period of compulsory rations. There is enough to eat in spite of
the food that has gone to feed the fishes. But no machinery of
distribution to a whole population can be uniformly effective. The
British worker with his hands is a greedy feeder and a sturdy
growler and there will be trouble. But I know no reason to
apprehend serious trouble.

The utter break-up of Russia and the German present occupation of
so much of the Empire as she wants have had a contrary effect on
two sections of opinion here, as I interpret the British mind. On
the undoubtedly enormously dominant section of opinion these events
have only stiffened resolution. They say that Germany now must be
whipped to a finish. Else she will have doubled her empire and will
hold the peoples of her new territory as vassals without regard to
their wishes and the war lord caste will be more firmly seated
than ever before. If her armies be literally whipped she'll have to
submit to the Allies' terms, which will dislodge her from
overlordship over these new unwilling subjects--and she can be
dislodged in no other way. This probably means a long war, now that
after a time she can get raw materials for war later and food from
Rumania and the Ukraine, etc. This will mean a fight in France and
Belgium till a decisive victory is won and the present exultant
German will is broken.

The minority section of public opinion--as I judge a small
minority--has the feeling that such an out-and-out military victory
cannot be won or is not worth the price; and that the enemies of
Germany, allowing her to keep her Eastern accretions, must make the
best terms they can in the East; that there's no use in running the
risk of Italy's defeat and defection before some sort of bargain
could be made about Belgium, Alsace-Lorraine, and Serbia. Of course
this plan would leave the German warlordship intact and would bring
no sort of assurance of a prolonged peace. It would, too, leave
European Russia at least to German mercy, and would leave the
Baltic and the Black Seas practically wholly under German
influence. As for the people of Russia, there seems small chance
for them in this second contingency. The only way to save them is
to win a decisive victory.

As matters stand to-day Lord Lansdowne and his friends