is own sad
disappointment at Bloemfontein when he (K.) had offered him a Cavalry
Brigade and he returned instead to his appointment in the Sudan. The
question that keeps troubling me is, ought I to have fought it further;
ought I to have resigned sooner than allow generals old and yet
inexperienced to be foisted on to me?

These stories about the troops? I do not accept them. The troops have
lost heavily but they are right if there were leaders.

I know quite well both Territorial Divisions. I knew them in England
that is to say. Since then, they have had their eyes picked out. They
have been through the strainer and the best officers and men and the
best battalions have been serving for months past in France. The three
show battalions in the 54th (Essex) Division are in France and their
places have been taken by the 10th and 11th London and by the 8th Hants.
Essex is good; London is good and Hants is good; but the trinity is not
Territorial. The same with the Welshmen.

Yet even so; taking these Territorials as they are; a scratch lot; half
strength; no artillery; not a patch upon the original Divisions as I
inspected them in England six months ago; even so, they'd fight right
enough and keen enough if they were set fair and square at their fence.

In the fight of the 10th the Welshmen were not given a chance. Sent in
on a narrow front--jammed into a pocket;--as they began to climb the
spur they caught it from the guns, rifles and machine guns on both
flanks.

We might still do something with a change of commanders. But I have been
long enough Military Secretary both in India and at home to realize that
ruthlessness here is apt to be a two-edged sword. You can't clap a new
head on to old shoulders without upsetting circulation and equilibrium.
Still, I would harden my heart to it now--to-night--were not my hands
tied by Mahon's seniority. Mahon is the next senior--in the whole force
he stands next to myself. Had not Bruce Hamilton been barred by the P.M.
when I wanted to put him in vice Hunter-Weston at Helles, the problem
would be simple enough. Even if I had not, at the outset, given that
well-tried, thrusting old fighter the conduct of the Suvla enterprise,
at least I would have brought him in on the morning of the 9th instant
quite easily and without causing any upset to anyone or anything. He
ranks both Stopford and Mahon and nothing would have been simpler than
to let him bring up a contingent of troops from