The British General Milne (letter to Robertson 20 July) thought Sarrail "A strong man with big ideas and outlook with great brain power but of a conceited, excitable, impetuous and unscrupulous nature … Possibly a good strategist but not a great tactician … His mental calibre far and away above his Staff". On 1 August Sarrail set up a "Commercial Bureau for French Importations" with links to French Chambers of Commerce at Grenoble, Marseilles, Lyon and Dijon, and on 3 August Sarrail wrote to Briand "We ought to prepare for after the war by immediately imposing our products and trademarks on places regained by our armies". Sarrail was suspicious of the Italians under General Pettiti, believing (wrongly) that Italy also had colonial designs on the region.