B.E.7, France

Sunday August 18/18

Dear People,

Sunday morning and a fine bright day. The air is a little cooler than it has been recently with just a suggestion of Fall. We are still in the same place but expect to be leaving in a day or two as the concert party must be back from leave by this time.

Life is very uneventful, pleasantly so, these days. Of course I have been a little worried about Will, but I think he will be all right. We have written asking to have our mail forwarded to, in case we do not move for some time, I ought to get some letters within a few days. I am going to have a difficult job to hold down my position I fear, as it really requires a good private. It is not merely technique which I lackl I also seem to be deficient in the sense of rhythm a keen ear for which is of course essential in orchestra work. But all things considered the work hasn’t gone badly so far. We have no instruments yet except the strings though it is intended, I believe, to hear a fairly large orchestra.

Will was telling me when I last saw him that he had met [?] Bandeur and spoken to him. Also he said, had changed a great deal. He hardly seemed to remember Bill and didn’t appear particularly glad to see him. I have heard that he is an excellent man in the line but a very strict and harsh disciplinarian. When I saw him at Seaford I could tell just from his appearance that he was no longer the good natured, easygoing sort of chap he used to be. What is going to be the position of such men after the war? They will hardly be willing to go back to their old jobs. I rather imagine that they will expect to get highly responsible positions in which they will have a lot of men working under them. Certainly, for a man of military status and ambitions, an officer’s work seems to develop qualities of leadership and initiative as much as a life in the ranks effectually destroys them. Still any kind of army life is at least  fatal to steadiness and concentration. It is essentially a “bum’s” life. (I don’t use the word exactly in it’s ordinary sense as implying good for nothing. Rather I mean a restless, dissatisfied person who cannot stay long at one thing) Even for myself; though I am almost crazy at times to get to work, I feel that I shall never be able to settle down in any domestic fashion. The war is lasting far too long to not muttle everything rather badly.

Surely there will be some emplotive protest from Canada against the intention recently expressed by the British government of adopting the resolution of the Paris Conference. Could anything be more fatal to the formation of a League of Nations? I thought that such ideas had been abandoned long ago. The effect of victories seems usually to be little better than the effect of defeats.

It is very annoying to be without mail. It is weeks now since I have heard anything from any of you. Mother, I hope that you are in good form these days and enjoying all the benefits which good health brings.

Ever so much love to all,

George