Letter from H Augst (British Consulate General, Zurich, Switzerland) to William Tyrrell, Foreign Office, on German naval expansion [manuscript copy on Admiralty note paper].

Letter from H Augst (British Consulate General, Zurich, Switzerland) to William Tyrrell, Foreign Office, on German naval expansion.

Statement by WSC on German naval increases [typescript].

Letter from Captain Hugh Watson (Naval Attache, British Embassy, Berlin [Germany]) to Edward Marsh, PS to WSC, Admiralty, on German naval increases.

Letter from Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on his conversation with Count Paul Metternich [German Ambassador to Britain], stating that negotiations with Germany were on an amicable footing, and he was reluctant to publish any papers about naval matters that might give rise to controversy.

Statistics on changes in military and naval expenditure in Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary and Japan, 1904-1913. [Carbon].

Retyped minute on projections for the German War Fleet of 1920. [Carbon].

Part of minute [by WSC] on projections for the German Fleet in 1920. [Carbon].

Minute by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], with a comparison of British and German naval expenditure and construction, 1908-15. [Carbon copy, with hand-written annotations by WSC].

Minute by WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on retaining 60 per cent superiority over Germany in Dreadnoughts. [Carbon].

Copy of a letter from [Lord] Northcliffe [formerly Alfred Harmsworth] (Slieve Irward Hotel, Newcastle, County Down, [Ulster] Ireland) to WSC in which he says that he has written to [the Times and the Daily Mail] about his speeches, comments on foolish speeches about France and Germany made by WSC's political colleagues and on the weakness of the German army.

Copy of a letter from [Lord Northcliffe, formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC commenting on the good impression which has been made in Germany and comparing the Germans to land crabs "if we advance, they retreat: if we retreat, they advance".

Copy of a letter from [Lord Northcliffe, formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC in which he discusses the dissemination of news provided by him and encloses 12 copies of a German pamphlet [not present] about the Navy.

Copy of a letter from [Lord Northcliffe, formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC marked very private including a transcript of a piece by an anonymous author discussing the likelihood of war in Europe due to the precarious position of German industry and the actions of the Prussian Junker class and stressing the importance of making ready the British army and ensuring supplies of ammunition.

Copy of a telegram from WSC (22 St James' Place [London]) to [Lord] Northcliffe, [formerly Alfred Harmsworth] marked private and personal thanking him for his help and asking him to try and secure favourable "German comments".

Copy of a letter from [Lord] Northcliffe, [formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC marked private discussing the necessity of firmness in dealing with the Germans. He asserts that he has not been kind in judging WSC and that his newspapers do not take a Party view about Germany, the fleet and Canada, advises WSC to visit Canada and suggests that he should sign telegrams in a more discreet manner.

Copy of a letter from [Lord Northcliffe, formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC informing him that either he or Geoffrey Robinson will visit the Admiralty and criticising Foreign Office intervention with the press which he thinks will be interpreted in Germany as "fright".

Copy of a letter from [Lord Northcliffe, formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC marked private in which he informs him that he is holding back news about the German naval scheme [from his newspapers] at the request of the British Embassy, discusses the gravity of such a request and the government's mishandling of the press.

Copy of a letter from [Lord Northcliffe, formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC enclosing information about the manufacture of German Atlantic liners which is conducted under the supervision of the German Admiralty and which include features such as gun platforms. He also includes information about the likelihood that guns are on board the ships of the Lloyd and Hamburg-American line.

Copy of a letter from [Lord Northcliffe, formerly Alfred Harmsworth] to WSC passing on a recommendation from an American associate that British ships should be equipped with vernadium steel protective deck plates which are used in German and Austrian ships.

Letter from "Jack" [John S Churchill] ([France]) to "Mama" [Lady Randolph Churchill] including: plans for "Goonie" [Gwendeline Churchill, earlier Gwendeline Bertie] to visit Paris with WSC; the failure of German defensive schemes and discussion of casualties; a meeting with WSC and "Eddie" [Edward Marsh]; and reports from prisoners about scarcity of food and boots in Germany. Envelope present.

Newspaper cutting from the Evening Sun of a letter to the editor from Shane Leslie about Cecil Spring-Rice's time as British ambassador to the United States. Spring-Rice is praised for his delicate handling of Anglo-American relations, his success in persuading American traders to blockade Germany after the outbreak of World War I and in inspiring confidence among the Catholic and Irish factions in America. Leslie also discusses Spring-Rice's relations with President Woodrow Wilson.

Letter from "Jack" [John S Churchill] (France) to "Mama" [Lady Randolph Churchill] including: the slow progress of attack on the Western Front; the plentiful supply of munitions; praise for the ANZAC troops; gloomy accounts of German affairs in prisoners' letters; and advice to sell American securities. Envelope present.