more the world is troubled, on the contrary, the more
commerce and general activities will suffer from it, without mention of
the development of instruction and of the progress of human thought,
which will be paralyzed.

I have been surprised to see a serious American paper bring up these old
questions for discussion, and I conclude that we are going to feel in
Europe the result of our errors. It is going to be necessary to find
money to fill up the financial gulf which we dig each day under our feet
without realizing it; a gulf twice made, by the billions which it has
been necessary to spend for the war, by the billions of ordinary income
which must now go by default. We cannot reasonably expect that Germany
will be able to pay all the deficits in France, England, Russia,
Belgium, and Japan; she will have no longer her foreign commerce; her
misery is going to be frightful; it will be necessary then that each of
the adversaries which she has so rashly provoked limit his demands; we
must ourselves limit her ruin unless our own credit shall be ruined
also.

In a word, there are two victories equally difficult for the Allies to
win: the first over Germany, the second over themselves. Let us prepare
ourselves to the uttermost and with all the authority which we can
husband to facilitate the first here, and from your side as well as from
ours, the second. To make war there is the first difficulty; but to
finish well, that is what makes me anxious for the future.

*Sixth Letter.*

PARIS, Sept. 24, 1914.

In spite of all, unity of purpose is maintained among the Allies as well
as among Frenchmen. I say in spite of all, because at Berlin this was
hardly believed possible at the beginning of the war.

* * * All the men have left Creans; my farm is empty, and as I told you,
the work is accomplished just the same. Means are found to feed the
wounded English, becoming more and more numerous, the wounded Belgians
and the prisoners. At the mill the miller's wife has four sons and a
son-in-law in the army. I went to see her; not a tear, she looked
straight before her absorbed in her work and said only "It is
necessary." She continues her work as yesterday, as always, only with
more energy and seriousness than formerly, with the purpose to
accomplish double.

Meanwhile in spite of lack of news, we are beginning to learn that many
sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers whom we saw go away will never
return. Each day a few of t