Now that _Scharnhorst_ and _Gneisenau_ have been located in the Society Islands there is no need for _Melbourne_ and _Sydney_ to remain in Australasian waters. _Sydney_ should immediately be ordered to join _Hampshire_, _Yarmouth_ and _Chikuma_ in the _Emden_ hunt, and _Melbourne_ should come there with the Australasian convoy. As soon as _Zemchug_ and _Askold_ have finished with their convoy, they should return and join _Hampshire_. This will give seven ships searching for _Emden_ and avoid the necessity of moving one of the three Light Cruisers now hunting _Königsberg_. Numbers are everything, and the extirpation of these pests is a most important object. What is the use of _Psyche_, _Pyramus_ and _Philomel_ in New Zealand waters after the convoy has started? There is nothing but the _Scharnhorst_ and _Gneisenau_ to be considered, and they are sufficiently dealt with by— (1) _Australia._ _Montcalm._ (2) First Japanese Squadron. (3) Second Japanese Squadron. On the other hand, these three vessels, together with _Pioneer_, would be good for searching for _Emden_ in company with the faster and more powerful ships. I propose, therefore, that they should accompany the Australian and New Zealand convoys home to Indian waters, and should then join up with the seven Cruisers which will then be under _Hampshire_ in hunting _Emden_, making a total of ten vessels available a month from now. The necessary arrangements to enable them, in spite of their limited fuel capacity, to get to Colombo can easily be made. In the event of _Emden_ being captured before this concentration is complete, all these vessels should be sent to assist in the hunt for _Königsberg_, or, conversely, if _Königsberg_ is caught, the three Light Cruisers should turn over to the _Emden_. It is no use stirring about the oceans with two or three ships. When we have got Cruiser sweeps of 8 or 10 vessels ten or fifteen miles apart there will be some good prospect of utilising information as to the whereabouts of the _Emden_ in such a way as to bring her to action. Such large and decisive measures are much the cheapest and most satisfactory in the end. W. S. C. And again on October 15. _Sydney_ should escort Australians and thereafter hunt _Emden_. This shot as will presently be seen went home. * * * * * The press and the public were not in a position to understand all that the Admiralty were doing nor to appreciate the general results achieved. All they saw at this time was that a few German cruisers were apparently doing whatever they chose upon the oceans and sinking British merchantmen day after day. A great deal of discontent began to make itself heard and felt. I therefore prepared a note for publication in the hopes of placating our critics.