The Henson Journals

[555]

1st Sunday after Xmas, December 26th, 1915.

510th day

I wrote letters until Mattins, when Knowling preached another excellent sermon. His text was 'any that were of the Way whether men or women'. I remained to the Holy Communion. Cruickshank celebrated, & I read the Gospel. At Evensong we had the Mendelssohn Anthem for St Stephen, and were delighted with the singing of Kay, the solo–boy. He certainly has developed wonderfully during the last year. Cruickshank & his wife came in to tea, & Knowling and his niece. Also Colonel Cluff, back on leave from the front, and his wife. He says, as everybody else, that the Belgians are odious, the French mainly clean & friendly. I asked him about the opinion as to the 'Times' which prevailed among the officers at the Front. He replied that he himself and his set had conceived such a disgust of the Northcliffe papers that they would no longer tolerate them, & now depended for their knowledge of affairs on the "Daily Chronicle", and the "Daily Telegraph". He described the mud at the front as a fearful hindrance to military operations. Indeed, he thought it would make an offensive impossible until the spring. While the discomfort it inflicted on the troops was very great, it did not seem to affect their health. I inquired whether he had been able to learn anything about the condition of Germany. He answered that he had had but small opportunity, but that the most recent German prisoners shewed no sign of want. They were much better fed in appearance than had been the case with the prisoners taken earlier in the year. This is rather discouraging. He said that the return of troops on leave from France had been delayed by the presence of submarines in the Channel: and that it was said that three of these had already been captured & destroyed.

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