ed every general I met, if the
German advance had been merely ruthless or if it had been barbaric.

He made no direct reply, but he said:

"You must remember that the Germans are not only fighting against an
army, they are fighting against nations; trying to destroy their past,
their present, even their future."

"How does America feel as to the result of this war?" he asked, "I
suppose it feels no doubt as to the result."

Again I was forced to explain my own inadequacy to answer such a
question and my total lack of authority to voice American sentiment.
While I was confident that many Americans believed in the cause of the
Allies, and had every confidence in the outcome of the war, there
remained always that large and prosperous portion of the population,
either German-born or of German parentage, which had no doubt of
Germany's success.

"It is natural, of course," he commented. "How many French have you in
the United States?"

I thought there were about three hundred thousand, and said so.

"You treat your people so well in France," I said, "that few of them
come to us."

He nodded and smiled.

"What do you think of the blockade, General Foch?" I said. "I have
just crossed the Channel and it is far from comfortable."

"Such a blockade cannot be," was his instant reply; "a blockade must
be continuous to be effective. In a real blockade all neutral shipping
must be stopped, and Germany cannot do this."

One of the staff said "Bluff!" which has apparently been adopted into
the French language, and the rest nodded their approval.

Their talk moved on to aeroplanes, to shells, to the French artillery.
General Foch considered that Zeppelins were useful only as air scouts,
and that with the coming of spring, with short nights and early dawns,
there would be no time for them to range far. The aeroplanes he
considered much more valuable.

"One thing has impressed me," I said, "as I have seen various
artillery duels--the number of shells used with comparatively small
result. After towns are destroyed the shelling continues. I have seen
a hillside where no troops had been for weeks, almost entirely covered
with shell holes."

He agreed that the Germans had wasted a great deal of their
ammunition.

Like all great commanders, he was intensely proud of his men and their
spirit.

"They are both cheerful and healthy," said the general; "splendid men.
We are very proud of them. I am glad that America is to know