by us in the field. Strong recommendations came
to hand shortly afterwards from some of our officers accredited to the
Russian armies that a goodly supply of trench mortars should be sent
out, and particularly of the invaluable Stokes mortars; it was
foreseen by the applicants that, once the pattern was available, these
could easily be constructed locally in Russia. But one encountered the
greatest difficulty in inducing the delegation in this country to have
anything to say to the Stokes mortar, because of its comparatively
short range. And yet the range of the very oldest pattern of Stokes
mortar was five times that of the flame projector, upon which material
and time and labour and tonnage were being wasted.

Then, again, there arose the question of tanks. Now a tank could not
possibly at that time have been got along the Murmansk railway without
squashing the whole track down for good and all into the marshes
across which the permanent way was conveyed by precarious and
provisional processes. Needless to say, we had no tanks to spare to be
kept reposing idle for months at ports and congested junctions,
awaiting transport to Vilna or Podolia. But as they could not get
tanks, nor transport them if they were to secure some in this country,
the Russians were anxious to procure drawings and specifications of
these new-fangled engines of war. There was no reasonable likelihood
of such a contraption ever being turned out in Russia owing to lack of
raw material and to manufacturing difficulties, even supposing
drawings and all the rest of it to be available. There were secrets in
connection with the internals of a tank which must be zealously
guarded. Under the circumstances, I suggested to the General Staff,
when putting forward a request on behalf of the Commission for the
paper stuff, that faked drawings and details should be furnished to
keep the Russians quiet. This was done; but what was furnished would
not have bluffed a novice in a select seminary for young ladies of
weak intellect. So I sent the rubbish off to General Poole (who was
representing this country out there in connection with the munitions
that were arriving), telling him the facts of the case and leaving him
to do as he thought fit. I was thus able to say, when pressed by the
Commission, that this valuable documentary material had already been
sent straight to Poole. No doubt he put it all in the wastepaper-basket.
Sir A. Stern mentions in his book that