Thursday, 1st August

Frank [?Bertie] had arrived over night looking very much better than when I last saw him. He is off again tonight.

Maclagan and Mainguy again came to see me about Naval Propaganda. I think they have got it into a real muddle and I am not sure that it is not rather the latter's fault.

Hear that the French are attacking on the Soissons front and everything so far going well. I do not think they have been any too truthful in their last few communiqués. There is no doubt they have had much harder fighting than they have allowed to be the case.

Luncheon. Frank, Rendel who is on the Staff of the Embassy at Madrid and who has been sent here to help us revise all the filing of papers; Henderson, a very nice fellow in the Chancery, Bullock and Bridgeman.

Nothing much during the afternoon. Charlie Grant came in at tea-time. Tells me that Berthelot has written a most glowing letter of praise and thanks to the Divisions under Godley who were serving with him. Just the sort of thing that I want for Propaganda and yet one is never given it. I am going to get it and see if the papers will publish it but I am afraid it is a little too late. Maclagan and Mainguy came back in the evening and I hope have straightened out the question of the Propaganda tour in the South.

Friday, 2nd August

Said good-bye last night to Frank who started for Italy after dinner.

Went to Versailles for the night. Birkbeck, Director General of Remounts staying there; Humphrey de Trafford and his Chief, Colonel [blank]. The latter struck me as a most ordinary sort of fellow and yet he is put at Versailles as our Opposite number to the Q.M.G. to the French Army. It is not his fault but how could we expect to get our fair share in the distribution of supplies if everything was pooled as the French, and I am afraid the Americans, want it to be and we were only represented by a very junior officer.

Clemenceau sent me a copy of General Berthelot's Order to our Troops the 51st and 62nd Divisions. Nothing could be more complimentary and I am arranging to get it published.