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Theobald "Toby" Barrett Diary, 1917

Theobald Toby Barrett 1917 Diary 127.pdf

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down to the last notch; so although it is very dry it chewed it up considerably, Dad. spent most of the day flailing out my three varietys of wheat; and I helped him clean it. The Imperial Amber was the nicest and best sample with the Banatka next best. Frank did odd jobs and went down town. Sunny, no wind, no clouds and quite hot. Froze last night. Now that we are well started on the fourth year of the war, it is just as hard to say when it will end as ever. All the talk of Germany's degeneration and being at the end of her resources in men, money and food is beginning to be looked on as foolish gossip especially since the U.S. Ambassador has come home and told the public that Germany's total losses in men is only about 3 million out of the 12 she called out with 400 thousand coming of military age every year, and that there was no chance of starving her out as the non-combatant population is making the home country as well as the conquered territory produce more than ever before. On the other had there seems to be no fear of her being victorious for the Allies with their unlimited resources are becoming stronger every day. They are on the offensive on nearly every front and are able to hold most of the gains they make in their various drives, not only that but if there is only any truth whatever in the reports we get the Allies seem to be able through the efficiency of their artillery and aerial scouts to make important advances with the minimum of loss among their own men but at the same time inflict heavy losses on the enemy both in the first drive and in the repeated counter-attacks which invariably follow an Allied drive. Then too, the Germans although not demoralized do not seem to be able to put the same force into their offensives as they did in the early days of the war. A recent example of this was in Russia where conditions are bordering on civil war most of the time. The Germans were within reach of Riga and the Russian troops instead of offering resistance marched away from that part of the battle line in revolt under Korniloff against their own Government under Kerensky. If that had happened two years ago the Germans would have been in Petrograd now, but in some way Kerensky checked the revolt and the Russians went back to the front and the Germans are not yet in possession of Riga and it doesn't look as if they would be. It seems that by next year Germany must give up all hopes of victory, for now that the U.S. has come down off her lofty seat of super-civilization where she was "too proud to fight" as Wilson said

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