Again I was forced to explain my own inadequacy to answer such a question and my total lack of authority to voice American sentiment. While I was confident that many Americans believed in the cause of the Allies, and had every confidence in the outcome of the war, there remained always that large and prosperous portion of the population, either German-born or of German parentage, which had no doubt of Germany's success.
"It is natural, of course," he commented. "How many French have you in the United States?"
I thought there were about three hundred thousand, and said so.
"You treat your people so well in France," I said, "that few of them come to us."
He nodded and smiled.
"What do you think of the blockade, General Foch?" I said. "I have just crossed the Channel and it is far from comfortable."
"Such a blockade cannot be," was his instant reply; "a blockade must be continuous to be effective. In a real blockade all neutral shipping must be stopped, and Germany cannot do this."
One of the staff said "Bluff!" which has apparently been adopted into the French language, and the rest nodded their approval.
Their talk moved on to aëroplanes, to shells, to the French artillery. General Foch considered that Zeppelins were useful only as air scouts, and that with the coming of spring, with short nights and early dawns, there would be no time for them to range far. The aëroplanes he considered much more valuable.
"One thing has impressed me," I said, "as I have seen various artillery duels—the number of shells used with comparatively small result. After towns are destroyed the shelling continues. I have seen a hillside where no troops had been for weeks, almost entirely covered with shell holes."