e us completely the
impression that they were 'not for it,' but he only specifically
mentioned Hammersley and Lindley. He said water was no difficulty. He
implied that the troops were getting better every day, and given time to
rest and reorganize, he thought they would be able in time to make an
advance. But he was very emphatic on the point that at present such a
thing as an attack had practically no chance of success. He told us that
the opposition in the centre about Anafarta Ova could no longer be
classed as sniping, but that it was regular opposition. But as he also
told us that his landing was an opposed landing, I think perhaps that
during the short time he has been on active service in this country he
has not quite realized what opposition really means. But the salient
fact remains that none of his Divisional Generals who would be employed
in the attack thought that that attack would have any chance of success
whatever. Indeed, he saw every difficulty, and though he kept saying
that he was an optimist, he foresaw every bad thing that could possibly
happen and none of the bright spots. It was a most depressing interview,
but it left no doubt in the minds of the hearers that it would be quite
useless to order an attack to be undertaken by a Commander and
Divisional Generals whose hearts were confessedly not in it, who saw a
Turk behind every bush, a battalion behind every hill, and a Brigade
behind every mountain."

At lunch time Lord K. answered my last night's cable:--

* * * * *

"If you should deem it necessary to replace Stopford, Mahon and
Hammersley, have you any competent Generals to take their place? From
your report I think Stopford should come home.

"This is a young man's war, and we must have commanding officers that
will take full advantage of opportunities which occur but seldom. If,
therefore, any Generals fail, do not hesitate to act promptly.

"Any Generals I have available I will send you."

Close on the top of this tardy appreciation of youth, comes another
cable from him saying he has asked French to let me have Byng, Horne and
Kavanagh. "I hope," he says, "Stopford has been relieved by you
already."

Have cabled back thanking him with all my heart; saying I shall be glad
of the Generals he mentions as "Byng, Kavanagh and Horne are all
flyers."

Between them, these two messages have cleared the air. Mahon's seniority
has been at the root of this evil.