how much of this war and the
deaths caused by it will rest on the Kaiser's shoulders. I must now
write a further letter to go to his wife. He was a talented man, and
used to write for papers. When the war broke out he was running a
cinematograph film-collecting expedition in German East Africa, and
just managed to get away. Poor fellow!

G.B.L. 30.12.14.

LETTERS OF JANUARY, 1915.

IN BILLETS.
_January 2nd, 1915._

MY DEAR F----

I am not asking you to do anything to-day for me, as I hope to come in
person, leaving here on Monday morning. The hour of my arrival at
Carlton depends on whether I can get through quickly or not, and
whether the Kaiser tries to sink the Boulogne to Folkestone boat.
Knowing his peculiarities, I think he would probably wait until he
found an emigrant ship well laden with women and children. What brutes
the Germans have proved themselves! After heavy rain, the day has
turned out bright and cold. The ditches are nearly full of water,
which means that all communication trenches will be worse than ever,
and Heaven knows they are bad enough already! Yes, I sent some of my
private affairs to Carlton to await my return after this war, when I
can attend to them, if I really do come back.... There are moments I
wonder if anyone will!... _The Times_ of December 28th gave the names
of 45 officers killed and 66 wounded between December 21st and 24th.
We were fighting fairly hard all the while, but still, if we are as
one to nine of the French, this shows that our combined losses would
be roughly 1,100 officers for four days, before you come to the men.
How matters stand with the Germans can only be conjectured. We learnt
from a prisoner the other day that we had inflicted such terrible
losses that they had been obliged to change their hour of relieving
trenches. As a matter of fact, it had not occurred to us that we had
given them any losses at all to speak of at those particular times.
Anyhow, if Germany is losing as it is said she is in proportion of
three to one of our men, the war cannot continue indefinitely. I hear
the fight on my right and on my left at Ypres and La Bassee, both
places being hard fought for by the opposing sides, and the row is
sometimes deafening. As to your inquiries about Major Abadie, there is
nothing to be said. If alive, he oug