beginning
to serve as an avenue into the country owing to the completion--after
a fashion--of its unstable railway. The Milner Mission had been as
profuse in its pledges as it had been erratic in its anticipations,
and had committed itself to somewhat comprehensive engagements in
connection with the furnishing of further war material. So that,
almost synchronizing with the downfall of the Romanoff dynasty and the
setting up of a new regime, this country found itself let in for
diverting munitions of all sorts, in addition to what had already been
promised, to an Ally in whom trust could no longer be placed. On one
occasion in the course of the winter I had defeated the combined
forces of Sir W. Robertson and the Master-General of the Ordnance
before the War Cabinet over the question of deflecting a few howitzers
to Russia. But one's point of view underwent a transformation
subsequent to the dire events of March in Petrograd. So far from
pushing the claims of the revolutionary government for war material,
it then seemed expedient to act as a drag on the wheel, and to take
the side of the C.I.G.S. and General Furse when Lord Milner from time
to time pressed the question of sending out armament. The War Office
deprecated depriving our own troops of munitions for the sake of
trying to bolster up armies that were disintegrating apace owing to
the action of Kerensky and his like. It was very disappointing--apart
from the threatening political situation, prospects had seemed so good
in Russia. But all the endeavours that had been made to assist during
the previous few months were evidently going to be to no purpose. Just
when the despatch of what our Ally required had been got on a
thoroughly sound footing, the organization was to prove of no avail.

Still, there was always Roumania to be thought of, even if the problem
of getting goods through to that country in face of the chaos which
was rapidly making way in Russia was almost becoming insoluble. The
French, like ourselves, were most anxious to afford succour to that
stricken kingdom. Amongst other things, they requested us to send off
to Moldavia a certain consignment (thirty, I think it was) of 6-inch
howitzers, which M. Thomas declared Mr. Lloyd George had promised him
for the French army. But the worst of it was, there was a difference
of opinion in regard to this reputed undertaking. The stories of these
two eminent public servants clashed in a very important particula