econdary importance from the soldier's point of view whether
this particular battleship stopped or cleared out, and that, seeing
the risks which she obviously was running, it seemed to me a mistake
to contest the point. We discussed the matter briefly, and Lord K.
gave me to understand that, although he must put up some sort of fight
as he had already raised objections, he would make no real stand about
it at the coming pow-wow.

When we went across the road we found Mr. Churchill and Lord Fisher
waiting in the First Lord's room. After some remarks by Mr. Churchill
giving the _pros_ and _cons_, Lord Fisher burst out that, unless
orders were dispatched to the battleship without delay to "come out of
that," he would resign. The First Lord thereupon, somewhat reluctantly
as it seemed to me, intimated that in view of the position taken up
by his principal expert adviser, he had no option but to recall the
vessel. Lord Kitchener demurred, but he demurred very mildly. There
was no jumping up and going off in a huff. Some perfectly amicable
discussion as to one or two other points of mutual interest ensued,
and when we took our departure the Chief was in the very best of
humours and asked me if he had made as much fuss as was expedient
under the circumstances.

Lord K. seemed quite incapable of taking his Cabinet colleagues so
seriously as people of that sort take themselves. Indeed, but for the
more prominent ones, he never could remember what their jobs were, nor
even recollect their names. It put one in a cold perspiration to hear
him remark, when recounting what had occurred at a Cabinet seance or
at the meeting of some committee bristling with Privy Councillors, "A
fellow--I don't know his name but he's got curly hair--said..." Other
soldiers besides Lord K. have, however, been known on occasion to get
these super-men mixed up in their minds. There were three Ministers,
for instance, whom for convenience we will call Messrs. Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. Mr. Jacob was on one occasion taking part in a conference
at the War Office about something or other, a whole lot of the
brightest and best sitting round a table trying to look intelligent;
and in the course of the proceedings he felt constrained to give his
opinion on a matter that had cropped up. A soldier of high degree, who
was holding a most respectable position in the War Office and was
sitting on the opposite side of the table, thereupon lifted up his
voice. "I quite