Chapter IV: Lord Kitchener's Later Record............................ 60

The munitions question and the Dardanelles to be dealt with later
-- The Alexandretta project of the winter of 1914-15 -- Such an
operation presented little difficulty then -- H.M.S. _Doris'_
doings -- The scheme abandoned -- I am sent to Paris about the
Italian conventions just after the Dardanelles landings --
Concern at the situation after the troops had got ashore at
Helles and Anzac -- A talk with Lord K. and Sir E. Grey -- Its
consequences -- Lord K. seemed to have lost some of his
confidence in his own judgement with regard to operations
questions -- The question of the withdrawal of the _Queen
Elizabeth_ from the Aegean -- The discussion about it at the
Admiralty -- Lord K.'s inability to take some of his colleagues
at their own valuation -- Does not know some of their names --
Another officer of distinction gets them mixed up in his mind --
Lord K.'s disappointment at the early failures of the New Army
divisions -- His impatience when he wanted anything in a hurry --
My own experiences -- Typists' idiosyncrasies aggravate the
trouble -- Lord K. in an unreasonable mood -- His knowledge of
French -- His skilful handling of a Portuguese mission -- His
readiness to see foreign officers when asked to do so -- How he
handled them -- The Serbian Military Attaché asks for approval of
an attack by his country upon Bulgaria at the time of Bulgarian
mobilization -- A dramatic interview with Lord K. -- Confidence
placed in him with regard to munitions by the Russians -- His
speeches in the House of Lords -- The heat of his room -- His
preoccupation about the safety of Egypt -- He disapproves of the
General Staff plan with regard to its defence -- His attitude
with regard to national service -- His difficulties in this
matter -- His anxiety to have a reserve in hand for delivering
the decisive blow in the war -- My last meeting with him -- His
pleasure in going to Russia -- His failure to accomplish his
mission, a great disaster to the Entente cause -- A final word
about him -- He did more than any man on the side of the Allies
to win the war -- Fitz.