The King has sent me a dear letter, and adds “_Don’t print this!_” Isn’t he a sweet? _What wonderful friends I have!_ It’s a marvel! All I do is to kick their shins. * * * * * 1908. (No date.) ... I am going to ask you to reconsider your supplementary paper herewith. I can’t find that the Admiralty have admitted that 24,000 men would ever start off together as two raids of 12,000 each. I personally have expressed my decided opinion (I think at the 7th meeting) [of the Committee of Imperial Defence] to the contrary. Indeed, I am emphatically of opinion that no raid of any kind [that is, _landing of troops_] is feasible with all our late developments, which are developing further every day (_e.g._ we have our wireless on top of Admiralty Building and are communicating with the Scilly Islands now and shortly I hope Gibraltar and so certainly to every point of the German coast where we shall have Wireless Cruisers all over the place. (_Not a dog will wag its tail without being reported._) So don’t let us get a scare over 24,000 men coming unobserved. _One lot of 12,000_ can be put in as the limit; but my suggestion is--_leave out numbers_, and simply say as a precautionary measure for the confidence of the country, _it’s a good safe arbitrary standard to lay down that two Divisions of Regular Troops_ are always to be left in the Country just in the same way as laid down at the Admiralty that the Home Fleet is not for Service abroad. * * * * * 1909. _Jan. 26th._ ... The Admiralty hear (by wireless every moment) what all the Admirals and Captains are saying to each other anywhere in Europe and even over to the coasts of America. * * * * * 1909. _March 15th._