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INTRODUCTION

I have never passed such an interesting -- such an exciting -- such a varied year in my life--and besides this I hope I have been able to accomplish something--in my work which shall show one phase of the Wonder of the World's Work of to-day. I was honored a year ago by being permitted by the Right Hon. David Lloyd-George to make drawings in the various factories and works and shipyards which were engaged in War Work in England, and the records of what I saw were published as lithographs in War Work in England, a previous volume in this series. Now, though I do not believe in war I do not see why some pictorial record of what is being done to carry on the war should not be made--made from an artist's standpoint--for we are in it, being in the world, but I am not of it.

When my work in England, or as much of it as I was allowed to do, was finished and exhibited I was invited by the French Minister of Munitions, M. Albert Thomas, to visit and make studies of similar subjects in that country. Owing to a combination of unfortunate circumstances--though I went to France once during the summer of the year--I was unable to get anything of importance. This was my fault or my misfortune. I failed, and the memory of my failure will haunt me and be a cause of regret to me all my life, unless I am able to wipe out my failure in another visit to France; but though I failed to make any drawings, my records of the subjects I was so freely shown--I was shown on my two visits many subjects which were supremely interesting, and could I have drawn them, had I been able to do so, would have been worth doing. Not only 

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