-43-#669, Eighteenth, from London              
 
                                                            
 
 
I always hesitated as the committee will bear me witness to 
      speak at all about the military future but it is my hope and 
      belief that by this violent attack in which they have lost perhaps 
      double what they have inflicted they have in no wise delayed 
      or still less averted the doom that is closing in upon them from 
      the west. Harsh as it may seem to say a terrible thing to say 
      in dealing with our own precious flesh and blood it is our interest 
      and the American interest that the whole western front and the 
      air everywhere at all possible flying times should be in continuous 
      action against the enemy burning and bleeding his strength away 
      at every opportunity and on all occasions if we are to bring 
      this horror to an end. I think it was not necessarily a bad thing 
      indeed it was a good thing that large parts of the western front 
      were thrown into counter battles in open country by the enemy 
      counter battles in the forests undulations and hills of the Ardennes 
      rather than that all our troops should be compelled to advance 
      at this season of the year across great rivers and seas of mud 
      against lines of concrete fortifications. It suited the Allies 
      that there should be as much fighting as possible in the open 
      country rather than that the whole front should be crashing up 
                        against pillboxes.                  
 
                                                            
 
 
In short as I see it the Germans have made a violent and costly