ite
simply. We are holding on, but we cannot continue to hold on. The
Germans have more men, far more guns, and infinitely more ammunition.
They certainly have not less genius for war. What can be the result?
I am told by respectable people that the Germans lost the war at the
Marne. I don't appreciate it. I am told that the Germans don't realise
the Marne. I think they realise the Marne at least as well as we
realise Tannenberg."

The slightly trembling, slightly mincing voice of Sir Francis denoted
such detachment, such politeness, such kindliness, that the opinion it
emitted seemed to impose itself on G.J. with extraordinary authority.
There was a brief pause, and Sir Francis ejaculated:

"What's your view, Bob?"

The other old man now consisted of a newspaper, two seamy hands and
a pair of grey legs. His grim voice came from behind the newspaper,
which did not move:

"We've no adequate means of judging."

"True," said Sir Francis. "Now, another thing I'm told is that the War
Office was perfectly ready for the war on the scale agreed upon for
ourselves with France and Russia. I don't appreciate that either. No
War Office can be said to be perfectly ready for any war until it has
organised its relations with the public which it serves. My belief
is that the War Office had never thought for one moment about the
military importance of public opinion and the Press. At any rate, it
has most carefully left nothing undone to alienate both the public and
the Press. My son-in-law has the misfortune to own seven newspapers,
and the tales he tells about the antics of the Press Bureau--" Sir
Francis smiled the rest of the sentence. "Let me see, they offered the
Press Bureau to you, didn't they, Bob?"

_The Times_ fell, disclosing Bob, whose long upper lip grew longer.

"They did," he said. "I made a few inquiries, and found it was nothing
but a shuttlecock of the departments. I should have had no real
power, but unlimited quantities of responsibility. So I respectfully
refused."

Sir Francis remarked:

"Your hearing's much better, Bob."

"It is," answered Bob. "The fact is, I got hold of a marvellous feller
at Birmingham." He laughed sardonically. "I hope to go down to history
as the first judge that ever voluntarily retired because of deafness.
And now, thanks to this feller at Birmingham, I can hear better than
seventy-five per cent of the Bench. The Lord Chancellor gave me a hint
I might care to return, and so s