The Henson Journals

[15]

Tuesday, April 10th, 1917.

981st day

There is bright sun this morning, but the bitter cold continues, & the ground is sprinkled with unmelted hail. I wrote to Miss Anson, acknowledging some more materials for the Life. I attended Mattins, & wrote to Raleigh. I attended the gymnastic competition of the Choir boys in the Y.M.C.A. gymnasium: and attended Evensong. De Quincey's contrast of the French with the English is still true to the facts. "No excess of profligacy and injustice connected with martial trophies has ever damped the unity of patriotic joy amongst the French: no sanctity of defensive warfare has availed to insure it amongst the English". The newspapers report the auspicious beginning of another tremendous battle in France on the front between Lens and Arras. Nearly 6000 prisoners are said to have been already captured, mostly Bavarians. Even more important is the announcement that the Vimy Ridge has been captured. If this position can be held, important consequences seem likely to follow from its capture. There are some evidences of depression in Germany at the entrance of America into the war. If an unmistakeable defeat could now be inflicted, we might hope for important developments?

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