii. 533-7. Ferry, General, ii. 372. Feversham. Earl and Countess of, i. 371 ; ii. 141. Fiastri, Col.-Brig., i. 242, 243. Fielding. Mrs., ii. 323. Fiennes, Mr. Gerard, i. 378. Fingali, Countess of, i. 410, 411 ; ii. 217. Finlay. Major, ii. 410. Firminger, Mr., ii. 165. Fisher, Rt. Hon. Herbert .\. L., i. 305 ; ii. 527. , .Vdmiral of the Fleet Lord, G.C.B., O.M., etc., i. 3, 4. 5, 11, 12. 14, 47, 192. -, Mr., ii. 518. 519. Flanagan. Mr., i. 325. Fleming. Mr. Robert, i. 299, 300. Fletclior. Lieut. -Col. Alan F..D.S.O., M.V.O.. i. 535 ; ii. 101, 303, 400. Floriau. M.. i. 289. Foch. Marslial. i. 31, 49. 155, 100. 175, 219. 253. 259. 2(')3. 209, 270, 271. 283. 284. 331, 345, 303, 555, 550, 558, 507, 571, 574, 585, 580, 589, 590 : ii. 38, 56, 58, 59. 64, 65, 60. 67. 73. 74. 80. 100. 105. 108, 129. 130. 132. 145, 150, 159, 102. 178, 179. 190, 203, 204, 207, 208. 209, 210. 222. 223. 239. 240, 250, 200, 201. 203. 260, 267, 275, 276, 279. 280. 283. 297, 303, 314. 317, 321, 331, 335, 330, 339. 340, 345, 346. 350. 358, 301. 304. 309. 370. 371, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379. 381. 382, 387, 405, 400, 408, 410, 411. 418. 419, 421, 423, 424, 429, 430, 433, 438, 449, 452. 454, 457, 458, 459, 401, 473, 474, 476, 478, 479, 483, 480, 489, 492, 537, 538, 539. 540, 541, 546. Forbes, Lady Angela, i. 176. Forbes-Robertson, Sir Johnston, Kt.. i. 202, 211-12. FJtzGerald, Colonel O. ,1.22,211,213. , Lieut. -Col. Brinsley, C. B., i. 27, 37, 88, 97, 182, 294, 295 ; ii. 38. , Hon. Evelyn, i. 327, 487 ; ii. 60, 128. 143. , Captain Sir John, Bt., Knight of Kerry, .M.C., ii. 467. . Lieut. -Col. G. J.. C.V.O., ii. 292. FitzG31. Gordon, G.C.S.I., E.. K.C.. M.P Hewett, Sir John K.B.E., i. 436. Hickman, Brig.-Gen. Thomas C.B.. D.S.O.. M.P., i. 508. HieUl. Mr., ii. 296. Higgins, Mr. Cecil, i. 289, 327 ; ii. 412. . Mrs. Cecil, i. 193, 194, 447, 503 ; ii. 237. , Henry V., C.V.O., i. 124. 409 ; ii. 294, 295. 411, 412, 524. , Mrs. Henry, i. 83, 116, 124, 125. 199, 409, 411, 477 ; ii. 125, 294, 295. , Captain Kuport, ii. 184. , Mrs. Rupert, i. 389. 497. 574, 575. 578 ; ii. 6, 125. 322. Hilmi. Abba8, ii. 73. 564 THE FIRST WORLD WAR Hindenburg, Generalfeldmarschall von, i. 136, 138, 140, 219, 308, 319, 323, 324, 325, 329, 335, 345, 353, 373, 380, 404, 410, 426, 464, 501, 502, 539, 554 ; ii. 273, 522, 544. Hinds, Mr., i. 194. Hines, Colonel, ii. 95. Hintz, Herr von, ii. 401. Hoare, Lieut.-Col. Sir Samuel J. G., Bt., C.M.G., ii. 448. Hoeppner, General von, i. 537. Hofberg, Countess, i. 74. Hogg, Mr. Jefferson, ii. 277. Holderness, Sir Thomas W., G.C.B., K.C.S.I., i. 602. Holford, Lieut.-Col. Sir George L., K.C.V.O., C.I.E., and Lady, i. 338 ; ii. 482. Holland, Sir Thomas H., K.C.S.I., etc., ii. 114. , Lieut. -Gen. Sir A. E. A., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.,D.S.O.,M.V.O., i. 269. HoUway, Mr. Robin, ii. 448. Holman, Maj.-Gen. H. C, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., ii. 366. Hone, Captain Nathaniel, ii. 388, 389, 399. Hoover, Mr. Herbert Clark, ii. 534. Hope, Lady, ii. 482. Hore-Ruthven, Brig. -Gen. the Hon. W. P., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 266. Home, General Lord, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., i. 531, 533; ii. 100, 358, 364, 365, 374, 489. Horner, Sir John F. F., K.C.V.O., i. 126, 576. , Lady, i. 27, 125, 126, 388, 476, 576 ; ii. 515. -, Lieutenant, i. 27, 54. Hoskins, Captain, ii. 184. House, Colonel, i. 124, 141 ; ii. 140, 141, 147, 468. , Mrs., i. 124. Howard-Vyse, Brig. -Gen. R. G. H., C.M.G., D.S.O., ii. 116. Hudson, Mr. Edward, ii. 341. , Sir Robert A., G.B.E., ii. 304. Hughes, Evan, C.B.E., M.A., i. 145. , Lieut.-Gen. Hon. Sir Sam, K.C.B., M.P., i. 347. , Rt. Hon. WilUam Morris, M.P., ii. 328, 442. -, Mr., i. 309, 310. Hull, Maj.-Gen. Sir Charles P. A., K.C.B., i. 422, 423 ; ii. 163, 164, 535. Hulton, Sir Edward, ii. 345. Humbert, General, i. 153, 157 ; ii. 358. , Mr. Charles, i. 557. Humi^res, Captain d', i. 163. Hunter, Brig. -Gen. A. J., C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 110. , Lieut.-Col. F. Frazer, D.S.O., ii. 513, 515. -, Mrs. Charles, i. 301 ; ii. 499. Hughes - Buller, Mr. Ralph B., CLE., i. 300, 301. Huguet, Major (later General), i. 2- 6, 10-14, 499. Hunter-Weston, Lieut.-Gen. Sir Aylmer, K.C.B., D.S.O., M.P., i. 262, 266, 267, 268 ; ii. 212, 527. Huntingdon, Countess of, ii. 341. Hunyadi, Count, ii. 220. Hutchison, Maj.-Gen. Sir Robert, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., ii. 203, 205, 208, 356, 466. , Lady, ii. 356, 466. Hutier, General von, ii. 224, 268. Huysmans, M., ii. 293. Hymans, M. Paul, i. 288. Ignatieff, Colonel, i. 220. Ilchester, Earl of, i. 106, 314, 412, 616 ; ii. 4, 130, 235. , Countess of, i. 616 ; ii. 4, 499. ImperiaH, H.E. the Marquis, i. 75, 129, 335, 410, 612, 613; ii. 28, 31, 293, 334, 491, 492. , Marchesa, i. 75, 129, 410, 612 ; ii. 28, 31, 334. Inagaki, General, i. 432, 437-9, 469, 470, 477. Ingestre, Viscount, ii. 323. , Viscountess (now Lady Winifred Pennoyer), i. 616 ; ii. 144. Ingram, Mr., ii. 508. Innes-Ker, Lieut.-Col. Lord Alas- tair R., D.S.O., ii. 143, 144. , Lady Alastair, i. 368, 566 ; ii. 143, 144. Islington, Lord, G.C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 301, 334, 400, 401, 457, 585, 602, 603, 619 ; ii. 2, 7, 27, 233, 257, 346. , Lady, i. 1, 301, 327, 331, 334, 400, 578, 585, 600, 602, 603 ; ii. 2 7 126 143 346. Isvolsky,"M., i. 'l73, 174, 253, 509. Italy, H.M. the King of, i. 233-5 ; ii. 428, 429, 491. Izzat Pasha, ii. 476, 477. na:\ie index 565 Jackson% Sir C\Til, K.B.E.. i. 290, 300. , Admiral of the Fleet Sir H. B., G.C.B.. K.C.V.O., i. 50. 02, 392, 394. , Prof. Herbert, i. 386. Jacob, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Claud W., K.C.B.. K.C.M.G., ii. 535. Jaffray, Captain, i. 116. James, Colonel, ii. 513. , Mrs. Artluir. i. 75, 95, 404, 479, 578*; ii. 277, 304, 310, 482, 507. -, Miss Julia, i. 602. 603. Jameson, Rt. Hon. Sir Starr, i. 279, 280. Janin, General, i. 156. Jellicoe, Admiral of the Fleet Vis- count, G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., i. 132, 280, 295, 311, 393, 394, 415, 418, 419, 430, 495, 552, 558, 560, 561, 579 ; ii. 4, 16, 140, 143, 157, IGO. 171, 188, 189, 190. 191, 205, 234, 240, 241, 264, 284, 407, 414, 511. , Viscountess, i. 495. Jenkins, Rt. Hon. SirL. H., K.C.I.E., and Lady, i. 389. , Surgeon-General, i. 290. Jenner, Lieut. -Col. Albert Victor, C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 127. Jeudwine, Maj.-Gen. Sir Hugh S., K.C.B.. ii. 536. Joffre, Marshal, i. 25, 28-30, 49, 50, 52, 54, 59, 62, 75, 80, 86, 89, 100, 117, 119, 133, 134, 143, 144, 152, 153, 156, 157, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170. 177, 180, 186, 187, 189, 190, 196, 197, 198 n., 206, 216, 226, 255, 350, 358, 378, 383, 392, 405, 408, 409, 415, 421, 433, 445, 487, 488, 499, 515, 542, 544, 545, 546, 549, 556, 562 n., 582, 583, 585, 586, 587 ; ii. 2, 56, 57, 59, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 84, 91, 93, 143, 150, 160, 216, 221, 250, 267, 540. Johnstone, Major, ii. 348, 391. , Hon. Sir Alan V.-B., G.C.V.O., i. 375, 424, 437, 459, 463, 473 ; ii. 68, 77, 106, 280, 319, 345. , Hon. Lady, i. 65, 69, 289, 375, 424, 459, 463, 495, .503, 510, 565, 566, 575 ; ii. 106. 280, 345, 346, 412, 456. , Mr., ii. 45. Jonghe, General Count de, i. 491, 492, 510, 511. 605 ; ii. 345, 351. Juscph, the Archduko. ii. 435. ■ , Ferdinand, Archduke, i. 233. Jovnson-Hicks, Sir William, Bt., M.P., i. 406; ii. 152. JoJ^^son-Hicks, Ladj% ii. 152. Jiingbluth, General, i. 216. Kahn, Mr. Otto H., ii. 302, 306. , Miss, ii. 313. 314. Kaiser Wilholm 11., H.LM. i. 3, 18. 124. 130, 172 n., 199, 216. 281, 319, 336, 343, 415, 424, 441, 500, 568 ; ii. 23, 24, 74, 126, 214, 272, 305, 313, 346, 384, 464, 479, 480, 481, 482, 492, 520. Kaledin, General, i. 245 n. ; ii. 47, 142. Karl, H.I.M. Emperor, ii. 210, 274, 435, 463. Karolyi, Count, ii. 512. Kavanagli, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Charles T. M., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O., etc., ii. 163, 164. Kay-Shuttleworth, Mrs., ii. 34. Keane, Miss Doris, i. 57, 68, 109, 116, 188, 322, 355, 356, 376, 508. 615 ; ii. 6, 48, 129, 480, 517. Kellett, Commander, R.N., ii. 18. Keltie, Sir John Scott, LL.D., F.R.G.S., F.S.A., i. 36. Kemball, :\laj.-Gen. Sir G. V., K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., i. 444, 445. Kemp, Hon. Sir A. Edward, K.C.M.G., ii. 357. Kempster, Brig.-Gen. F. J., D.S.O., i. 128. Kenley, Colonel, ii. 87. Kennalley, Mr. John, ii. 48. Kennedy, Maj.-Gen., ii. 514. , Lieut.-Col. T. F., i. 128, 129, 401. Kenny, Colonel, ii. 385. Kent, Sir Stephenson H., K.C.B., i. 363. Kentish, Brig.-Gen. R. J., C.M.G., D.S.O., ii. 202, 204, 412. Kenyon, Maj.-Gen. E. R., C.B., C.M.G., i. 526. Keogh, Sui-g.-G«n. Sir A., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., i. 290. Keppel, Admiral Sir Colin R., K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O., C.B., D.S.O., ii. 516. , Lady. ii. 505, 516. , Hon. Sir Derek, G.C.V.O., C.M.G.. ii. 322. , Hon. Geo., M.V.O., i. 314 ; ii. 322, 324, 529. , Hon. Mrs. George, i. 92, 94, 102, 103. 105. 114. 195. 196. 199, 314, 406, 412, 413, 431, 436-8, 566 THE FIEST WORLD WAR 473-9, 495, 496, 572, 574, 575, 590; ii. 107, 130, 183, 195, 201, 232, 235, 315, 324-5, 334, 340, 482, 499, 502, 503, 507, 527. Keppel, Miss Sonia, i. 314, 413 ; ii. 183, 344, 467, 469, 529. , Miss Violet, i. 106, 314, 412, 437, 575, 581 ; ii. 183, 515. Kerensky, M., ii. 37, 47, 78, 130, 354 355. Kerr, Mr. Philip, ii. 147, 148. Kerr-Clark, Miss, i. 604 ; ii. 137, 324, 345, 348. , Mr., ii. 2, 3, 27. Kerry, Countess of, ii. 514. Keyes, Vice-Adm. Sir Roger B., Bt., K.C.B., K.C.V.O., etc., ii. 280, 286-91, 297, 300, 307, 465. Kiggell, Lieut. -Gen. Sir L. E., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., i. 61, 93, 100, 265, 266, 421, 449, 534, 535, 539 ; ii. 101-4, 146, 173, 365. Kilmorey, Countess of, i. 600. Kincaid-Smith, Col. K. J., C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 73. King, H.M. the, i. 52, 56, 69, 370, 382, 414, 419, 436, 479, 526 ; ii. 130. 176, 260, 327, 328, 470, 502, 511. King, Newton, K.M., ii. 454. Kiphng, Mr. Rudyard, ii. 298. Kitchener of Khartoum, Field- Marshal Earl, K.G., K.P., etc., i. 20-22, 26, 29, 30, 34, 35, 37, 41, 43, 46-8, 50-2, 54, 60, 63-9, 72, 76-8, 81-3, 86, 91-3, 95, 96, 97-101, 104, 105, 107, 110, 111, 113, 115, 117-19, 127, 128, 133, 136, 138, 140, 147, 152, 168, 170, 171 n., 173, 178, 186, 187, 192, 198, 204, 211, 212, 213, 215, 217, 277, 291, 294, 303, 317, 318, 319, 325, 350, 351, 364, 387, 432, 450, 451, 461, 533, 581, 607, 610, 612, ; ii. 14, 21, 51, 53, 176, 178, 194, 195, 272, 278, 285, 510, 524, 528. Kitson, Maj. - Gen. Sir Gerald Charles, K.C.V.O., C.B., C.M.G., i. 289, 383, 459. , Lady, i. 289, 612. Klembovsky, General, ii. 47. KnatchbuU-Hugessen, Captain the Hon. M. H. R., M.C., i. 531. Knebworth, Viscount, ii. 50. Knight, Mrs. Laura, A.R.W.S., R B O ii 7 Knox, Maj. -Gen. Sir Alfred, K.C.B., C.M.G., i. 95 ; ii. 37. , Mr. Gordon, ii. 202. Knox, Maj. -Gen. Sir A. WiUiam F., K.C.B., C.M.G., i. 128. Koltchak, Admiral, ii. 522, 526. Konrad von Hoetzendorff, General, i. 226, 230, 233, 239. Kornilofi, General, i. 608 ; ii. 37, 46-50, 355. Kovess, General, i. 224. Kressenstein, General Kress von, i. 512; ii. 116, 154, 155. Kiihlmann, Herr von, i. 65, 199, 433 ; ii. 200, 247, 295. Kuropatkin, General, i. 225, 244 n. Kyasht, Lydia (Madame Ragosin), i. 58, 59, 94, 125, 356 ; ii. 48-50. Kyllmann, Mr. O., i. 386 ; ii. 6, 239. Lacaze, Admiral, i. 544. Laderchi, General Ruggeri, i. 241. Lahovary, H.E. M., Mme., and daughters, i. 254. Lake, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Percy H. N., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., i. 105, 116, 180, 187, 207, 594. Lalaing, Count and Countess de, i. 491. Lambert, Rt. Hon. George, M.P., ii. 278. Lambourne, Lord, ii. 292. Lambton, Hon. George, ii. 304. , Maj. - Gen. the Hon. Sir WilHam, K.C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O., i. 27, 540 ; ii. 143. Lamington, Lord, G.C.M.G., G.C.I.E., ii. 165, 235, 304. — , Lady, ii. 165, 304. Lamsdorff, Count, ii. 47. I Langdon, Father Philip, ii. 31, 371, 372, 432, 441, 447, 449, 451. Lansbury, Mr. George, M.P., ii. 242. Lansdowne, Marquess of, K.G., etc., i. 2, 4, 13, 66, 104, 181,217; ii. 25, 143, 144, 149. Lara, Isidore de, i. 513. Larking, Captain Dennis, C.M.G., R.N., i. 248, 310; ii. 433, 434. Lascelles, Lieut. -Colonel Viscount, D.S.O., i. 491, 495; ii. 260. , Captain the Hon. Edward C, D.S.O., ii. 147. -, Hon. Mrs. E. C, ii. 147, 251. j Lassiter, Colonel, i. 448. Laszlo de Lombos, Mr. PhiUp A., H.R.B.A., R.S.P.P., i. 92, 108, 211, 282, 375, 595, 620, 621 ; ii. 6, 32, 45, 58, 108, 109, 300. Laubart, Mme. Chasseloup, ii. 306. NA]\IE INDEX 567 Laughlin, Mr. Irwin B., i. 4S7 ; ii. 519. 520. . Mrs., i. 487 ; ii. 519. Laverv, Sir John. Kt.. A.R.A., etc., i. 179, 279. 287. 343. 410 ; ii. 283. 501. . Ladv. i. 179. 279. 410, 567, 614 ; ii. 243. 283. 501. Lavisse, M. Ernest, ii. 414. Law. Rt. Hon. Andrew Bonar. M.P., i. 38, 39. 69. 102. 121. 122. 132. 133. 145. 187, 403. 406. 431. 454. 461, 464. 485 ; ii. 152, 242, 256, 261, 276. 296-8. 318, 322. 450, 455. 459. 468, 482. Lawford. Maj.-Gen. Sir S. T. B., K.C.B.. ii. 202. 532. Lawrence, General the Hon. Sir Herbert A.. K.C.B., i. 382 ; ii. 159, 173. 174, 251, 363. 364. 365, 367, 460, 461, 462. , Colonel, ii. 471. . Sir Walter R., Bart.. G.C.I. E., G.C.V.O., C.B.. i. 218. Lawson, Lieut. -Gen. Sir Henry M., K.C.B., i. 110. 179. 487, 488; ii. 128. , Captain Robert N., C.B.. R.N.. i. 381. Lavcock, Brig.-G«n. Sir Joseph F., k.C.M.G., D.S.O., ii. 184. 276. Lazzarini. Lieutenant, i. 220. 251. Learovd. Mr., ii. 198, 319. Ledochow.sky, Count W. L.. ii. 210, 211. 371, 445. Lee. Sir Arthur H. (now Lord), G.B.E.. K.C.B.. i. 64, 65. 67, 285. 309. 319. 339. 340. 341. 342, 381. 382. 454. Leeds, the Duke of. ii. 499. . Mrs. W. B. (afterwards H.R.H. Princess Christopher), i. 62. 63. 68. 71. 78. 80, 87, 89, 92, 153, 156. 169. 174. 203. 292, 293, 294. 300, 301. 304. 309. 310, 311, 327, 331, 403, 406, 411, 413, 424, 433, 435, 438, 449, 459, 473, 476, 541, 550, 552, 559, 576. 578, 587, 590, 593, 614, 616 ; ii. 27, 32, 34, 37. 86, 97, 339. 368, 373, 383, 384, 387, 402, 407, 414, 456, 543. -, William, i. 71, 559. 252, 281. Leicester, Countess of, i. 279, 290. I>eipzig, Colonel von, and wife, i. 18 ; ii. 126. Leishman, Mr. John G. A., and Mrs., i. 106. Leith, Lord, of Fyvie, J. P., D.L., i. 476. Leith. Lady. i. 473. 476. Leitrim. Earl of. ii. 300. Leman. Cxeneral. ii. 220. 221. 225. Lequio, General, i. 231. 232. 240-2. Le Roy-Lewis. Colonel Herman, C.B..'C.M.G.. D.S.O.. i. 153. 156. 1(>6. 169. 170. 218. 252. 253. 303. 540. 541. 548. 550. 551. 557. 558 ; ii. 65. 68, 72, 74, 77, 202, 211, 213. 217. 218. 220, 221, 22.5. 226. 242. 368. 400. 407. 409. 411. 412. 416. . Mrs., i. 153. 156. 170. 253. Lesch. General, i. 245. Leschitsky. General, i. 245 »i. Leslie. Colonel Sir John. Bt., i. 593. . Sir John. Bt., i. 111. , Lady Constance, i. 111. . Lady, i. 70, 74, 126. 281, 282, 378, 388. 400. 404, 479, 507, 510, 575, 593; ii. 133, 143, 243, 251, 294, 312, 343. , Mr. Sidney, i. 388. , Mr. Stephen, ii. 497. Letellier, Mme., i. 551. Leveson-Gower. Lady Alistair St. C. Sutherland-, ii. 402. Lady Rosemary (now Vis- countess Ednam), ii. 372. Ley, Mrs., i. 89. Lichnowskv, Prince, i. 433 ; ii. 293, 491. Liebknecht, Herr. ii. 493. j Limburg-Stirum, Count, i. 88. Lindsay, Judge, and Mrs., ii. 264, 267. ■ , Mrs., i. 452, 476, 498, 604. j , Miss, i. 102 ; ii. 144. I Lipsett, General, ii. 218. Lister-Kaye, Sir John, Bt., D.L., i. 573 ; ii. 505, 513, 516. , Lady, ii. 505, 513, 516. Little, Captain Charles James C, C.B.. R.N., ii. 19. Litvinov, General, i. 245. Loch. Maj.-Gen. Lord, C.B.. C.M.G.. M.V.O.. i. 28 ; ii. 341. . Lady. i. 460. Logio. Mr., i. 389. Loisy, M., ii. 69. Lomhardi. General, i. 242. Lcjiidon, Bishop of, ii. 238. Londondi. 177. 195, 198, 201, 234, 237, 244, 2,-)4, 281, 293, 302, 315, 323. 333. 335, 348, 465, 513, 514. 527. 543. Paget, Admiral Sir Alfred. K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O., ii. 198. , Captain Arthur (Jeorgo, i. 59, 76, 80. 293, 311, 343, 369. 397, 406 ; ii. 55. , Sir Ralph Spencer, K.C.M.G., C.V.O.. i. 102. 435. , Ladv (Ralph), G.B.E., ii. 55, 435. . Captain Wvndhani Reginald, i. 59, 76, 80. 147, 293, 311, 343, 369, 397, 406, 587 ; ii. 55. 313. Pain. Brig.-Gcn. Sir George Hacket, K.B.E., C.B., i. 281, 426 ; ii. 166. Paine, Major, ii. 465. . Maj.-Gen. Sii' Godfrey M., K.C.B., M.V.O., ii. 320, 330, 478. , Ladv (Godfrey), ii. 478. Painleve, M., i. 133. 48S, 514, 540, 541, 542, 544, 545, 550, 551, 553 n., 558, 559, 690 ; ii. 56, 58, 59, 65, 68, 69. 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 80. 83, 100, 105, 108. 206, 207, 215. 219, 242. 387, 401. Pakenliam. Vice-Adm. Sir Wni. C, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., L 209; ii. 22. 23. Pallavicino, Captain Count Vicino, i. 620 ; ii. 31, 33, 40, 48. Pams, M.. ii. 382. Panouse, General tlie Vicomte de la, i. 80, 208, 289, 332, 338. 434, 445, 446, 619 ; ii. 195, 196, 369. I'appenlieim, Countess, i. 610 ; ii. 527. J^arker, Mr., i. 433. , Colonel, i. 474. , Rt. Hon. Sir Gilbert, Bt., i. 142 ; ii. 152. Patton. Cajitain, ii. 87. I'aulton, Mr. Harry, ii. 141. I'avlova, Mine., ii. 7. Pavlovitch, Grand Duke Dmitri, ii. an, 525. T'eacock, Mr. H. E., ii. 490. I'earwon, Sir .\rthur, Bt., G.B.E., ii. 238. Peel, Viscount, B.G.E., ii. 7, 235, 262, 353, 482, 516. , Lady Delia, ii. 502. , Hon. A. George V., M.P., ii. 366, 357, 505, 51.3. , Ladv .Agnes, ii. 356. V<'\\6, General, i. 163. 164, 166, 167, 218, 219, 256, 378, 402, 409 ; ii. 265, 269. Pembroke, Countess of, C.B.E., i. 01, 73. 14,5. 182, 293, 337, 381. 390, 397, 412. 447, 452, 490, 536, 616; ii. 49. 60. 62, 141, 142. 14-1, 199, 232. 242, 243, 245, 348, 400, 497, 501. , Lieut. -Col. the Earl of,M.V.O., 73. 145, 147, 381, 447, 452, 530, 613; ii. 62. 141. 142, 199, 242, 243. 245, 278. 400. 401. 402, 497. Pennoyer, Mr. Richard E.. i. 616. Penrhyn, Colonel Lord. i. 338. Pernot, Lieutenant, i. 153, 156, 157, 158, 163. 169, 188, 253, 256, 258, 316, 387, 388, 389, 499. 507, 551, 585. 586. 587 ; ii. 69. 359. Perrere, MM., ii. 382, 384. Pershing, General John J., G.C.B., i. 582, 583, 584, 585 ; ii. 3, 56. 58, 59, 72, 86, 87, 88, 89. 90, 91. 92, 93, 94, 96. 101, 103, 104, 147. 175, 196, 209. 227, 303. 334, 335. 336, 338, 353, 358, 363, 364, 368, 371, 379, 380. 388, 389, 390, 391. 394, 396, 398. 403, 459, 470, 472, 473, 487, 543. 545, 546, 547. P6tain, Marshal, i. 153. 155, 157, 158, 159, 160, 253, 514, 517, 640, 541, 542, 543, 544-7, 548. 549, 550, 551, 552, 553, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 502 ti., 567, 583, 585. 589, 590, 612, 618, 619 ; ii. 14. 28, 33, 40, 50, 56, 57. 58, 59, 61, 68, 69, 72, 74, 79. 80, 81, 82, 83, 84. 85. 86, 91, 93. 98, 101, 103, 107, 132, 150, 158, 159, 162, 168, 173. 175, 178, 193, 194, 196, 203, 204. 207. 221. 222. 223, 225, 239, 249 >!., 250, 252, 257, 263, 265, 266, 268, 336, 338, 346, 368. 371, 373. 378. 379, 380, 381, 382, 385, 387, 397, 429, 486, 539, 540, 541. Peto, Captain Ralph, i. 85. , Mrs., i. 85, 102. 125, 194; ii. 130, 241, 519, 52'.>. Pevton, Muj.-Geii. Sir William Eliot, k.C.B., K.C.V.O., D.S.O., ii. 535. Phillip.-i. Colonel George Eraser, C.B., C..M.G.. ii. 47, 48. Phipps. Mrs., i. 193, 389. , .Mr. Eric, i. 25(). Piacentini, General, i. 240, 241. Pichon, M., ii. 369, 385, 493, 509. I'ic.it. -M.. ii. 471. ricquart. .M.. ii. 543. Pilchi-r, -Maj.-Gon. Thomaa David, C.B.. i. 393. 574 THE FIRST WORLD WAR Pitt-Taylor, Colonel W. W.. C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 524. Piatt, Mr. Comyn T., ii. 139, 527. Plumer, Field-Marshal Lord, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., i. 271, 575, 581, 603, G06 ; ii. 50, 54, 55, 99, 100, 132, 133, 162, 201, 234, 275, 281, 291, 297, 341, 464, 486, 489, 525. Plunkett, Count, i. 451. , Rt. Hon. Sir Horace C, K.C.V.O., etc., ii. 277, Pobiedonotseff, M., i. 496. Poincare, President, i. 544, 562 ; ii. 73, 84, 224, 242, 313. Poklevsky, M., ii. 499, 543. Polignac, Vicomte de, i. 165 ; ii. 396. Polivanoff, M., i. 148. Pollen, Lieut.-Col. S. H., C.M.G., ii. 8, 9. Ponsoriby, Rt. Hon. Sir Frederick E. G., K.C.B., K.C.V.O., i. 73, 74, 114, 123, 203, 409, 482, 488, 572 ; ii. 258, 469, 476, 492, 505. , Lady, i. 114, 123, 203, 505. Poole, Mr. R., ii. 230, 233, 344. Porch, Mr. Montagu, ii. 312. Porro, General, i. 229, 230, 231 ; ii. 33. Portal, Lieut.-Col. Wyndham R., D.S.O., i. 101. Portarlington, Countess of, i. 292. Portman, Mrs., i. 72. Portsmouth, Earl of, i. 508. Portugal, H.M. King Manuel of, i. 29, 288, 302, 343 ; ii. 13, 489, 490, 504. , H.M. Queen Amelia of, i. 343 ; ii. 253. Powerscourt, Viscoiintess, i. 446. Poynder, Hon. Joan, i. 567, 602, 603 ; ii. 7, 232, 345, 346. Pratab Singh, General Sir, G.C.B., G.C.S.L, G.C.V.O., i. 525. Pratt, Brig. -Gen. E. St. George, C.B., D.S.O., i. 269. , Mr., i. 127. Prescott, Sir Geo., Bt., i. 461. Primrose, Hon. Neil, ii. 156. Pringle, W. M. R., M.P., ii. 140, 482. Pritchard, Brig.-Gen., ii. 321. Prothero, Dr. George W., M.A., Litt.D., Hon. LL.D., etc., and Mrs., i. 289, 576. , Rowland Edmund, M.V.O., M.P., ii. 252. Prud'homme, Commandant, i. 175, 176. Pulteney, Lt.-Gen. Sir William P.. K.C.B., K.C.M.G.. K.C.V.O., D.S.O., i. 260-2, 525 ; ii. 158, 162, 163, 471. , Lady, ii. 158, 162, 163, 471. QuARTERMAiNE, Mr. Leon, ii. 517. Quast, General von, ii. 271, 367. Queen, Her Majesty the, i. 57. 109, 307; ii. 502, 511. Queenborough, Lord, ii. 258, 283, 284, 353, 513. Radcliffe, Brig. -General Charles Delme, C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O.. i. 210, 214, 221, 222, 223, 224, 229, 231, 233, 243, 248, 249, 250, 282, 283, 286 ; ii. 109, 416. , Maj.-Gen. P. de B., C.B., D.S.O., i. 532 ; ii. 281. Raddatz, General, i. 598. - Radkievic, General, i. 245 n. Radziwill, Prince and Princess, i. 593, 604, 612 ; ii. 2, 221. Raemakers, Dr. Louis, i. 574. Ragosa, General, i. 245 n. Ragosin, Captain, i. 59 ; ii. 49. Ramsey, Lord de, ii. 304, 479. , Lady de, ii. 478-9. Ranken, Mr., ii. 6. Raouf Bey, ii. 477. Rasputin, i. 94, 125 ; ii. 514. Rawlinson, General Lord, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., K.C.M.G., i. 20, 82, 104, 254, 256, 259, 260, 261, 270, 308, 393, 423, 523, 524, 608 ; ii. 55, 80, 132, 202, 260, 317, 352, 358, 366, 367, 407, 465, 486, 489, 525. Rayleigh, Lord, J. P., D.C.L., etc., and Lady, i. 132. R6ache, M. Gerville, ii. 460. Read, Major, ii. 390. Reading, Earl of, G.C.B., K.C.V.O., i. 212 ; ii. 284, 378, 381, 382. 412, 529. , Countess of, ii. 326, 529. Redmond, John, M.P., i. 444. Reich, Dr., i. 33. Reid, Mrs. Whitelaw, i. 275, 309, 310, 572, 573 ; ii. 204. Reinach, M. Joseph, i. 253, 551. Renault, MM., i. 552. Renouard, Colonel, i. 156, 545. Reuter, Mr., i. 476. Reventlow, Count, i. 324. Rhondda, Viscount, ii. 45, 106, 107, 147, 240, 252, 328. Ribblesdale, Lord, i. 88, 107, 203, 452 ; ii. 144, 235, 316, 513, 528, 530. NAME INDEX 575 Ribot. M.. i. 417, 482. 514. 541, 544, 548. 550. 558, 562 «.. 574, 586 ; ii. 76. 77. 214. Ricardo, Colonel, ii. 333. Richardson, Lieut. -G^n. Sir George Lloyd ReUv, K.C.B.. CLE., i. 281 ; ii. 166. , Ladv Constance Stewart-, i. 410. Richthoven, Baron von. ii. 280. Ridley, Rosamund. Viscountess, i. 56. 80, 85. 275. 355, 368. 402, 409, 413. 441, 450, 473, 492, 495, 570, 575, 587. 592. 600. 612. 613 ; ii. 2. 3. 36, 127. 128. 141. 151, 177. 232. 244, 245. 316, 318. 479, 629. Rigden, Mrs., ii. 316. 327. Ripon, Marquess of, G.C.V.O., i. 80, 370. 399, 406 ; ii. 126. . Marchioness of. i. 80, 103, 279, i 370. 399, 406 ; ii. 126. I Rivers, Miss. ii. 354. Rol:>ert, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur, ii. 303, 310, 324, 482. Roberts. Mr., i. 57, 406. , Captain, i. iI62. Roberts of Kandahar. Field Marshal Earl. KG., etc.. i. 25, 26, 61 ; ii. 171. 178, 305. 343, 524. Robertson.Field-Marshal Sir WiUiam (R.), G.C.B., G.C.M.G.. K.C.V.O., D.S.O., i. 27, 48-51, 70, 76, 88, 90-3, 96, 98, 99-101. 110, 116-20, 126, 129, 133, 134. 143, 146, 149, 152, 154, 168. 180-2. 185-8, 192, 196-8. 202, 204-7, 214, 215, 240, 254, 275, 279, 281, 285, 294, 295, 297. 298, 299, 302, 308, 309, 323-5, 328, 329, 330. 333, 335, 345-7, 350, 351, .353. 354, 357-61, 367, 371, 375. 376-8, 386, 392. 393, 404-8. 410.413,417-21,426.429,430,431, 441, 449, 450, 464, 457-61, 464, 473, 479, 483, 487-9. 499. 501, 603, 507, 509, 510, 613-16, 540. .545, 6.50-6, 658-61, .569, 570, 533, 689, 590, 691, 606, 606. 618; ii. 1, 14-16, 19, 28-31, 37. 60, 51. 63. 54, 60-2, 65-7, 73, 81, 86, 100, 101. 106-9, 127, 131. 132. 134. 138. 140. 143. 146-7. 162, 168-60. 176. J 78. 180. 196, 198, 201, 203-6, 208. 201). 229. .231, 234. 236, 246. 247. 251. 2.56. 262. 263, 273-8. 291. 297. 298. 3fX), 318. 321. 330. 344. 351. 355, 367. 377. 44'.t. 4<>7. 482, 485. 496. 497, 602. 508. .-j09. 510, 616. 530. 632. 533. 53.".. .Lady. i. 188. 279. 4f.t). 513. VOL. II. '^^ oil ; ii. 60, 256. 262. 300. 344, 466, 467, 505, 608. 628. Robev. Mr. George, ii. 346. 516. Robilant. General Di. i. 222. 223, 240. 247 ; ii. 426. Robinson, Lieutenjuit. i. 336. , Ml-., ii. 302. , Mr. Geoffrey (afterwards Daw • son), i. 20, 55. 58, 112, 143. 214. 325. 339, 348. 354, 367. 378, 399, 400, 420, 421, 434, 477, 560, 565. , Mr. Perrv. i. 261. 262. 434; ii. 162. , Lieut. -Col. Sir Thomas B., K.C.M.G.. K.B.E.. ii. 106, 107. Roche, M. Jules, i. 217 ; ii. 225. Rocke, Lieut. -Colonel Cvril Alan, D.S.O., ii. 432-5. 437. 448, 478. , Mrs., ii. 434, 478. Rockefeller, John Davison, i. 133, 138. Rocksavage, Countess of, i. 452, 453, 602 ; ii. 298. Rodd, Rt. Hon. Sir Ja.s. Rennell, G.C.M.G.. G.C.V.O.. etc., i. 223 ; ii. 433, 434, 443. , Lady, ii. 449. , Mr. Rennell. i. 223. Rodney, Lady, ii. 353. Roell, Colonel, i. 430. Roffi, General, i. 241. Rogers, Brig. -General, ii. 87. Rohr, CJeneral von, i. 225. Romanones, Signer, ii. 368. Roosevelt, Colonel Theodore, i. 141, 310; ii. 246. Root, Hon. Elihn, i. 310. Roques, General, i. 169, 170. Rosebery, Earl of, K.G., K.T., etc., i. 383 ; ii. 244. Rosen, Baron, i. 439. Rosenborg, Prince Aga, of Den- mark, ii. 212. Ros?. Professor Sir E. Denison. K1 , CLE., etc.. i. 193, 194, 286. 3CJ, 312. 343. 344, 436; ii. 143. 471. , Mrs., ii. 449. RoBslyn, Earl of, ii. 615. Rothenstoin, Mr. William, i. 178. 210. 306 ; ii. 294. , Mrs., i. 183. 210. Rotliormoro. Lord, i. 342. 364 ; ii. 283, 286. 352. Rothschild, Moshpm , ii. 382. , Baron .Jamos \. do. ii. 544. . liaron Maurice de. i. 406, 587, 588 ; ii. 2. 3«4-6. 576 THE FIRST WORLD WAR Rothschild, Baroness Maurice de, ii. 386. Roure, Colonel, ii. 356, 368, 370, 406, 423. Rousset, Colonel, ii. 194. Routhe, Lieutenant, i. 224. Rouvier, M., i. 6. Roxbiu-ghe, Major the Duke of, K.T., M.V.O., i. 581. , Duchess of, i. 288, 381 ; ii. 143, 522. Rubens, Mr. and Mrs. Walter, ii. 312. Ruggeri, General Laderchi, i. 241. Rumbold, Mr. Horace A. C, i. 193, 194. Rmiciman, Rt. Hon. Walter, M.P., i. 99, 10.3, 136, 144, 191, 364, 365, 419, 463. Rundle, General Sir (H. M.) Leslie, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., D.S.O., etc., i. 110. , Colonel George R. T., C.B., i. 272. Runisky-Korsakov, ii. 345. Rupprecht, Prince, ii. 345, 352. Ruspoli, Princess, i. 223. Russell, Brig. -General the Hon. A. V. F. v., C.M.G., M.V.O., ii. 360. , Brig. -General, ii. 87. Ruszky, General, i. 79. Rutland, Duke of, K.G., i. 194, 202, 203, 286 ; ii. 495. , Duchess of, i. 188, 194, 325, 327, 334, 335, 508 ; ii. 264, 328, 345, 513. Ryan, Captain, R.N., ii. 12. — — , Colonel, ii. 533. Rycroft, Miss Magdalen, ii. 10, 22. Sabatiee, M., ii. 203. Sacharov, General, i. 245 n. Sackville, Lady, i. 379 ; ii. 501. St. Albans, Duchess of, ii. 493, 494. St. Aubyn, Captain the Hon. Lionel M., M.V.O., ii. 98. St. Davids, Viscount, i. 247. St. George, Mr. and Mrs., i. 399. , Mrs., i. 566. St. Holier, Lady, ii. 293. St. Levan, Colonel Lord, C.V.O., C.B., ii. 98. Sala, Count, i. 357. Salis, Count de, ii. 31, 211, 371, 372, 432, 436, 439, 442, 443, 444, 448, 451, 453, 455. Salisbury, Maj.-Gen. the Marquess of, K.G., G.C.V.O., C.B., i. 616 ; ii. 49, 229, 319. Salisbury, Marchioness of . i. 67, 124, 616. Salmond, Maj.-Gen. Sir John M., K.C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O., i. 374 ; ii. 97, 361, 363, 535. Salverte, Comtesse Jeanne de, ii. 86, 97, 372, 400, 460, 543, 547. Samuel, Rt. Hon. Herbert L., M.P., i. 102, 364. S andf or d. Commander Francis Hugh , D.S.O., ii. 288. San Martino. Lieut. -Col. Ponza di, ii. 416, 418, 421, 427, 429, 430. , Mme. de, i. 551. Sargent, J. S., R.A., i. 441 ; ii. 298, 525. Sarrail, General, i. 49, 70, 197, 201, 215, 217, 313, 321, 323, 325, 346, 371, 400, 404, 418, 420, 429. 434, 478, 486, 490, 600 ; ii. 2, 47, 59, 61, 151, 242, 250. Sassoon, Major Sir Philip (A. G. D.), Bt., C.M.G., M.P., i. 122, 427, 513, 535, 584 ; ii. 100, 101, 460. Sayer, Dr. Ettie, i. 389. Sazonoff, M., i. 174, 193, 440, 509. Scaravaglio, Captain, ii. 416. Scarbrough, Maj.-Gen. the Earl of, K.C.B., i. 182. 203, 305, 307, 436, 441, 468, 493, 584, 587 ; ii. 147, 181, 256, 293, 304, 316. 448, 482, 494, 495, 499, 516. , Covmtess of, i. 182, 203. 305-7, 436, 441, 493, 584, 587 ; ii. 128, 147, 181, 256, 293, 304, 316, 482, 494, 497. Scherbaceff, General, i. 245 n. Schick, Major, ii. 346. Schneider, M., ii. 306. Sclater, General Sir Henry C. G.C.B., G.B.E., i. 23, 4.3, 98, 139. Scott, Captain, ii. 360. , Mr. Charles Prestwich, i. 146, 147 ; ii. 127. , Lord and Lady Francis, ii. 8. , Lady (Kathleen), i. 463. , Peter, i. 463. -, Major Sir Samuel, Bt., M.P„ i. 56, 282, 289, 491, 513 ; ii. 12, 126, 162, 171. -, Mr. Walter, i. 496, 497 ; ii. 132. Scovell, Lieut. -Col. George J. S., C.B.E., i. 605. Secco, General, i. 241. Sedgwick, Mrs., i. 183. Seely, Maj.-Gen. the Rt. Hon. J. E. B., C.B., C.M.G., etc., i. 20. NAME INDEX 577 Segato, General, i. 241. ' Selbome. Earl of, K.G., etc.. ii. 319. Selfridge. Mr., li. 3-48. Serripnv, Colonel, i. 547. 548 ; ii. 69. Seton- Watson, Mr. R. \V.. ii. 220. Sevastopoulo, M.. i. 200, 201, 220, 253, 282, 509, 541 : ii. 69. 402. Seymour, Major Edward, D.S.O., b.B.E., M.V.O., i. 44ti, 408. , Lieutenant, ii. 510. I Shallenberger, Captain, ii. 87. Shannon, J. J., R.A., ii. 322, 328, 525. Shaw, Lieut. -Gen. the Rt. Hon. Sir Frederick C, K.C.B.. i. 110, 138, 139, 295 ; ii. 38. 101, 300. j Sheffield, Colonel, i. 105. ' Sheldon, Mr., i. 323. Sheridan. Mrs., i. 308. 412 ; ii. 298, 518. 519, 521. Shrew6biu"v, Major the Earl of, K.C.V.O.. i. 131. . Shrinskv, Count, ii. 220. i Sibert, General, ii. 88, 94, 95. Sillem. Maj.-Gen. Arnold F., C.B., i. 209, 526 ; ii. 531, 535. Simon, Major the Rt. Hon. Sir John (A.), K.C.V.O.. O.B.E., K.C., i. 83-5. 102, 107, 114. 130, 388. Simondfi. Mr., i. 140-2, 275. Sims, Vice-.\dm. \V. 8., i. 5()1, 502 ; ii. 190, 244, 292, 337, 341, 507. Sinclair, Lieut.-Col. Sir Walrond A. F.. K.B.E.. i. 211. Sit well. Captain F. O. S., i. 314. Sixte, Prince, de Bourbon, ii. 402. Siyerell, Mr. William, i. 142. Skaloudrifl. M., i. 172. Skeffington-Smvth, Major G. H. J., D.S.O.. ii. 378. Sloan, Tod, i. 537. Slocum, Colonel, i. 303, 324. Smillie, Mr. Rotert, ii. 242. Smimov, General, i. 245 n. Smith, Hrig.-Goueral, ii. 392. , Mr., i. 127. , Lt.-Col. Sir James R. Dunlop, K.C.S.I., K.C.V.O., C.I.E.. i. 75. , Mr. Harold, ii. 2-3. , Mr. MaHterton-, i. 468, 513. Smuts, Lieut. -Gen. Rt. Hon. J. C, i. 372, .501. 515, 510, 517, 570. 679, 617, 018 ; ii. 29. 53, o4, 107. 205, 214. 218, 485. 495. Sneyd. Mm. Ralph, i. 59, 80. 145, 487. Snow. Lt. -Gen. Sir 'n>om«H D'Oyly, K.C.B.. K.C.M.G., i. 259, 262, 267, 268, 209, 535 ; ii. 321. Sobanski. Coimt. ii. 493. 543. 544. Soldatienkoff. M., ii. 518. Self. Dr.. ii. 404. SoUv-Flood, Brig.-Gen. Arthur, c!M.G.. D.S.O.. ii. 405. Somerset. Lady Katherine de V., i. 09. 102. 344. 004 ; ii. 143. 188. 234. 343, 344, 482. Sonnino, Baron, i. 222, 223, 424 ; ii. 434, 435, 440. 519. Sophie, H.M. Queen of the Hellenes, ii. 384. 407. Southborough. Lord. G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., i. 390. 430, 51)7. 508, 600 ; ii. 440. Soyeral, H.E. the Marquis de, G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., i. 80. 103. 124, 282. 288, 302, 317. 343 ; ii. 496, 497. Spicer, Captain S. D., D.S.O., ii. 22, 23. Spiers. Brig.-Gen. E. L.. C.B.E.. CM., ii. 66, 202, 368. 410. Spring-Rice. Rt. Hon. Sir Cecil A., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., i. 141. , Hon. Thomas A., ii. 354. Stacey. Mr., ii. 323. Stamfordham. Lieut.-Col. Lord, G.C.B., G.C.LE., etc.. i. 69. 382. Stanley, Hon. Sir Arthur, G.B.E., C.B.^ M.V.O.. i. 09, 428, 473, 616. 617 ; ii. 348, 529. , Brig.-Gen. Lord Edward, M.P., i. 588, 617. , Brig.-Gen. the Hon. F. C, C.M.G., D.S.O., i. 170; ii. 183, 502. , Hon. Mrs. (F. C.), i. 170, 496; ii. 183. , Rear-.\dm. the Hon. Victor A., C.B., M.V.O., i. 015-17. , Hon. Mrs. \'ictor, i. 615. -, Mrs., i. 120, 491. Stanmore, Lord, i. 368. Steed, Mr. H. Wickham, i. 84, 145, 177, 338. 381, 421, 424, 447. 503. 620 ; ii. 12ti, 127. • Steel-Maitland. Sir Arthur H. D. R., Bt., i. 92, 435. Stoevens, Maj.-Gen. Sir John, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., i. 338. Stephens, Li(>ul.-Geti. Sir R. H., K.C.B., C.M.G.. i. 30, 631, 532. StcphoiiHon, -Mr., i. 04. Stern. Lieut.-Col. Sir Albert. K.H.E., C..M.G.. ii. 382. 4n. Stewart. .Mr., ii. 443. I , Cajitiiiii, i. 202. I Stirling, Li