lthough this was altered
later. My branch was therefore little concerned in the business until,
as has been mentioned on p. 216, the dilemma that various departments
were in over the affair was thrust before the War Cabinet, and steps
were taken to get something done. Even then, it took some weeks before
we arrived at a clear understanding with the French and the Greeks as
to what exactly we were going to provide, and before a proper
Convention was tabled. Much time was therefore wasted, and time must
not be wasted in time of war.

Then, when it had at last been established what goods this country was
to provide, there was fresh and almost unaccountable dilatoriness in
certain quarters in furnishing important commodities, although the
military departments of the War Office grappled with their side of the
problem and overcame serious difficulties with commendable despatch.
General R. Reade had been sent out to Athens to look after things at
that end, and he with his assistants kept us fully informed of
requirements and of progress; but he had to put up with a
procrastination at this end which was unquestionably preventible. One
has to face uphill jobs from time to time in the army; but in
thirty-six years of active service I never wrestled with so uphill a
job as that of trying, in the year of grace 1918, to get our share of
the fitting out of the Hellenic forces fulfilled. The only thing to be
said is that the French, who had easier problems to contend with and
less to do than we had, were almost equally behindhand. But the
result of it all was that, of the 200,000 troops whom, entirely apart
from reserves, the Greek Government were prepared to mass on the
fighting front if only they could be fitted out, barely half were
actually in the field when (fortunately for those who were responsible
for mismanaging the despatch of the requisite supplies from this
country and from France) the Bulgarians realized that the game of the
Central Powers was up, and they virtually threw up the sponge.

In so far as Serbia was concerned, a detailed Convention had been
drawn up with the French in 1916, clearly indicating what the two
respective Governments were to furnish for the service of Prince
Alexander's war-worn troops. Under the terms of this agreement, we
were concerned chiefly with the question of food and forage; but we
also, needless to say, provided the bulk of the shipping on which the
Serbian contingents depended for their