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194 yet ready; how can you think of throwing it into the conflict?'

"I could easily have replied by giving a formal and categorical command, but that is not my way of acting. I know only too well that one obeys badly if one has to obey unwillingly. I preferred to take the tone of an adviser rather than that of a chief. I preferred to convince each one of them that my plan was perfectly possible and feasible.

"To Haig I said that I would place a French army under his command, the army of Debeney, which could but flatter and stimulate him.

"To Pershing I declared that I knew very well that the young American army, full of ardor and vigor, was only too anxious to cover itself with glory.

"To the Belgians I promised to let them have both British and French troops, who would be placed under the command of King Albert; and, as they raised the objection that the King did not possess a staff officer's license, I replied: 'All right; I will send him a French licensed chief officer of the general staff—General Degoutte.'

"Thus each of them, finally, through pride or logic or persuasian, or perhaps merely because he was placed face to face with his responsibilities, rallied of his own free will to my ideas. And everything went far better than if I had simply imposed my authority."