25 June, ’17.

. . . We are trying to take the Americans seriously. I see their war loan was over-subscribed. Moreover, many things we read show they mean business. I see we are not to have them on our front. We had heard that they would work with the Canucks; however, I guess the French need them most. If only they could get here this year! But I guess it’s impossible. I hope they can get that big bunch of planes over that they talk of; they would be invaluable. Isn’t it amazing Fritz doesn’t see, and realize? I can’t make it out at all.

I bet the Yanks show the English and Canadians how to handle the social end of things for their men. They’ll make mistakes, of course; but you can’t beat ’em at anything I’ve seen yet, when they go in for it thoroughly, and now it’s apparent they mean this, mean to go the whole hog, good luck to ’em! I suppose internal affairs must be the very devil for those in authority to handle. There again they’ll win out. They have a rough and ready way of dealing with trouble which is barbaric, maybe, but effective; and you can’t go to war with kid gloves on.

I was in Blighty when the big scrap came off that straightened the Salient; some show I guess it must have been, too. Of course, I knew beforehand all about it, so it wasn’t a surprise. I’d like to see the crater. Poor old Heinie! And the worst is yet to come. His line must break soon, I firmly believe; though that there will be a rout or general clean-up I very much doubt. It’s the time it takes to bring guns up that holds advance back. The difficulty is to keep the infantry from advancing too far.