eel
the knife at their throat. "Ammunition is becoming a very serious
matter, owing to the ceaseless fighting since April 25th. The _Junia_
has not turned up and has but a small supply when she does. 18 pr. shell
is vital necessity."

_5th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ A wearing, nerve-racking, night-long
fire by the Turks and the French 75's. They, at least, both of them,
seem to have a good supply of shell. To the Jews, God showed Himself
once as a pillar of fire by night; to the French soldier whose God is
the 75 He reveals Himself in just the same way, safeguarding his flimsy
trenches from the impact of the infidel horde. The curse of the method
is its noise--let alone its cost. But last night it came off: no Turks
got through anywhere on the French front and the men had not to stand to
their arms or use their rifles. We British, worse luck, can't dream of
these orgies of explosives. Our batteries last night did not fire a shot
and the men had to drive back the enemy by rifle fire. They did it
easily enough but the process is wearing.

An answer has come to my prayer for 18 pr. stuff: not the answer that
turns away wrath, but the answer that provokes a plaster saint.

"We have under consideration your telegram of yesterday. The ammunition
supply for your force, however, was never calculated on the basis of a
prolonged occupation of the Gallipoli Peninsula, we will have to
reconsider the position if, after the arrival of the reinforcements now
on their way out to you, the enemy cannot be driven back and, in
conjunction with the Fleet, the Forts barring the passage of the
Dardanelles cannot be reduced. It is important to push on."

Now von Donop is a kindly man despite that overbearing "von": yet, he
speaks to us like this! The survivors of our half dead force are to
"push on"; for, "it is important to push on" although Whitehall seems to
have time and to spare to "consider" my cable and to "reconsider the
position." Death first, diagnosis afterwards. Wherever is the use of
reconsidering the position now? The position has taken charge. When a
man has jumped off Westminster Bridge to save a drowning Russian his
position has got beyond reconsideration: there is only one thing to
do--as quickly as you can, as much help as you can--and if it comes to a
choice between the _quick_ and the _much_: hark to your swimmer and hear
him cry "Quick! Quick!! Quick!!!"

The War Office urge me to throw my brave troops yet once m