t to the East. There is no more question about this than there
is about Belgium and the three years' duration. He has told me so; time
and again.

Why then does he not act accordingly if he's in the Almighty know?
Because he can't. With the one exception of the Battle of Paardeberg, he
never in his palmiest days pretended to be a man of action. But now he
has lost his faculty of forcing others to act. He makes a spurt but he
can't stay the distance. He has met Millerand, French and Joffre in
Council and allowed the searchlights of his genius to be snuffed out!
That is what surprises me:--He, who once could deflect Joe Chamberlain
and Milner from their orbits; who twisted stiff-necked Boers round his
little finger; who bore down Asquith, Winston, Prince Louis and Beatty
in Valetta Harbour--East _versus_ West--Mediterranean _versus_ North
Sea--who, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., withstood, wrestled with and overthrew
Haldane's arguments in favour of his taking up the succession to the
Duke of Connaught, and that although he had one arm tied to his side by
having taken the King's shilling. What a marvel he was and now--

Ichabod!

There is something so tragical in what home letters let us guess that
the pity of it almost makes me forget our own stillborn projects.

_15th September, 1915. Imbros._ Altham and Major Hood left G.H.Q. for L.
of C. Headquarters. Had another hour with Altham before he got aboard
his destroyer. Gave an interview to Buchanan, A.M.S. After lunch,
Braithwaite, Val, Wells, Deedes, Freddie and myself went off to Suvla
aboard H.M.S. _Scourge_ (Lieutenant-Commander Tupper). On landing,
Braithwaite branched off to see the G.S. Byng has a keen sense of
humour; is energetic and by his looks and manner attracts all ranks. No
one could wish a better corps commander and I have never in all my
experience known anyone take greater and more minute trouble with his
field days and manoeuvres than he did in Egypt the year before the
war. But his sojourn on the Western front has given him inflated
standards as to the number of guns and stocks of H.E. shell which are
essential to success; especially with troops who have suffered heavy
losses. Perhaps he is right. This para. from a letter written to the
great man to-night explains more generally what I feel:--

* * * * *

"Maude is burning to get on and do something and I heard him myself ask
Byng when he was going to let him have a dash.