impression one gets from them at least is the hopelessness of
our being ever able to settle the Irish problem. It is largely,
of course, a question of temperament. The Ulsterman with us is
all for the "strong hand" policy, but I pointed out to him the
absurdity of our adopting Prussian tactics, especially at this
moment. He agreed, but steadfastly maintained that, judging
purely from results, Balfour was the best Chief Secretary Ireland
has ever had. He frankly admitted that Carson made himself liable
to be tried for high treason at the time of the Larne gunrunning.
He also agreed with me that to administer an irritant to a man
recovering from brain fever is a very risky policy. In fact, we
came round to the old conclusion in which, to quote "Rasselas,"
"nothing is concluded." It is a thousand pities that so able,
attractive and intelligent a race as the Irish should have such
an accursedly impossible temperament. It is the unimaginative,
easygoing, supremely practical Englishman who is the ideal
governor in this foolish world, not the hot-headed idealist.

_November 10th, 1916._

I am starting off to-day on rather a big, albeit safe job,
namely, purchasing all the hay and straw in a certain area on
behalf of the Cavalry Division. It is an important commission and
will take me about a week to execute.

We have arrived at another stagnant period in the war. That was a
happy definition of it as "long spells of acute boredom
punctuated by short spells of acute fear."

What brilliant soldiers the French are! It amazes me that they
should be able to "strafe" the Boches so constantly, and at
points where one would least expect them to. The recapture of
Douaumont was, in my opinion, one of the best bits of work in the
war. Of course, the French Army is superbly generalled, and it
has a military tradition second to none in the world. A nation
that can boast of men like Vauban, Turenne, Conde, Soult,
Massena, Ney, and Macdonald (I don't mention Napoleon, because he
was not really a Frenchman at all) has a glorious military
tradition worth living up to.

On the other hand, I cannot withhold praise from the wonderful
organisation of the Boches. The way in which they repeatedly take
the bull by the horns a