"Wait a bit" said Foch, using his own familiar form of speech, "wait. I did not command as much as is generally believed. I am not even certain of having commanded at all. I brought my own ideas to prevail upon those who surrounded me, which is a very different thing.
"Look here; on July 24, 1918—a few days after the Americans had made at Château-Thierry the admirable stand which prevented the Germans from crossing the Marne—I summoned the three commanders-in-chief of the three Allied armies to my headquarters at Bonbon: Pershing, Petain and Haig. The Belgians were also represented at the meeting.
"When every one was seated around the table, I read a document which I had previously prepared and I stated the urgency of taking the offensive, according to an alternative movement, of which I indicated the rhythm: viz., the British would begin, then the French would continue, then the Americans would take their turn. When I had finished, I asked if any one had any remark to make to me. They each had one:
"'The British army' said Haig, 'no longer exists; how can you expect it to go forward?'
"'The French army,' said Petain, 'is exhausted; how can you demand yet another such effort of it?'
"'The American army' said Pershing, 'is not
