428 APPENDIX. • miller the unccrtamty of being able to procure in this country ' a suOicient supply of forage for the great number of aniinala ' belonging to the two Allied armies, I have the lionour to suggest ' that 2000 tons of hay be forwarded to Constantinople during ' the course of the autumn. — I have the honour, &c., ' William Filder. ' Note 31. — In justification of this conclusion, they say: 'In ' ordinary official language, a suf/</estion rather than a request that ' any act may be done implies that it is subject to modification, 'and that it is to be acted upon according to the best judgment ' that can be formed by the person to whom it is addressed.' — Treasury Memorandum and Explanation, p. 22. Note 32. — Treasury Memorandum, p. 23. The arrangements for shipping these 457 tons of hay had gone so far that (despite Mr Filder's countermand) the Treasury thought iit to let the business proceed ; and their resolve was a fortunate one, for the arrival of the hay in October proved exceedingly opportune. The Treasury 'believed' (ibid.) that on the 13th of September, Mr Filder did not know of the resolve which had caused this supply to be on its way out ; and supposing their impression to have been right, they were entitled to consider that the arrival of the hay not expected would be equivalent to a first instalment of the 2000 tons demanded. Note 33. — The vessel that sailed in compliance with this urgent appeal of the 9th of October did not leave our shores till the 8th of November ; so that, the ' pause ' of the Treasury having lasted ten days, the time it took to charter a vessel and load her was far greater — extending to more than a month. Note 34.— Seb. Comm., 4th Rep., p. 349. Of the 270 tons (called more accurately by the Treasury 1(58 tons) the Belgravia carried 180 (called by the Treasury 179), the Esk 48, and the Helen 42 tons. Note 35. — The (quantity that the Treasury requested the Admi- ralty to ship off in the course of December was G33 tons ; and this added to the 270 tons despatched in November would make only 903 tons ; but if the 457 tons sent out in August were reck- oned as an instalment ' by anticipation ' of the 2000 demanded, the deficiency would be reduced to 040 tons. Mr Filder, how- ever, in the meantime had been augmenting his demands, inform ing the Treasury frankly that he nmst rely u-holly upon England for hay (letters of 8th and 23d October), and that his estimated consumption of hay for three months was 9,000,000 lb. — i.e..
