ew of
Moscow from the Sparrow Hills -- Visit to a hospital --
Observations on such visits -- A talk with our acting
Consul-General -- Back to Petrograd -- Conclusions drawn from
this journey through Russia -- Visit to Lady Sybil Grey's
hospital -- A youthful swashbuckler -- Return home -- We
encounter a battle-cruiser squadron on the move.

We made a fresh start for Russia by the same route about three weeks
later, the party swelled by Captain Guy MacCaw, Hanbury-Williams'
staff officer, who had been home on leave. Sir W. Robertson wished me
to see General Alexeieff again, and then to proceed to Tiflis to
discuss the position of affairs with the Grand Duke Nicholas and his
staff. H.M. the King desired that this opportunity should also be
taken to present the G.C.M.G. to General Yudenitch, who a short time
before had achieved a brilliant success in Armenia in the capture of
Erzerum almost in midwinter, and also to the Minister of Marine in
Petrograd.

The general military situation was not at this time wholly reassuring.
It was known that a great German attack upon Verdun was imminent. We
had our own special anxieties in Asia owing to the unfortunate turn
taken by affairs in Mesopotamia. News had come of the failure of the
attempt to relieve Kut by an advance on the right bank of the Tigris,
and this, following upon a similar failure some weeks earlier on the
left bank, rendered the conditions decidedly ominous. A study of the
large-scale maps and of the available reports at the War Office, had
served to indicate that the prospects of saving the beleaguered
garrison were none too hopeful, even allowing for the fact that
General Maude's division, fresh from Egypt and the Dardanelles, was
bringing welcome reinforcements to Sir P. Lake. Whatever plan should
be adopted for the final effort, this must inevitably partake of the
character of attacking formidable entrenchments with but limited
artillery support, and of having to carry out a difficult operation of
war against time. The Grand Duke Nicholas had expressed a readiness to
help from the side of Persia, but little consideration was needed to
establish the fact that effective aid from that quarter was virtually
out of the question. Situated as the Russian forces were in the Shah's
territories, they would be in the position of having either to advance
in considerable strength and to be starved, or to move forward as a
weak column and to