* * * * * 1909. _March 30th._ ... Grey rubbed in two great points yesterday:-- (i) Lack of information as to German acceleration will be acted on as if acceleration were a fact. (ii) The _8_ this year won’t affect next year. * * * * * 1909. _June 15th._ ... Yes, we made a good job of Saturday; but the two most noticeable things of all were never noticed:-- (i) The swarm of Destroyers going 20 knots past the Dreadnought found themselves suddenly confronted by a lot of passenger steamers and yachts, which at the last moment got right in their way--the accidents might have been intense--but the young Destroyer commanders kept their nerve and their speed and scootled through the eye of the needle just grazing them all. It was splendid to see and made my heart warm! (N.B.--A Press delegate--the _Toronto Globe_, I think, seized me by the arm and said, “_Sir, I see the glint of battle in your eye!_”) (ii) I saw the Speaker of the House of Commons being bundled into a “char-à-banc” holding 24 other promiscuous persons by a bluejacket. Truly a democratic sight! * * * * * 1909. _July 3rd._ ... The latest development is that somebody has a pile of my private letters to various people--not printed or typewritten but _the original letters_, so he says, which he is going to produce unless I agree to resign in October! Some of the letters stolen and some given (so I am told!). However “hot” they may be I don’t regret a word I ever wrote, and I believe my countrymen will forgive me. _Anyhow I won’t be blackmailed!_ There was murder in the King’s eye when I told him (but I didn’t tell him all!)... _I am going to fight to the finish! Heaven bless you for your help._ * * * * * 1909. _August 3rd._ ... The Mouse was able to help the Lion yesterday as the King got on to you in regard to vile attempts of jealousy as to your being on the Defence Committee. The King is certainly A 1 in sticking to his friends! but you have always said this yourself to me when I have been down on my luck! All has gone most splendidly in all ways and the King is enormously gratified at the magnificent show of the Fleet to put before the Emperor of Russia. I told the Emperor it was a fine avenue!--18 miles of ships--the most powerful in the world and none of them more than 10 years old! * * * * * 1909. _August 27th._ [A letter on the Beresford Report speaks of two “base innuendoes,” of which the second is]