Home from the Front

Friday, July 16th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

I returned home from the Front yesterday, after two nights in London at the Savoy. By the evening I had dealt with all the arrears.

The Strand people are obstinate in their objection to "The Lion's Share". On the other hand the Metropolitan (New York) are delighted with the work, and openly say so. The Strand object on the ground that the novel contains suffragette scenes. They held a meeting of directors and solemnly decided that the Strand could not print a suffragette serial. They do not want to offend either suffragettes or anti-suffragettes. I thought I had reassured them, but apparently not.

Considerable movement of troops round about here. Towns being apparently fortified, etc. general coming down from London to confabulate with Brig.-Gen. Hoare on the spot. A current belief that the War Office expects a raid from the German Fleet. I don't think the War Office does. If it does, why does it let the Somersets go a whole year without firing a single shot of any kind in practice?