-37-#669, Eighteenth from London.              
 
                                                            
 
 
Our proud tale not to claim for the British army an undue 
      share of what is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of 
      the war and will I believe be regarded as an ever famous American 
                             victory.                       
 
                                                            
 
 
I never hesitate as the committee I think will bear me witness 
      to stand up for our own soldiers when their achievements have 
      been cold-shouldered or neglected or overshadowed as they sometimes 
      are but e must not forget that it is to American homes that the 
      telegrams of personal losses and anxiety have been going during 
      the past month and that there has been a hard and severe ordeal 
      during these weeks for our brave and cherished ally. This implies 
      no disparagement of our own exertions for we ourselves a month 
      or two earlier lost 40,000 men in opening the scheldt. The bulk 
      of our army on this occasion when Von Rundstedt attacked was 
      separated by scores of miles from the impact of the new offensive. 
      They could not possibly have been moved into battle in large 
      numbers without crisis-crossing the lines of communication and 
      creating utter confusion. The British Army stood and stands in 
      its northern position between the enemy and Antwerp in a strategic 
      attitude capable of averting all possibility of a major disaster. 
      Our armies are under the supreme command of