Alas, a cloud of uncertainty overhangs all plans at the present time…[and] I cannot pretend to be at all hopeful of the outcome. Owing to the neglect of our defences and the mishandling of the German problem in the last five years, we seem to be very near the bleak choice between War and Shame. My feeling is that we shall choose Shame, and then have War thrown in a little later on even more adverse terms than at present.
