short notice available in German ports—a waste of German capital on which Sir Vesey desired to have the opinion of "some of our mercantile magnates, if such is likely to be the case," as also "the opinions of Sir A. Wilson, Lord C. Beresford, Sir W. May [now at the Admiralty], Sir Compton Domvile, and others, and ask them their opinion as to even 100,000 troops and their baggage having a happy time of it crossing the North Sea, being carried in transports commanded by men totally unaccustomed to sailing In company—harassed by a host of mosquito-boat destroyers, and all the portion of our Fleet 'not decoyed away.'"
Another letter of the same date, signed "Admiral," to which The Times accorded the honour of large type, severely criticised Lord Roberts's estimate of the amount of tonnage that would be sufficient for all purposes " in such a serious undertaking as an invasion of England. "When preparing
