o Anzac and then
returned to Imbros. A good day's work. Half the battle to find that my
Corps Commanders are so keen. They are all sworn to the closest secrecy;
have been told that our lives depend upon their discretion. I have shown
them my M.F. 300 of the 7th June so as to let them understand they are
being trusted with a plan which is too much under the seal to be sent
over the cables even to the highest.

Every General I met to-day spoke of the shortage of bombs and grenades.
The Anzacs are very much depressed to hear they are to get no more bombs
for their six Japanese trench mortars. We told the Ordnance some days
ago to put this very strongly to the War Office. After all, bombs and
grenades are easy things to make if the tails of the manufacturers are
well twisted.

_12th June, 1915. Imbros._ Stayed in camp where de Robeck came to see
me. I wonder what K. is likely to do about Mahon and about ammunition.
When he told me Joffre and French thought 17 rounds per gun per day good
enough, and that he was going to give me as much, there were several
qualifications to our pleasure, but we _were_ pleased, because apart
from all invidious comparisons, we were anyway going to get more stuff.
But we have not yet tasted this new French ration of 17 rounds per gun.

Are we too insistent? I think not. One dozen small field howitzer
shells, of 4.5. calibre, save one British life by taking two Turkish
lives. And although the 4.5. are what we want the old 5-inch are none so
bad. Where would we be now, I wonder, had not Haldane against Press,
Public and four soldiers out of five stuck to his guns and insisted on
creating those 145 batteries of Territorial Field Artillery?

A depressing wire in from the War Office expressing doubt as to whether
they will be able to meet our wishes by embarking units complete and
ready for landing; gear, supplies, munitions all in due proportion, in
the transports coming out here from England. Should we be forced to
redistribute men and material on arrival, we are in for another spell of
delay.

Altogether I have been very busy on cables to-day. The War Office having
jogged my elbow again about the Bulair scheme, I have once more been
through the whole series of pros and cons with the Admiral who has
agreed in the reply I have sent:--clear negative. Three quarters of the
objections are naval; either directly--want of harbours, etc.; or
indirectly--as involving three lines of small craft to supp