|
DEDICATION Tibi quae, sive lucente benigno |
THE war years 1914-1918 have left a lasting impress on my generation. Our lives are divided into pre-war and post-war periods. Each of us interprets the lessons of the war in his own way.
I have recaptured the atmosphere of the war era by means of old diaries and letters. The beliefs and convictions of twenty years ago remain fundamentally unchanged. Strongest of all is the conviction that in its ultimate consequences to the world the coming together of the English-Speaking Peoples was of transcending import. The war will not have been in vain if the British Empire and the United States work together for the benefit of humanity. For if there be estrangement God pity the world---as Walter Hines Page said.
I hope this record of the second stage in a strenuous life demonstrates that it is possible to work simultaneously for the two causes :--- the unity of the British Empire and co-operation between the British and American Commonwealths.
E.W.
The Duke's House,
Lawrence Street,
E. W. Chelsea.
Chapter One