1/1/18
My dear Father
Very many thanks for your letter for Xmas and to you and the others for the parcel which got here a few days ago. We had a very quiet Xmas here with the officers of 54 CCS. We entertained the sisters, 5 in number, from the CCS, to dinner on Xmas evening, having the usual fare including excellent official plum pudding. The evening went very well, better than usual I thought.
We've had pretty cold weather and still have snow and frost. I've had several long motor journeys and found it a bit cold.
McNee is away on leave now so I shall be pretty full up this week.
Many thanks for arranging about the apples, they were well appreciated. I enclose a cheque for 14/- covering the expense.
At the last minute Mary and Baby went to Port Talbot for Xmas. Geoffrey was better and so they all spent a nice day or two together; fortunately the journey is not a very long one really, travelling with a child in winter especially is no joke.
I hope you were all well for Xmas. Mary tells me Bernard was expected. I had a cheerful note from George for Xmas. He was finding the cold a bit trying just there. I have no special confidence that Jan 1st 1919 won't find me still in France. Perhaps it is as well for us all to face the prospect squarely. I happen that food supply and distribution problems which I believe are soluble, will be got on to a sound basis soon, though I don't imagine that if everyone receives even the relatively generous "voluntary ration" there will cease to be grumbling in some quarters. I'm afraid the pernicious motto of "Business as usual" permeates the whole of the commercial and financial world still, and those who would let other more altruistic principles guide them pro tem, are forced by competition to look for profits first. In food matters it looks as though things will resolve themselves without central allocation of staple supplies to defined areas and control of sale and distribution for each area by local government who will have certain main rulings to guide them but otherwise be given a free hand. I only hope they won't set up yet more bodies or controllers, but use existing county and district councils. How do the smaller country towns and districts fare so far?
With love to all at home and best wishes for 1918.
Your affectionate son
Arthur
