I am in general agreement with the contents of your most secret telegram of 26 May (
No. 78) and will communicate them to the Commander-in-Chief, who is in accord with your views. For the information of Cabinet, there are ample war reserves of ammunition and equipment here and the men are well trained and fit for the limited operations contemplated by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. In the event of war with
Italy the situation in Egypt is giving no anxiety. The Italian forces are unlikely to take the offensive due to
Libya's geographical position between
Tunis and Egypt; they have no sea communications with
Italy, and the lack of drinking water and roads across the desert between
Libya and the
Nile valley would prevent operations by an army of any size. Although mobilisation equipment for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force has not yet arrived, the garrison of Egypt is adequately equipped and large reserves of troops are available for Palestine and
Syria. I am not anxious about arrangements for the reception, accommodation, and comfort of the Second Echelon in the
United Kingdom. MacCormick
1 and Greville know every detail, and I am sending
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King
1 and Crump for Ordnance and
RASC problems, making a strong team under Falla. The troops are in great heart and are longing to get to the active work for which they are being trained. One month with full-scale equipment would fit these men for
France. From all accounts the Second Echelon have benefited from the new training syllabus and I feel that with two months' collective training they would be fit for war. What I wish my Minister to realise is that none of the senior officers of the Second Echelon are fit to start unit or collective training without first being trained themselves. Every day I am kept from taking their preparation in hand will delay the ultimate preparedness of the troops. While for the present I agree that I should stay here, the situation
vis-à-vis the Allies and
Italy may ease or be precipitated in the next few days, and the question whether my presence is most useful here or in the
United Kingdom could then be reconsidered. As you will no doubt appreciate, splitting a force always raises problems of this kind.