No. M.F.
655 of 21st September, should remain for the present in Egypt. I have
informed Maxwell to this effect."

K. has re-opened the idea of giving up Suvla, saying, "it might become
necessary in certain eventualities to abandon that area." In my reply I
have said, "I hope there will be no question now of the abandonment of
Suvla.... In the Northern zone I have now more troops than at the time
of my telegram, my line is stronger, the old troops are resting, the new
troops are improving, and preparations are being made for a local
advance. At this stage withdrawal will be a great moral victory for the
Turks. Moreover, it would release a large number of enemy divisions to
oppose the Russians in Asia, or for other enterprises."

Another cable also sent dealing with the ever present, ever pressing,
ever ghastlier shortage upon the Peninsula generally:--

* * * * *

"My present shortages, 21st September, of infantry rank and file are
2,645 in the XXIXth Division, 17,166 in the three New Army Divisions,
and 23,986 in the four Territorial Divisions, totalling 43,797; out of
respective establishments of 11,652, 37,869 and 44,824, total, 97,345."

Were the Royal Naval Division included the percentage would be worse.

Peter Pollen and I dined with the Admiral. After dinner, we discussed
Fox-Ferdinand's little tricks. The Admiral had heard a lot about his
flirtations with the Duke of Mecklenburg lately sent from Berlin on some
sort of an ambassadorial mission to the Balkans. I told him of my visit
to Sofia during the interval which took place between Prince Ferdinand
proclaiming himself Tsar, and the tardy and unenthusiastic recognition
of his new rank by Great Britain. Ferdinand's Court Chamberlain asked me
to dine. I wanted to refuse as I had meant to go on to Constantinople,
but Sir George Buchanan, our Minister, begged me to accept. Diplomatic
relations were broken off; he had not seen Ferdinand for a month: he
wanted to know what that Prince would say to me: "_but_," he added, "you
must on no account go in uniform. Seeing you are on the Army Council it
would almost amount to a recognition of his Kingship if you went there
in uniform." I thought this a little far-fetched; however, I wrote back
and said that I had the honour to accept, but that, as I was travelling,
I had only my _kleine Uniform_; i.e., undress kit, handy. I proposed,
therefore, with permission to take the liberty of prese