" September, 1916. We are still at peace; though I
am hoping that we may get a scrap before the winter. It would be very horrible to slide squalidly into the winter without any excitement at all. From all accounts, things are-going very well now, in spite of the Hun having collected all the guns, he., that he can on the threatened part of the front. How they do hate ns! Every day in French and English papers you can see the signs of it. It is difficult to believe that the war will heal the nations. I should not be surprised if when we are old we see a repetition of this war.
say 'when we aro old' because I have little doubt that it will take most of our lifetime (if we survive the war) for the belligerent nations to recover their strength. But I have little doubt that if, as seems likely, we beat the Hun badly, ha will start the moment peace is signed to prepare for his revenge. A depressing thought, isn't it? Also I doubt if we shall have such a horror of war as lots of people think. The rising generation won't know what we know, and we shall forget much that is bad. When a soldier can 'write that the brotherhood of the trenches will be ' a wistful radiant memory' now, what shall we be writing twenty years hence?"
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