The spring of 1915 was full of exciting and momentous events. The British and French fleets fruitlessly bombarded the forts at the entrance of the Dardanelles; a little later the military attack on the Gallipoli Peninsula began; the Falaba and Lusitania were sunk; Italy entered the war; Austro-German armies drove the Russians back in Galicia; the last German cruisers were hunted down, and German Southwest Africa was conquered; in heavy fighting on the Western front the Germans first used poison gas. It was plain the war would not end soon. In Brussels Whitlock did what he could to protect the Belgians from oppression, and to help solve the problems of relief. In the latter field two crises occurred in rapid succession. One concerned the disposition of the Belgian grain crop of 1915; the other the German attempt to obtain a larger control of the Comité National. An agreement had to be reached with von Bissing upon the Belgian-grown breadstuffs. It was not difficult to induce the Germans to promise, as the British insisted, that these should be reserved for the civilian population; but a vexatious problem of distribution arose. Speaking in general terms, the C.R.B. wished to distribute the crop by regions, Hoover demonstrating the advantages of this in an able memorandum; the Germans wished to have the crop centralized. An agreement satisfactory to the British was reached in the nick of time, the mode of distribution being left for later determination. As for control of the Comité National, von Bissing appeared determined that German officials should be admitted to meetings of the Belgian sub-committees in charge of local relief ---where they would not have been tolerated. In the end, fortunately, the Governor-General was satisfied with a good deal less; German commissioners were merely to see presidents of the sub-committees before and after the meetings. Even more interesting than these troubles of the relief are Whitlock's comments on the day-to-day events of Brussels.

May 8, 1915.---Out at noon with my dear de Leval, and by a happy inspiration we went into Musée Royale de Beaux Arts---past the hulking sentinels to the interior, and then had what de Leval calls "a bath of pleasure." Then after luncheon to Ravenstein and as we were approaching the eighteenth green, Hamoir going by said:

"Is it true that the Lusitania has been torpedoed and sunk?"

I had heard nothing of it; did not believe it; had been reading in the Times last night of von Bernstorff's warning, and of how the newspapers at home were resenting it. Decided it could not be true.

Ordered tea, then Sinçay came on to the terrace---yes, it was true; he had seen it in the German newspapers today; she was torpedoed and sunk off the entrance to Queenstown yesterday afternoon; Alfred Vanderbilt, Pierson, and others aboard. My God! Are there no bounds to what those devils will do? Sinçay(1) said the German newspapers were boastful.

It made me sick, almost physically ill---as we sat there at tea---I crossed once in the Lusy, Frank Neilson was aboard and Captain Farrel; I can hear him saying, "I can smell the west coast of Ireland," just before we sighted the Bull, Cow, and Calf. It was a lovely voyage, in the autumn; and I could see the green-brown shores of Ireland, and Kingston light---just as they saw them from those same shores yesterday .... And I recalled the little Irish sailor on the boat-deck, and how he pointed out to me, one evening, the plates for guns, for the Lusitania was built for an auxiliary cruiser.

Home then, and all with grim faces at the Legation, rage, indignation, that could find no expression. To think of it---all those innocent non-combatants, women, children! Oh, what glorious martial courage to steal up, armoured, safe, and deal that murderous blow! Why, it is more than piracy! ... De Leval had some German newspapers: Ozeandamper Lusitania Torpediert.

The cowards!

But that was not all. The Germans today arrested two of the delegates of the Commission, Wellington and Lytle,(2) down in Luxembourg; for---nothing... Did not even notify us or the Commission either. De Leval had written a sharp note; I rewrote it, toned it down, and sent it over to the rue Lambermont. There is enough trouble now, without my adding to it.

Then the Prince Ernest de Ligne was announced, and there he was, his distinguished face, his white hair, his black garb, bowing and saying:

"Your Excellency, I don't wish to inconvenience you; I wish only to express my condolences for the loss of your fellow-citizens; you Americans have been so loyal to us Belgians that anything that touches you, touches us."

What a gentleman! What a fine man; Prince indeed!

Sunday, May 9, 1915.---De Leval here this morning with more details as to the Lusitania. Two thousand, of whom two hundred were Americans, aboard; only six hundred saved. The submarine gave no warning, no time to put off in the lifeboats, nothing; not so much pity as a pirate might show.. . what words could characterize the cowardly, useless, brutal cruelty of these fiends!

The two delegates were released this morning; de Leval had been over to rue Lambermont. The officers there said that Germany was not responsible for the loss of the American lives because every one had been warned not to go aboard the Lusitania

I went to Ravenstein and there nothing was talked of at luncheon but the tragedy. Worse than the Titanic, as we sat there at luncheon in the sunny corner of the dining-room overlooking the yard, and the fine old wall and the blossoms along it---Solvay, Hamoir, Col. Dulier, the Marquis d'Assche and others. We were all depressed, all sickened by it.

And what is being said at home? The poor President---what a burden! ... We wonder if it means war, or if we shall have to go, anyway. The situation here is almost untenable.

May 10, 1915---All day the gloom of the horrible calamity of the Lusitania, speculation as to the outcome and effect upon us here. Lemonnier, acting-burgomaster, in this morning to extend official condolences on behalf of the city for the loss of American citizens, and later in the day Villalobar for his customary call and likewise to present his condolences. He was deeply affected; had crossed the ocean in the Lusitania himself and could quite appreciate the feeling in America. He had told von der Lancken in talking about it with him today that it was a stupid and cruel thing for the Germans to do; that it could serve no military purpose and would only set every one in America, and in the civilized world, against them. Von der Lancken made the usual excuse, namely, it is all England's fault. That is what he told Crosby too the other day when Crosby was talking with him, and so far as America is concerned von der Lancken said they had done all they could to enlist American sympathy and had failed, "and we have washed our hands of it"; and then he spread out his arms wide and said, "If we have to fight the whole world we will do it."

Lemonnier said that heavy reinforcements were being sent by the Germans down to Ypres to the line along the Yser and there are many evidences, for traveling between The Hague and Brussels is interrupted and people are obliged to go round by Ghent.

May 12, 1915.---We heard today that the President has called a meeting of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and that he has asked the people to be calm until he can exchange notes with Germany. This news we have from Colonel Listoe, Consul-General at Rotterdam, who was in today. We can only await developments.

We had for luncheon today Miss Hamilton, Miss Lewis, Miss Abbott, and Miss Kittredge, who were attending the peace conference at The Hague(3) and who came into Belgium to see the sights. Very intelligent women, and yet there is something naïve in these good souls coming in here to bring about peace and settle these confused troubles of the war when all the statesmanship, what little there is of it left in the world, has failed to do that. I found a letter from Richard Harding Davis today with a good story about van Dyke. He telegraphed the Red Cross in America that "I visited the hospitals in the rain," and that some of "our best people" were interested in them. And to my surprise a letter from Nock, who is in London and wants me to come there to see him. Of course I can't leave. I can't even go over to van Dyke's diocese under these conditions and I don’t want Nock to risk coming here now.

Working all afternoon in the office.

Belgian people are exceedingly depressed and many are beginning to lose hope since the long expected advance of the Allies' lines has not occurred; and meanwhile, little by little, the Germans still further depress and humiliate them by announcing victories here and there. This is a part of the system; first, to terrorize people by foul atrocities, then by unconscionable oppression, and now finally to complete the task by crushing out their spirit, a little bit of discouragement at a time. It is all too sad for words. There is no news about Italy. When I see her in the war I shall believe she is in it, not before.

Countess d'Arschot told me last night of a friend of hers, a woman who is in her château down in Flanders. Her château has been taken by the Germans and transformed into an ambulance for neurasthenic German officers. They come out of the trenches entirely neurasthenic and are brought to her château---a delightful vacation!

Villalobar informs me today that he had a call from Dr. Reith, who told him finally that it has been arranged that Heineman and Hulse, I think, should make the investigation of the books of the Comité National. I am exceedingly glad to have this news, for it seems to dispose of the trouble we were having with the department of relief. It is an amusing instance, however, of the petty spirit of the Germans that they should have informed Villalobar and not me.

A letter from Hoover in the pouch today with a note he has written to Gerard and a note he has had from Lord Eustace Percy of the British Foreign Office, who looks after revictualing matters there. From the tone of this letter it seems that August 15th is placed as a period when the revictualing under the present arrangement, at least, will come to an end, for the English Government will not consent to food coming in if the Germans here seize the forthcoming harvest. The Germans have refused to give assurances that they will not do this, and of course they fully intend doing so and that is the reason for all their interest in agriculture this year. Hoover had of course already spoken of August 15th as the limit of the present arrangement, and yet the note of Lord Eustace Percy seems to indicate that there is no other prospect than that the war will go on all summer and winter, and it contains no indication whatever that England will have an army to relieve Belgium at that time.

Miss Larner had a letter from the Embassy at Rome or a friend in the Embassy at Rome saying that they were never so sure before that Italy was coming into the war as they are now and asking her to go there. I have sent a telegram saying we can't spare her.

Mme. Lemonnier has been fined fifty francs for having applied the term "boch" to the German in the Dairy that Sunday afternoon weeks ago. Von Bissing was not satisfied with this fine and ordered that it be placarded on all the walls of the city of Brussels that the wife of the Burgomaster had been fined.

May 13, 1915.---The General Government has out a placard today about the Lusitania. Nothing could better set forth the addled state of the German mind than this placard with its special pleading, its illogic, its lack of the most rudimentary understanding of the laws of evidence or of its rules by which mankind fixes and places responsibility---the whole piece of childish special pleading ending with the statement that they have now proved that it was all England's fault.

The American papers that come in now have a good deal about von Bissing. There are interviews with him, pictures of him standing in the museum beside busts, attending church, listening to the preaching of some great pastor in the Belgian Senate, and so on and so on. In Germany, too, much is said about him and of the way he is "governing" Belgium, and there is considerable exploitation of him in this new rôle. To sit here, to live here under his government and to observe it as closely as I do, and then to read this sort of tommyrot and balderdash is enough to make one sick at heart.

Here is this old man over seventy who looks like an aged drill-sergeant, has the manners, the viewpoint and the intellect of a drill-sergeant. A man of five feet eight or ten, thin, stiff, with old hands and spatulate fingernails that have never known the manicurist's instruments in all their lives. A hard round head straight behind, brown skin stretched over the bones of it and shaved with a remorseless razor as to chin and upper cheeks but with a black moustache left all across the lips and then across the jaws, giving him a sinister look. Then a jaw that sets very firmly, and small cruel eyes, red and watery, and the hair plastered down as though by water or by grease on his cannon ball of a head. This, in a rough way, a physical picture of this old man. He speaks no English and very little French; has never traveled; has no ideas but Prussian ideas and' believes that these can be imposed on all the world and should be imposed on all the world, and that promptly by the use of the bayonet. No large intellectual outlook; his ideas all mediæval, no conception of the modern current of thought, no conception of democracy or liberty, no aspirations that the best men of the race have in all countries. Extremely vain; always wears a number of gaudy decorations; I do not know what they are. Villalobar, who is an expert in such things, says they are very ugly, as is his uniform. Can't even take a walk in the park without lugging his enormous sabre with him; he likes to hear it clanking against his thin old legs along the walks. His own men, afraid of him; oftentimes I find that they hesitate to lay things before him. He is evidently not kept informed of what is going on, and when he went away to Berlin last week to consult his doctor, von der Lancken let the cat out of the bag and said it was a good thing he was gone, that now they could do a good many things in his absence and prepare them against his return. He is extremely brutal. Flies into terrible rages, as in that case the other day when he sent an angry letter to the Cardinal at Malines and von der Lancken nearly wild all the afternoon trying to get it back before it was delivered ....

Von Bissing, too, extremely jealous of his authority; has never forgiven Hoover for going to Berlin. Would be a little kaiser here in what he considers his own domain and is extremely touchy, or as von der Lancken told me, chatouilleux. Such, then, is the type of man who is now to "govern Belgium"; such is the type of man who boasts about having brought about the resumption of life in Belgium! What is the life that he has caused to resume itself in Belgium? The people would have long ago been starved if we had not organized our American committee and got food over here to feed them. Von Bissing had nothing to do with that; has not helped it in the slightest degree, does not even understand it. While he is absent in Berlin now his staff officers are preparing a statement to lay before him so that he may know what the revictualing consists of and what is being done. He thought for a long time that it was a charity distributing a little food in soup kitchens and a few old clothes to the poor, an organization by Heineman, and of course Heineman was perfectly willing he should think that.

He has printed placards saying he wants industries to be resumed. He has given out interviews stating that it has been resumed, and yet there is no industry left in the country. The first thing he did was to have all the machinery taken out of the factories here and sent into Germany. He will allow no imports to be brought into Belgium and nothing to be exported, so that industry is literally impossible. Forty thousand men working in the gun factories at Liége have refused to work; the mines have been seized by the German authorities because they want the coal. There is in Belgium a general strike as a protest against German aggressions and this general strike is partly forced by conditions, partly brought about by the spirit of the Belgians, an attitude which von Bissing cannot possibly understand.

And then there has been a good deal of talk about opening the museums and so forth; von Bissing's photograph standing by a bust of Hermes and this photograph sent broadcast over the earth. The museums are opened by German order, the Fine Arts Museum the last three days of the week, the Modern Museum the first three days. German sentinels are at the doors and the museums are closed by German time; that is, they are closed at five o'clock in the afternoon, which is four o'clock Belgian time, when there are three good hours of daylight left. They are closed, according to the German arrangement, the hours when the Belgians are free to go and take pleasure in them. But as a matter of fact the Belgians don't go and won't go so long as they have to pass German sentinels at the door and rub arms with brutal German soldiers within the museum, and German officers standing in grinning raptures before the nudes.

A band plays at noon before the National Palace and there are grey soldiers in boots and uniforms goosestepping, but I won't go to see that. I have never seen it because I won't go; I won't appear at any of their functions. And Belgians don't go to see it. I speak of that in connection with art, not that the goosestepping is artistic, but that they would claim that this is a sort of band concert given for the benefit of the people. They organized two concerts at the Monnaie and gathered all the German artists they could get; the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Weingartner conducting, popular prices, and so on, and not a Belgian went to one of their concerts and the old man who keeps the door had a pad to note down any one who did go. I said not one; there was one, a professor at the University of Brussels---a professor of Moral Philosophy! of all things in the world. He went because he loves music. And by unanimous vote and spontaneously the trustees of the University dismissed him.

And then in the other department, that of agriculture, of which von Bissing boasts so much. He has been of course immensely concerned that there should be a crop this year, because he wants to seize it for his soldiers and his Government next year. But as for helping Belgium and agriculture, that is impossible for the simple reason that Belgian agriculture is far in advance of that in Germany by the very nature of things, and there is nothing that von Bissing or any German could teach the Belgians in that department. The seeds that are being used were sent in by our American Commission. They are being planted by peasants on their own land in the old manner, and while spring is come and the sap is pulsing in the trees and seeds are bursting, nobody here, except possibly von Bissing himself, thinks that he is responsible for that. He is cutting down all the pine trees and denuding the forests because they want the trunks of these trees to make roads for their cannons and covers for their trenches. The boughs too of these trees make fine screens for their airships. They have taken all the animals in the country, taken away most of the fine horses and the fine breeds of dogs and sent them back to Germany to be placed there, and then they talk of helping in the resumption of life!

The Government here is a fitting exponent of the spirit of this cruel old man. There are five or six thousand spies running everywhere and denouncing everybody; in the mockeries that they call courts denunciation and suspicion suffice for proof. No householder is safe from the venom of these spies, from the rapacity of their judges, from the cruelty of the soldiers, and frequently when judgments are taken to von Bissing to be approved, as in the case of the de Mérodes and Mme. Lemonnier, he is not satisfied with the severity of the sentence that has been imposed and adds to it; no question is too small for him to concern himself with, and from the children in the streets even respect is "exacted at the point of the bayonet." He has given orders that when his car rolls through the streets every one must get out of the way and it need not slow down for anybody. He is greatly and secretly piqued and annoyed because no one will invite him out to dine.

The Government is a great bureaucracy which governs nothing; it is lost in the maze of its own intricacies. A day does not pass that we don't have to provide new copies of papers we have already filed for the German authorities, papers that have been so carefully put away that nobody can find them. And in an official letter that von Sandt wrote the Comité National about the Relief, they complained of a letter written by the Agricultural Section, when it was under the German patronage and before it had been placed among the charities of the Comité National.

The courts, so-called, would have been considered a mockery during the days of the Terror of the French Revolution. If evidence is lacking, the judges openly say "we will presume that," and every day men and women are sent to Germany, placed in fortresses there and prisons there to be forgotten; placed in prison here or herded like wild beasts at the Kommandantur, when nothing is charged against them, without any means of defence, with no code of laws or of principles to which they could appeal. Nothing, nothing but the whim of an ignorant and brutal judge in uniform to depend upon and always von Bissing to make the sentence more severe. The officials are paid heavy salaries and all those fines and penalties that are daily levied for all sorts of trifles go into the chests. Only the other day a new horde of functionaries of the customs officials was imported, and for this the city of Brussels must pay ninety thousand francs per month.

And every day on the walls of the city the people are insulted in placards, and slowly their courage and spirit is sapped away. This is the sort of government the Germans have brought to Belgium; this is the way life is revived under the smiling beneficences of his Excellency von Bissing.

He is another Duke of Alva for this land, without either the courage or the intelligence of a Duke of Alva.

May 14, 1915.---Still much talk and wild speculation about the results of the Lusitania disaster and our relations with Germany. The Rotterdamsche Courant says today that the President has written a very energetic note to Germany demanding that she abide by the Paris declarations as to the laws and rules of war; that she give non-combatants sailing on unarmed ships a chance to save their, lives before the ship is sunk or taken, and he says if this is not done he may find himself powerless to restrain himself from taking drastic action with public opinion as it is in America. The Times in today, says that not since the Maine was sunk has there been such feeling in America and that not since Fort Sumter was fired upon have we faced such a crisis. The Times correspondent reports the people as keeping their heads. Well, a fine example of what an enlightened democracy can do in times of stress; and everybody is trusting the President who has a greater task than any man since Lincoln and is easily the greatest President we have had since Lincoln's time. Times full of long accounts of the horrible disaster. It seems that my poor friend Elbert Hubbard has gone down and Charles Klein too, and I fear to look at the list lest there be others that I knew.

Meanwhile word has come from London that great efforts are being made to ship as much food as is possible to our Commission at Rotterdam, and orders have been given that all food possible be rushed into Belgium. The word came through by the courier from Rotterdam today, and we have been speculating as to what it means. Francqui and some of them think that the neutral nations are to take action in concert, and that Holland will follow the lead of America, and maybe we shall be brought in the war or if not that, a suspension of diplomatic relations, which is what many insist will happen.

May 17, 1915.---Von Bissing has at last found a château near Vilvorde where he hopes to pass a quiet restful summer. He has rented, or perhaps requisitioned, the château of the Orléans for that purpose. Josse Allard was summoned to the Kommandantur the other day and told that His Excellency was very pleasantly impressed with his château at Uccie. They wanted to know if he would rent it.

"Not for ten million francs," said Allard. "If his excellency wants it, let him requisition it."

Thereupon Allard offered it to me for the summer for nothing! I only wish I could accept.

May 18, 1915.---Villalobar in for a moment and then d'Ansembourg with his son, and Deputy Muller of the Grand Duchy, and another man, a Belgian, insisting that I arrange a means whereby the Grand Duchy can be fed. They want at least the flour that the Grand Duchy loaned Belgian Luxembourg last autumn. I don't know what we can do; the English won't consent.

Then Caspar Whitney,(4) well dressed and with a shock of snow-white hair, and Prof. George M. Harper,(4) of Princeton; here to work on revictualing. Both strongly anti-German, certain the Allies will win---some day; and both impressed with the seriousness of the situation created by the Lusitania affair. Hoover, they say, had a telegram from the President, asking what effect the suspension of diplomatic relations with Germany would have on the Commission's work; Hoover sent him a "strong" warlike reply, saying not to hesitate on that account, that they could keep things going here, either by leaving Gibson as chargé or through the Dutch Government. Gibson would last about two days with the Germans. He has never got on with them from the first....

If Caspar Whitney and Prof. Harper correctly report what Hoover said---that I could be withdrawn and the revictualing carried on through a chargé d'affaires left here---Hoover evidently does not understand the diplomatic situation in which we here find ourselves. Indeed, few seem to have understood it. Here it is then:

I am not accredited to von Bissing or to the German soldiers in Belgium---thank Heaven! I am accredited to the King of the Belgians. My place then is near him, that is, at Havre. His country is occupied by German troops. For nine months I have been de trop and too dense to take a hint. The President could withdraw Gerard, for instance, from Berlin, where he is accredited. He could not withdraw me from Brussels as one accredited to the occupying forces; he could, of course, order me to go to Havre; and what most likely would happen if we were to break off diplomatic relations with Germany is that the Germans, more or less politely, would ask me to get out of their military lines. And in that event they would not wish any of us to remain here.

However, as to the revictualing. There is now enough food in Belgium to last throughout the month of May and part, probably all, of June, and more is coming. In any event England would probably stop the whole thing on the 15th of August, or insist on a new arrangement under which the Germans would have to respect the new crop---which they would be loath to do.

However, as Asquith said, "Wait and see!"

Reading Norman Angell's The Great Illusion this evening. How wholly right he is! A great book!

May 20, 1915.---Ayres here to dinner last night and after a day of terrible hard work and strain---this anxiety of the Lusitania incident has indeed worn us all out---we enjoyed his inimitable songs and ragtime. He leaves today for England, and I am sorry to see him go, yet glad too, for his "neutral" songs would have got him into trouble sooner or later.

Up this morning and downstairs to get the MS of my novel into the pouch before the courier left for The Hague. I sent off everything, a mass of documents of all sorts, in order to have them safely out of the country in case of eventualities. I hope they are safe at The Hague tonight and that van Dyke will care for them.

Downstairs then and de Leval said: "The news is good, or at any rate better." And he told me that the Kölnische Zeitung today says that Bernstorff and Bryan have begun pourparlers in the hope of settling the incident, and that meanwhile the submarines would refrain from torpedoing Americans. We could breathe a little easier. The people here in Brussels have been so excited, fearing we would leave. Gibson (of Namur), just back from Poland by way of Berlin, reports that the whole staff of our Embassy there was packed up and ready to leave. The Times prints the full text of the President's note; a superb document, as the Times and all American newspapers abundantly recognize. All Americans support the President except Roosevelt, who, of course, must always play the cheapest kind of politics.

The interest, too, in Italy's movements is exceedingly keen. Crowds stand all day long before the Italian Legation and before Reseis's(5) residence to see if the red, white and green flag is coming down. It is pathetic. We read today in a German newspaper that King Emmanuel has donned his field uniform, and appeared in public.

We hear too that Asquith has formed a new Government, a coalition with representatives of all parties.

May 21, 1915.---Such a lovely horse-chestnut as we see from the windows of Nell's dressing-room; it is all in pink bloom, then across, the green of the gardens and the tiles of the pretty roofs. What peace in that direction!

And elsewhere what a turmoil. Nobody talks of anything but Italy now---the crowds still watch the Legation, and Reseis, they say, is all packed up ready to go. The news today is that the Chamber has voted to sustain the Government, which is for war.

Chicogni (Italian Consul) has given evidence today of how chic a man can be. He has been helping out on revictualing and, at my request and on my guarantee, von Bissing gave him a passport to come and go as he pleased. He was in Holland the other day, and might have stayed, of course, but he came back, surrendered that passport, and then in his own name asked for another permitting him to leave. I had asked Gibson to go to see him and to thank him, but I saw Chicogni, by accident, on the boulevard, tearing along in his motor. I waved to him, and he stopped, descended and I said:

"I wish merely to say that you are a true gentleman, and I salute you and thank you."

He blushed red: "One could not do otherwise," he said. But the Germans have not as yet given him a passport to depart! Chicogni was terribly excited.

Pouch in today; no word from van Dyke saying he had received my papers and put them away for me. Newspaper clippings from home, stories by returned Americans who "saw" Belgium---that is, stopped at Palace Hotel two or three days---and said there had been no atrocities! Great God! Nowhere in the world can a damn fool get so ready or so wide a hearing as in America. I was looking over some of the reports of atrocities today; and then going out saw the grey coats marching by and the officers strutting about, and I thought of what they had done and were doing, and of the atrocities they and their like had committed---worst atrocity of all the rape of liberty---and hate fills me.

May 24, 1915.---Pentecost Monday, and another holiday. A day of brilliant sunshine, like our northern Michigan. Walking at noon in the boulevard with the Baroness Lambert; no talk save of Italy; Leon had had Reseis to dinner to gloat over him, for he had long since predicted to Reseis that he (Reseis) would leave Brussels before the end of May, and that he himself would leave for St. Moritz the 1st of August. He means by this that the Germans would be out of Brussels by that time ....

At German headquarters one of the officers told Villalobar that they had not decided yet where to have their Kommandantur in Italy, whether at Florence or at Venice.

"If I were you," said Villalobar, "I would put it rather at Naples."

After luncheon to Ravenstein and there much talk of Italy, and t'Kint, Josse Allard, Sinçay and others saying that Italy had formally declared war. Tea on the lawn---and a German officer walking impudently up to look us over; the subalterns had followed Reilly and me down the first hole. Nell and I drove homeward out the Malines road, and across the charming peaceful fields, now green with the tall grain. The peasants all out, children crying "Vive l'Amérique," and the peasant women with their Sunday bonnets on. Back into town and crowds at all the placards reading them attentively.

I had just got out of my bath and was dressing for dinner when Nell came up:

"Italy officially declared war as of 12 o'clock midnight last night."

Gibson had brought the news.

At last, then, that point settled anyway! After nine months of tiresome discussion in salons, at dinner tables, and so on. Now we take up Roumania. Will she enter the dance?

Heineman is leaving for Lisbon.

I have not been over to German headquarters for several days. I don't go oftener than necessary.

There has been terrible fighting around Ypres; and the Times, our last number---a week old-says that the English have made headway.

Is this the great movement so long predicted?...

Great numbers of wounded are being brought in.

Tonight from my window the moon sails over the roofs, and bathes the gardens in its light. The wind stirs the leaves gently. The air is soft and cool. "How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!"

And this hell of war! Mark Twain was right; the damned human race!

May 25, 1915.---This morning Galpin(6) in, then Crosby, then Villalobar. Galpin, to our great regret, is going; he says he can no longer endure the Germans. He has worked hard here on the revictualing and everybody likes him. He goes at the end of the week.

He told me a new story of Murdock the cowboy. At Mons the stevedores struck. Murdock put up a placard saying he would be in the Grande Place at a certain hour to employ men; was there accordingly with a box of coins---and hired enough men to take the places of the strikers. Lately he has been transferred to Maubeuge. A German captain appeared at C.R.B. headquarters and began to complain to Murdock that the food was not coming in rapidly enough. He talked in the brutal manner these officers have, but not for long. Murdock spread out his great palm, covered the Captain's face with it---literally seized him by the face, as it were---and pushed him thus backwards into the street.

"Now," he said, "when you have learned to use a civil tongue, come back and I'll talk with you."

Mon capitaine thereafter very polite and mild.

There is a young prince there, some relation, nephew perhaps, of the Kaiser. He follows Murdock around like a dog.

"The poor little fellow," said Murdock, "he hasn't got any friends and I let him go round with me."

May 26, 1915.---Villalobar in; discussed Cardinal Mercier's request that we interpose ourselves between the German authorities and the population at Malines. Villalobar had a simple solution, quite Spanish, to speak to von der Lancken, saying that we knew we had no right, and that we could do nothing, and then tell the Cardinal we had done what he asked. The good old trick---the double-cross. Made Villalobar drive me over to Uccle, and as we were going out the door, saw a poor woman weeping and wailing, with several children, all dirty; the eldest, a girl, old enough to know trouble, wept with her and as they wept and wailed they all resolutely chewed gum; by which sign I knew they had had American experience. They came indeed from Charlesbury, West Virginia. The Germans, of course, had misused them and we made up a little purse for them and gave the poor woman a letter to the Germans. That chewing gum was sufficient proof that they had at least been in America.

Caspar Whitney here to dinner tonight. He goes down to Luxembourg (Belge). He came over on the St. Paul with Nock (from whom, by the way, a good letter in today's pouch). Whitney told us of a certain Mr. and Mrs. Billiki of Los Angeles, who were on the Lusitania, voyaging for their health! He had called on Mrs. Billiki in a nursing home in England; she still dazed by her dreadful experience. She had gone down, then came up and clung to a spar with others. One by one they dropped off, exhausted; she clung on, and finally saw cruising towards them a small boat. She called out to the others, "Hang on! A boat is coming!" She looked---the boat approached---then suddenly sank below the smooth surface of the sea. It was the submarine of which she had seen the periscope---the Germans were beholding their work; no doubt finding it good! ... Afterwards a trawler rescued her.

May 28, 1915.---News this morning in Rotterdamsche Courant that the Germans have torpedoed an American merchantman, the Nebraska, bound for America, but no great damage; equipage saved and the ship limped back to port. What does it mean? Are the Germans determined to embroil us in the row? That they hate us, I know from the attitude of the officers here, but what good could it do them to have another enemy? The hypothesis that they search the excuse of having the world against them, in order to escape from the war and make peace, is not tenable; for the German mentality is not fine enough for that; a German can not keep two facts in his head at one time, especially the Prussian soldiers who, aside from their knowledge of arms, are an exceedingly dull and ignorant lot; not one of them that I have met, has any sensibility, any taste, any sense of humor or proportion. Enfin! as la Baronne says! The war drags on, will drag on for months or years. There is not a sign in the sky today of the Germans weakening or of the Allies being able to advance. Villalobar asked von der Lancken pointblank today if there were any truth in the rumor that they were considering falling back along the Meuse, and he simply laughed.

"Abandon the coast to the English!" he said with scorn.

June 2, 1915.---We are all in uncertainty about the results of the Lusitania. The courier in today says that it is expected in Holland that diplomatic relations with Germany will be broken off. This uncertainty is terrible. Letters from home; Mother not well; a note from dear old Frank Neilson; now in a country place near Liverpool, and his sister was lost on the Lusitania.

And the Times very discouraging and depressing. As I have thought and said for six weeks, there is no Kitchener army and no prospect except of an indefinite stay of the Germans in Belgium. The old British can growl, but no longer bite! Ah me! What is to become of liberty in this world, with the armed socialism of Germany in control? For it is just that---socialism in arms.

But one laughs sometimes. The Brussels shop windows---it being forbidden to express sympathy with the Italians by displaying the Italian colors!---all display quantities of macaroni! L'esprit Bruxellois!

American newspapers in the pouch today---first we have seen since the Lusitania disaster. Poor Elbert Hubbard! He joked---and said he was coming over here to see me! ... Of course, the papers are full of Roosevelt's constant abuse of the President. What a blatherskite he is! A man of force, but wholly without spiritual perception. I suppose he never read intelligently, for instance, any poems unless it were some ballad like John Gilpin's ride; he reads only for information, not for pleasure.

June 7, 1915.---I was awakened this morning suddenly and sharply by loud explosions; I thought for a moment that it was thunder, but no; there was that sharp boom three times, it was a gun. I got up, and went to my window. It was just half past two o'clock, and the dawn was breaking; over the roofs across the rue de Trèves, an old moon hung, in the last quarter, with a dull glitter, like old battered silver; near it the morning star, and a touch of delicate rose in the sky, and the still solemn scene of dawn. Again those sharp reports, but nothing to see, though I assumed the guns at the hangar at Evere were firing on an aëroplane. I called Nell, and in dressing-gowns, we hung out the window. One by one the windows along the rue de Trèves were opened, heads popped out.

"It's an aëroplane," said one man, with the satisfied and important air of one who knows it all.

The police agent sauntered into the middle of the street and addressed the heads thrust out; speaking in Flemish, the rich Flemish of the Bruxellois, that gives the French they speak its peculiar flavor. I don't know what he said but every one laughed, rather nervously, and he was evidently content; revenged momentarily, no doubt, for having to salute the arrogant conquerors. The man across the street, who is always reading novels at his upper window, unlocking his door with a great rattling of keys, came out into the street and joined the agent; they sauntered off to the corner. Some one sneezed, and every one laughed. Then it was very still.

And there in the lovely dawn, we watched and listened. The shots of the cannon---those slim cannon we had seen pointing upward near the great hangar at Evere, with its roof painted in wide stripes, rather naïvely I thought, to resemble the little fields, of green and brown and yellow-solemnly boomed in the silence, incessantly; we saw nothing at first, then out over the roofs towards the northeast, beyond the Cinquantenaire, in the direction of Evere, high in the sky, we detected flashes of fire, that were gone before one could point them out, the shrapnel exploding in the air.

"They're after the hangar and the Zeppelin at Evere," I said.

"Oh, I do hope they get it!" exclaimed Nell. "Blow it up!"

Strange, how those brutal and ferocious Germans have implanted their own hatred in all hearts. It was an universal prayer in all hearts, an universal aspiration going up towards that brave unknown flyer up there out of sight, in God's sweet dawn, and the guns making a kind of solemn music all the while.

And then there was a different sound---two explosions, in a lower, heavier, more muffled note, surely, I imagined, the bombs falling on the hangar. Then a furious cannonade, and the flashes in the sky---and then all still again. We waited, then went back to bed.

Once back in my bed I heard the noise of an aëroplane's motor. I got up again and Nell came along, and we went back to the window in my dressing-room, and there high in the sky I saw a monoplane, flying towards the north; the firing began again. Having now fixed the dramatic center of that strange conflict in the sky, it was easier to follow it. The shrapnel were exploding below and around the monoplane, flashes of fire---but he sailed on ....

The rue de Trêves was filled with men gazing upwards; one man having thoughtfully provided himself with binoculars. There were forms moving about in the upper rooms of the de Meux's house just across the way in the rue Belliard. All Brussels was awake and watching, following with bated breath, and intense affectionate sympathy that unknown friend flying so high above into the northern sky.(7)

June 8, 1915.---T'Kint told me at Ravenstein that an English aviator threw the bombs, driving almost headlong at the hangar, and there looping the loop; and Montgomery talked with a German officer at headquarters today who said:

"It must have been an Englishman; he was so brave!"

A tribute, that!

Crosby says that at Berne, Stovall(8) told him that von Bernstorff had suggested to the President that he take advantage of the situation, that is, the discussion of the Lusitania catastrophe, to make peace; that Germany would evacuate Belgium, and erect Poland into a kingdom, with a German prince. But I can't believe that.

We have stories of German dislike of us. Mme. Le Faire, the fruit-seller, told Nell that a German client refused to buy American apples.

"America won't send us ammunition, and sends it to our enemies!"

The same stupid and dishonest assumption that our Government sends the munitions ....

Another copy of La Libre Belgique left at the door today. "He had a dauntless spirit, and a press."

For days the Germans have been taking all the horses; great strings of them go down the streets, led by soldiers, who ride arrogantly, impudently, proudly along; it is a shameful sight, and a terrible---all this unrebuked, unpunished crime.

June 9, 1915.---Reuter's press bureau published a dispatch here today saying that Bryan has resigned as Secretary of State. No details, no reasons are given. I fancy it may be the Mexican situation that has brought it about; a disagreement possibly with the President over intervention, a policy that has been hinted at in dispatches the last two or three days. We do not know---and speculation tonight is idle.

Villalobar had the news at German headquarters, but no comment was made there. Villalobar had no other news, except that Van Vollenhoven had told him today that America would break off relations, but he was worried and excited because of the revictualing.

Hoover arrived tonight, but I have not seen him. He comes, I presume, to take up the question of the new crops, England having refused to permit continuance of the Commission's work after August 15 unless Germans here give promise not to requisition the new crop.

The pouch in today---nothing but a letter from Omer and his portrait, showing him smiling and fat, and wearing a moustache.

Times has this fine editorial by Marse Henry:

As a model of style, compression, and "fierce neutrality," we reproduce the full text of the principal leading article which appeared in the Courier Journal of Louisville on Sunday morning, May 16. It runs as follows: ---

"The Herr Doctor Dernburg's room is better than his company.(9) If an honest man he was a most mistaken man; if merely an organizer of the German Colony in America, and an agent of the German Spy System, he was the enemy, not the friend, of his countrymen in America. He could help no cause. He has greatly hurt the cause of Germany. Let him go and be damn'd to him, and now, as ever, to Hell with the Hohenzollern and the Hapsburg!"

June 10, 1915.---A busy morning, as was to have been expected, with so much excitement in the air. The German newspaper---the Kölnische Zeitung---had a dispatch from Washington relating to Bryan's resignation; saying that the Secretary had left the Cabinet because he could not approve the warlike tenor of the President's note, and so forth. From which at once every one deduced that a rupture of diplomatic relations was imminent---and then more talk of our leaving, which gets on one's nerves after awhile. If it could only be one thing or the other, and not this living on from day to day in uncertainty!

It brought Lemonnier who said he hoped I was not going and wanted to know about the future of the revictualing. I reassured him on that point which relieved him.

And then Hoover came with Crosby, and Shaler who had come with Hoover from London. He came, as I supposed, to see if some arrangement could not be made whereby the Germans would not seize the new crop; if they would not England would no longer consent to the revictualing. The new government is composed of many conservatives, the hard and brutal type, and of course they are so much more difficult to deal with than the liberal and human type. We talked for an hour as to how best to approach the Germans, but reached no conclusion; another meeting tomorrow will be necessary---and more than that, I fear! It has been a tremendous task. In the beginning, we felt that if we could get that wheat from Antwerp we would be doing so much; then if we could only get through the winter; and now here it is June and Hoover says we must arrange for twelve months longer, and for $60,000,000 to do it with!

And as for England in the war---it was just what I have been thinking for months. England went into the war with the traditional British self-sufficiency and smugness; with her navy to blockade Germany and sweep her commerce from the seas, and 150,000 men and a few generals in France---and Russia fighting in the East---the war would soon be won. She recruited an army, the celebrated Kitchener army, of a million and a half of men---a holiday in training camps---with which she would dictate the terms of peace. And now Russia is whipped, and cannot take the offensive for another year; the Kitchener army is not equipped; England has not "organized up" (to use Hoover's phrase) her industries; she has not even taken advantage of America to order arms! Only in May had she given any considerable contracts in America, for only now has England awakened to her danger and aroused to her task. So the end is far off, and uncertain!

Hoover has written to Gerard to take up the matter of revictualing here in Belgium, the non-requisition of the new crop, and so on, with the Kaiser himself, thinking that in a personal interview he could possibly settle all the hard points, and Gerard sent word that he had not long before had a personal interview with the Kaiser, and that the Kaiser had so grossly insulted him that never again would he have an interview with him.

Gerard had not reported this incident to Washington, not wishing to add to the President's difficulties, but he told it to Colonel House, who approved. The Kaiser sent for Colonel House to come see him, but Colonel House refused.

Kitchener sent for Hoover and proposed if he would become an English citizen he would make him Minister of Munitions. But Hoover declined.

The English aviator who threw the bombs here Sunday night has been given the Victoria Cross---so Hoover says.

June 11, 1915.---Cooler today, thank the Lord! Villalobar and Francqui, Hoover, Crosby, and Shaler in for a discussion of the requisition of the new crop and we discussed it at length---with the usual antipathy of Villalobar and Hoover for each other, and the difficulty, of finding a way to approach the Germans for the new assurance demanded by the English, without letting them know that the English have demanded. We hit upon a plan finally; the Comité National to write Villalobar and me saying that the C.R.B. must know what purchases to make for the period after the middle of August, when the new harvest will be in, and Villalobar and I thereupon to approach them from this point. I had de Leval draw up a brief which we showed to Villalobar this afternoon, and we are to ask an appointment with von der Lancken ....

Blancas(10) called, nothing but talk about the Germans whom Blancas detests.

"They are beasts!" he said.

A man from Courtrai had told him that the Germans have changed the name over the railway station at Courtrai to Ypres---to cheer up their soldiers! And at Namur they have soldiers hold up a banner whenever troops pass through, saying that King Albert has been wounded and taken prisoner. A long talk with this pleasant, kindly, intelligent man. He says that the future is for America, and hopes for a closer understanding between the northern and southern continents ....

No news about the note---except that the German papers are now hating America in their most approved way. What a terrible legacy of hatred they are leaving for the future!

June 12, 1915.---Hoover was sick at England's unpreparedness for this war. He gave many examples, not the least striking perhaps that of the manufacturers of Leeds, who met in council, agreed to operate their factories for the Government and to manufacture munitions; there were, of course, difficulties as to the details of assembling, of adjusting their machines to new work, and so on, but they' apportioned the work and then asked the Government to agree simply to pay the cost, so that the works could be kept going. The Government paid no attention to the offer and when the manufacturers inquired weeks later, said that the Government could only deal with each manufacturer separately. And so the thing stood when Hoover left London.

"They will muddle through," said he. "The Englishman likes to muddle through."

"They were to be ready in May," said some one.

"Next May," said Hoover.

Confirming my belief now nearly more than a month old, the Kitchener army is not on the continent; is not even equipped---is drilling now with wooden guns!

It is terribly depressing, how depressing no one can know who has not lived in this atmosphere with a constant denial of every human right, of every blessing of liberty.

I remarked that I could not bear the thought of seeing the French again humiliated, the French beyond all doubts the most intelligent, the most developed, the most artistic people in the world---bound to us by the ties of republicanism---and so noble, so brave, so calmly heroic in these times ....

What if the Germans won't wait until next May? Must the night come---the night of liberty in the world, until, long years hence, mankind can rise again and throw off the yoke?

The war, of course, Hoover went on, will leave an impoverished Europe, and provoke an economic crisis. The war debt will be enormous, beyond all imagination, and men will have to work to pay it. And that may mean revolution, perhaps repudiation.

Well, after all, why not? Why not repudiation of a war debt, I thought? That would end war, if the people were to do that. But it is hard for the people to act!

Then---as we were talking thus, and not to much purpose---Bulle came in, and translated the new American note for us. His translation was free, and at sight, and the note was not printed in full, and had probably been prepared for German consumption, so we could form no opinion; the note seems reasonable, and I am sure in the President's English is very strong. So wait and see. At any rate, I was glad it was not warlike.

June 14, 1915.---This morning at eleven to St.-Boniface for the mass for Franz Wittouck who a year ago fell dead suddenly. Then back and to work. Villalobar in; had been over to the Ministryand von der Lancken there; Villalobar saw him by accident and von der Lancken embarrassed; had evidently never been to Berlin at all. Villalobar arranged for our interview in the morning. Another German trick!

Miss Dodge here to luncheon, then Francqui with much interesting talk about Leopold II, and his ventures in China, and in America---all very interesting, but too long to be set down here, tired and worried as I am tonight. Talk too, of course, of revictualing.

Worked on then at my desk, not out once, and at five Hoover, Crosby, Shaler---and trouble---came in. Hoover is furious at the treatment of the C.R.B. by the Germans, who say they do not recognize it, though they deal with it continually. And Hoover says he hears Villalobar has poisoned the Germans' minds against him and the C.R.B.; is furious with Villalobar and ready to withdraw altogether from the work---which would mean that it would cease altogether, for England relies wholly on Hoover's advice. No one wants to do that, of course, but Hoover and Crosby and all the Americans who have worked so hard, so faithfully, without recompense, purely for humanity, are tired of the treatment the Germans have accorded them---insult, suspicion, contempt, hatred, and so on ---and now when they think that Villalobar has helped the Germans to this state of mind, they are ready to quit---and let him do it all. The trouble is he couldn't do it; and the poor Belgians would starve, unless the Dutch Government would take it up. Hoover and Crosby then went off to see Lambert---came back, saying they saw the yellow flag at the door---Villalobar's flag on his motor. I sent them back again saying that Lambert would be in his bureau, and Villalobar in the baroness's salon.

June 15, 1915.---I thought about Hoover and his feeling about the Commission and Villalobar and all the complications and troubles that the mystery of personality creates in a great work like this, and I came to the conclusion that whoever might quarrel I should not and that the one thing to be kept in view was the pitiful plight of the Belgians. Crosby arrived early in the morning having had similar reflections. He came to suggest that if it were necessary for the Commission to retire, that the coming new crop might be the best use as an excuse for so doing and that between now and then, if necessary, we might gradually transfer the work into other hands, if there were others to be found who had hands that they considered more qualified than ours to do the work.

And so, when Villalobar came at ten o'clock, I began to unfold this view of the case to him, but he would not listen and said:

"No, no! We must keep the Commission and we must fight for it if necessary. If I have had no feeling about it in the past, I am sorry and it shall be forgotten. It is an excellent organization and we could not have a better and we must go on as we have done. I admire Crosby and I think well of Hoover whatever he may think of me."

Thus reassured and really delighted and relieved, I went with him at half past ten to see von der Lancken. We were shown upstairs to the Ministry and von der Lancken received us cordially and said he had an appointment with von Bissing at eleven, and that we had not much time. I told him that if he would only do what we had come to ask him to do he could get away in five minutes; whereat he laughed and said he would have to hear first what we wanted.

We presented our notes, identical in terms, concerning the disposition to be made of foodstuffs about the time the new crops are to be gathered, and then began to discuss some details concerning it, saying, for instance, that von Bissing had been thinking over the matter and had some notion of establishing some more rigid régime, letting the nation have what was being done in Germany, and so on. Villalobar had asked me to do the talking this morning, saying that he would support what I said, and so I said that it was useless to discuss details, and that we must discuss the principles and that the note was more or less intended to introduce the whole subject, which was literally:

"What do you Germans propose to do with this new crop?"

We talked around the question for a bit. Von der Lancken harked back to what I had said once about the difficulty of feeding a lamb in a cage with a lion and a tiger and said: "Who is the tiger, and who is the lion here? We or the English?"

I said: "That depends on the day, Monsieur!"

And he laughed and so I got him into a good humor.

I told him that as soon as we went out of his presence he should remember that we had to deal with the English, who were exceedingly difficult on this subject, and finally I said I could put it to him I thought more simply. I said:

"What proportion of the food stock required by the Belgians for a year will the new crop provide?"

He said:

"Roughly speaking about a fifth. In normal times Belgium had to import four-fifths of her foodstuffs."

"Very well," I said, "I will make you a proposition. The new crop is one-fifth of the new supply for the coming year. You can do one of two things. You can leave that one-fifth to the Belgians and the Commission for Relief in Belgium will furnish the other four-fifths, and you will get in addition and very cheaply---for the crop does not amount really to so very much---the credit for having been just and generous. Or you can take that one-fifth and then import yourselves from Germany four-fifths to make up the deficit." He thought a minute and said that while he could not speak for the Governor-General, he thought it would be better to take my first proposition. I told him I thought so too, and Villalobar looked at me very much delighted at the favorable turn events were taking. But von der Lancken finally returned with an additional thought. He said:

"If we give you the one-fifth, what assurance have we that when the Belgians have eaten that up, the English won't come in?"

I said at once: "You are perfectly right to say that, and I am prepared to say that the English will give satisfactory assurances."

Villalobar was of the same opinion, and so we came tentatively to terms according to which we should see Hoover and Crosby and Francqui, and obtain these assurances. Von der Lancken thus satisfied, I took advantage of the opportunity to say that I wanted to see better relations between the Germans and the Commission, and I wanted him to see Crosby and have a talk with him, and he agreed to do this. And we decided to have a conference with Crosby and Hoover here at the Legation.

As we were going out of the door von der Lancken, stationed there in a new jacket he has today without buttons, on which he wore his ribbon of the iron cross, and with high boots on far above his knees, said to me, smiling: "What am I today, a lion or a tiger?"

And I said: "Monsieur, today you are verily an elephant."

So he laughed and we went away quite pleased with results thus far. I had Villalobar drive me round to Josse Allard's and I said:

"Don't get into another fight until I see you again!"

And he said:

"Oh! I'll never get into fights any more; I am a good boy."

So home, and sent for Crosby and Hoover and they came after luncheon and were pleased with what had been thus far accomplished. Hoover then went away to prepare the memorandum on the whole subject. We must now try to work out the details.

The German papers today discuss the President's Note. The opinion here, as I stated yesterday in my notes, is very favorable and as I read it over and as every one reads it over, the more I come, the more every one comes, to the conclusion that it is a hard nut to crack, The German papers indeed intimate this view today, and Bryan is quoted as saying that the German Note was changed after he had resigned, as though a trick had been played upon him; and also they say. that T. R, is. excoriating Bryan .... As a matter of fact, Bryan's action in resigning is that of a mucker---if any one cares for my opinion on the subject.

June 16, 1915.--To see von der Lancken at four o'clock with Villalobar. Von der Lancken received us in the salon; had a great dossier before him, and after we had gossiped a moment, he plunged into the subject, saying first, that von Bissing had agreed that the new crop should go to the Belgians. Thus in principle we were agreed and that much was gained. Then he emitted a sinister "mais," and went on to say that the Governor-General wished to put into effect his pet project of organizing the distribution of the crop on the lines already prevailing in Germany. We objected to this on numerous grounds, and von der Lancken said it would be difficult to get the Governor-General to change his mind; that he was a hard man to deal with and so on. We discussed this a long time, setting forth all our objections---the confusion and overlapping of organizations, the trouble of convincing England, and so on, and finally agreed to meet again tomorrow afternoon, von der Lancken in the meantime to think it over. And here another difficulty arose; Francqui and Crosby were to be at the meeting and I suggested Hoover, but von der Lancken said he would rather talk to Hoover privately since Hoover does not speak French, and he does not speak English very well. I had to consent, to keep him in the family, but I am afraid Hoover won't like it-and that makes more difficulty! Ah me! How I should like to shirk the whole business!

I heard a strange, beautiful, and latterly almost unknown sound at daybreak yesterday, the musical ring of a mason's trowel on a brick! There is no building now, no industry, and this note of a remote normal life was sweet to hear. And what longing it created! I could imagine myself for an instant in some little Ohio town on a summer morning, with peace around and men working seriously!

And to arise to this! Shall I ever see peace again?

I have asked Villalobar, Francqui, Hoover, Crosby, Lambert et al., to meet me here tomorrow morning to talk it all over---and at three we shall see von der Lancken again.

June 17, 1915.---Hoover, Crosby, and Shaler in at half past ten, and I told them about the meeting for the afternoon and explained to Hoover my embarrassment over the fact that he had not been invited. He was splendid-said it did not make the slightest difference; said he was persona non grata and that he had nothing to see them about in any event. He was very much pleased that we had made as much headway as we had. Then Villalobar came and Solvay and Francqui and Lambert and Janssen, and we talked over the situation and the programme for a long time, and finally agreed upon certain principles which we reduced to the form of the following statements:

I. The assurance that the entire Belgian crop will be reserved exclusively for the civil population of Belgium is an initial point upon which there is complete accord, the Government under the German Occupation giving this guarantee.

It is similarly understood that the Comité National and the Commission for Relief in Belgium shall continue to carry on the revictualing of the Belgian civil population.

II. In order that the Comité National and the Commission for Relief in Belgium may immediately continue their activities in Belgium, it is desirable that these two organizations know approximately the crop resources of the different districts of the country. They can thus identify the districts in Belgium which require immediate imports of food from abroad, and those in which imports will not be needed until certain dates in the future.

It is proposed that districts be established, probably following provincial lines, in such a way that the harvest in a given district shall be reserved exclusively for the civil population in that district.

III. The important question raised by the Governor-General concerning the method by which the harvest shall be bought from the Belgian farmers... has been the subject of preliminary discussions with the Comité National. The latter, to meet the wish expressed by the Governor-General, has suggested that the coöperative societies already existing in the provinces should be employed for this purpose. This question will be subject to an understanding between the two Ministers [Whitlock and Villalobar] and the Governor-General.

The atmosphere of that meeting was quite familiar. I have been living in it now for twenty years; a room full of men all smoking and talking at once; all with more or less vague, hazy ideas of what ought to be done or what they want to do and finally, when it comes to writing it down, each anxious to have it put in his words. The infinite difficulty being in reaching a common end and in precipitating it...

At three o'clock Villalobar came and we drove over to von der Lancke Francqui and Crosby already there; Francqui sitting in wn der Lancken's salon reading the latest copy of l'Illustration from Paris and very glad of this opportunity to get, as it were, some news from home. I looked over the paper with him and in the photographs of the French soldiers I was struck by their superior appearance; they are so much more chic, wear their uniforms so much better than the German soldiers, and they are so much better soldiers, but-von der Lancken came in presently and then Dr. Reith, and we began our long discussion.

We were at it for hours, Lancken and Reith and Francqui and Crosby and Villalobar and I, but finally I decided to keep still and let them talk it out without any interruptions. I went over and looked out the window into the park; then came back and studied Reith's face, very red as he bent over the table in one of those seizures of bull-headedness from which Germans suffer so often. Impossible to get him to see a single thing or to change a single idea. There was no difficulty about their promising to leave the harvest to the Belgians---that was easily disposed of. The difficulty came when the scheme of the Governor-General was proposed, that is, his scheme of arranging the distribution here as it is in Germany. It is a reflection of the German provincial spirit; everything must be done as Germans do it; everything must be done as done in Germany. I suppose he wants the Belgians even to eat with their knives and smack their chops while they are eating. Curiously enough, in evolving this masterful organization, as it soon developed, neither he nor von der Lancken nor Reith had once thought of where the money was to come from to buy the harvest; they had not once thought of such question as insurance, transportation, demurrage, freight charges, and above all, the fluctuation of the wheat market and the desirability of buying as cheaply as possible. Not one of these things had entered into their consideration. An organization must be created and everything hammered into it; everything poured into the German method and hammered on their anvil.

But it remained for the clever Francqui to settle the whole thing. He looked up with that quick, naïve way he can assume at times and said to von der Lancken: "Baron, may I ask you a question?"

"Why certainly," replied von der Lancken.

"His excellency the Governor-General wishes to buy the crop, does he not?"

"Yes indeed," replied von der Lancken.

"And with what?" said Francqui.

They had never thought of the question of money. Von der Lancken said they would take it and sell it to the Communes.

"But the Communes have no money."

The result of this discussion was that Francqui said he would furnish the money or the Société Générale would furnish it if it were desired, and this had a mollifying effect. Finally we reached a conclusion and reduced it to the following terms .... (11)

The Comité National and the Commission for Relief in Belgium ...will continue to import into Belgium, until the harvest of 1916, the provisions necessary to the support of the civil population in the occupied territory under the orders of the Governor-General in Belgium.

The Governor-General in Belgium, on his side, will hold at the disposition of the Belgian civil population in the territory under his command the harvest of grain of 1915 used in the making of bread (wheat and rye).

As soon as the Governor-General shall have come to a decision on the question of the distribution of the harvest, whether it be distributed throughout the entire country, or whether it be distributed in the regions producing it, or whether, according to some altogether different system, the decision taken will be communicated to the Ministers of Spain and of the United States ....

It is now said that von Bissing has to refer all this to Berlin, although we have hitherto been assured on occasion that von Bissing was sovereign here and responsible to nobody but God.

As I was standing looking out the window during this conference Crosby sauntered over to me and said:

"Francqui talks too much. It is terrible; he gets off the question and makes it very difficult."

As we went out Francqui whispered to me:

"That Crosby, there, is a stupid fellow; he almost ruined our business!"

The proper study of mankind indeed is man.

In addition to this, Hoover is giving me a letter with his views on the subject, which I have had translated into French for von der Lancken and the Herren Professoren who are hiding back somewhere no doubt in their cages and who are studying this question of revictualing and the more they study the less they know about it.

I have visions of them constantly when I go over there. The military, of course, have an unutterable contempt for them and treat them like servants; keep them in back rooms, let them march once in a while and they blink purblindly in the sun. When they read they have to take off their glasses to do so and this is the sort of man that is helping to enslave the people of Germany.

June 18, 1915.---This is the centenary of the Battle of Waterloo. We talked some of driving down and having a look at the battle field, but decided not to do so; we have all seen it many times and there is nothing to see anyway. And certainly it is not changed! The Germans had some kind of review in the space before the Palace this morning; I didn't see it; von Bissing, they say, made a speech. The whole thing, I suppose, was but one of the many ceremonies in the ritual of Kaiser worship, by which the denizens of the dark empire of hate work themselves up to the due pitch.

The Germans issued today a communiqué about the airship raid yesterday morning ....

They never made any mention of the other; the successful one.

Hoover this morning had this telegram from the Embassy at London:

REPEAT THIS TO MR. HOOVER IN BRUSSELS: ADVISED THAT GOVERNMENT HERE WILL MAKE SOME PRONOUNCEMENT SERIOUSLY AFFECTING OUR WORK UNLESS YOU CAN SECURE SOON SOMETHING REGARDING HARVEST.

He at once sent the following reply:

I AM MOST CONFIDENT OF EARLY SUCCESS AND ANY FORCED MEASURES WOULD DO US IRREPARABLE DAMAGE AT THE PRESENT TIME.

Such news, of course, after our splendid successes of yesterday, made us all half sick. British militarism is no better than German; one prefers it only because it is not so well organized and is less efficient. In fact, militarism is militarism wherever found. The English Government---now composed partly of "gentlemen" who a year ago were encouraging if not inciting rebellion in Ireland, send Hoover on a mission---and won't even wait for him to return. And the harvest won't be ripe for two months!

Sunday, June 20, 1915.---Hoover and Crosby, and Hoover with good news; he has had several interviews with the Germans---Scharke notably---and has reached an excellent understanding, has succeeded in removing all the bad feeling; and he said he thought, if Berlin approves the arrangement we made the other day, we have the whole problem of revictualing solved for another year, and may feel comfortable about it; que Dieu l'accorde!

Then I went to Ravenstein and stayed there all day; Hoover and Crosby came out and Nell; Hoover interested in hearing the sound of the cannon---and we all had tea on the lawn.

The newspapers today say that Warneford, the hero of the conflict with the Zeppelin at Ghent, has been killed at Paris; and that Henry Bush Needham was killed with him; he was making some trial flight with a new apparatus. I knew Needham and liked him; and I admired Warneford. What waste of life these fearful days!

For days and days the Germans have been driving endless strings of horses and cattle down the rue Belliard---they have lifted all the cattle in Belgium---organized rustlers!

June 21, 1915.---Hoover here to lunch... and the more I see of this excellent man the more I like him. Talked revictualing, of course, a subject in which he is bound up. I asked him about the Rockefeller Foundation, and the three representatives---Rose when last seen, weeping on me and promising to stand by the work to the end. What, exactly, had they done? Hoover said they had given about $700,000---and by their public announcements and promises cost the Commission at least $2,000,000. Then ran off to Poland and did worse than nothing there; no money, no organization, nothing, and the poor Poles dying of neglect and starvation. Now the Germans want Hoover to take up that work ....

Nothing new-except that the Kaiser has conferred an order on the commander of the submarine that sunk the Lusitania. What words are there for such people?

June 22, 1915.---The Germans are trying to discover the publication of La Libre Belgique. They are sending women spies about, dressed as nuns, who take subscriptions, etc. And the paper isn't worth all the trouble it costs. It is but a useless piece of bravado.

Everybody these last days is very much discouraged, and settling down to another winter of it. There is much feeling against the English.

June 23, 1915.---Hoover came, very much downcast, blue and discouraged because there is no response from the Germans, because there is not enough recognition of the C.R.B. and not enough appreciation he thinks. I spent an hour telling him of the constantly expressed gratitude of the population, by every conceivable means, and finally sent him away in a better frame of mind.

June 24, 1915.---Another evidence---though none was lacking---of German childishness and spitefulness this morning. Von der Lancken telephoned at 10:30 to know if I would receive him; I said yes; he came duly, stalked in, his great Prussian boots clanging and spurs jingling, angry and red as the collar of his tunic, sat down, unfolded his usual dossier, and began by saying that he came to resent a letter he had received. I was astonished, for I knew of no letter we had written that might give offence---I stopped writing such letters years ago when Jones told me to "draw the sting"---and I asked him to tell me what letter. He took one from his papers, and held it forth. I took it, glanced at it, and all was clear.

Some days ago we had another accusation from the Germans against the C.R.B. charging that the ships of the Commission were bearing ammunition. We knew there was no truth in the charge, of course, but inquired of London. Meanwhile, de Leval wrote a foolish, resentful letter to von der Lancken; he put it among the letters for me to sign. When I came to it I refused to sign it, and asked that it be destroyed.

And now, behold, here was von der Lancken with this very letter! I turned it over; there was no signature. I pointed this fact out to him and he said, yes, he had noticed that. Then I told him how de Leval had written the note, but that I had not signed it, and that evidently it had been sent by mistake; that I regretted it and so on. Then he gave me the letter and launched forth into a tirade against de Leval---who, he said, must not come to the German headquarters as a representative of the Legation. He cooled off, then, and I told him we wished a letter from von Bissing agreeing not to requisition the new crops; von der Lancken said it was arranged, and agreed, and that I might so say to Page, but I told him I wanted a letter from von Bissing, so that Hoover could get away, and he promised to have the letter for me tomorrow. He complained then about our welfare inquiries---they had opened our mail in the German post office, and he had the innocent note by which we had told some woman that her son or some member of the family was safe in England. And he never saw anything out of the way in showing me the letter he had opened! He went away, however, in good enough humor, and then I asked about the fatal letter. It was, as I thought, a mistake; the letter had by accident gone out unsigned with a number of others, and von der Lancken knew it all the time, for de Leval, yesterday, on discovering the loss, had hurried over to the Germans and asked Conrad to give him back the letter. Conrad had promised, but evidently von der Lancken had refused---just for the satisfaction of being nasty ....

Hoover left today---after I had told him of von der Lancken's assurance as to the letter Bissing would write.

We hear this evening that Lansing has been appointed Secretary of State and that Germany has replied to the note---virtually retreating from the position and promising to torpedo no more Americans but asks us to use our good offices with England to induce her to modify her methods. But I haven't seen the reply.

June 28, 1915.---Bonsack, in the avenue Louise, Saturday, saw a column of German troops passing, with music at their head. Standing beside her was a young man. Looking at the soldiers, he laughed. Instantly two soldiers sprang out of the column and seized him. The poor chap wildly protested in terror. "I have done nothing! I have done nothing!" he cried. One of the soldiers significantly touched his gun, and they dragged him off behind the soldiers. The scene made Bonsack so sick that she could not eat.

As a result of Heineman's very sensible suggestion that he invite Solvay and Francqui to come and see him for a quiet, intimate confidential talk about the affairs of the Comité National,(12) von Bissing asked them to call on him yesterday morning at ten o'clock. They did so accordingly, and went to the Ministère des Arts. They waited half an hour, then were ushered into a drawing-room. There were a number of officers in full uniform; presently von Bissing entered in state, with von der Lancken, booted, spurred, wearing his huge sabre. There was much bowing, saluting, obsequious scraping; a veritable royal court, and von Bissing stood there like a statue, his hands crossed on the hilt of his sabre .... Francqui told the story to Villalobar and me this morning .... There were formal presentations, and then, von Bissing drew from his pocket a paper---and began reading a formal address to Solvay and Francqui! And this was the Prussian's idea of reaching a mutual understanding! German, incurably, inveterately, irretrievably German---and genuine Prussian tact! Von Bissing began by paying compliments: "Monsieur Solvay, vous êtes le grand philanthrope"---"Monsieur Franc qui, vous avez organizé le Comité National," bowing to one and then the other. Then he went on to say that he was happy to learn that they would collaborate. Solvay and Francqui waited. When the address was finished, they were asked if they had anything to say. Solvay said no. Francqui, who had caught the word "Collaboration" in von Bissing's statement, said he had no intention of "collaborating"and they were then shown out. Francqui in alarm went at once to von der Lancken's ministry, and there saw Reith, to whom he repeated that he had never consented to "collaborate." Reith explained and explained, and then von der Lancken came and explained, and explained. Francqui said:

"The American Minister has explained the difficulty of the situation in comparing us to a poor fellow who finds himself between a tiger and a lion. But I! Good God! I find myself surrounded by a whole menagerie! I see on every side not only lions and tigers, but panthers, wild cats, and leopards! I see a von Sandt, a Kaufmann, a Schachs! My God! What is a man to do?"

He made it plain that there would be no collaboration and left.

He had finished his interviews with Schachs and they had more or less agreed on many points which they had reduced to writing, and Francqui had sent me copies of their note, and came this morning to discuss them. And here a bomb awaited him. For early in the day I had received a long letter from von Bissing; Villalobar had received the same and he came at the same time Francqui appeared, to discuss that and we three talked it over together.

The letter was evidently von Bissing's reply, or von der Lancken's, and they had prepared it, probably von Bissing had signed it, before they had that royal audience---"to reach an understanding."

It is a remarkable letter, evidently the finale of all the dissatisfaction with the Comité National. It is autocratic, Prussian, lays down the law as to what the Comité National may and may not do. It is written in diplomatic phraseology and is plainly a product of the collaboration of von der Lancken and Reith. We discussed it, commented on its clever disingenuousness and its essential Prussian quality, and determined not to reply at once, but to acknowledge its reception and ask von Bissing in the meantime to delay execution of his orders.

June 29, 1915.---A rainy dull day; to Wolles in the morning, then Villalobar came, and we discussed von Bissing's letter and the reply we are to make. The members of the Comité National are very indignant, and highly excited, and the situation again bristles with difficulties. The Germans are unswerving in their determination to seize the funds of the Comité National or to have a hand in or on them, and we shall have trouble. Indeed, it seems that the situation is once more insupportable, and when we thought we had things arranged, too! It is hard to deal with the devils!

Nell and I drove to Ravenstein in the afternoon, after the rain had ceased, and when we came back there was a note from Francqui proposing an answer to von Bissing's note, in the sense that we can not accept his proposals without consulting the English and Belgian Governments. I am sick to death of the whole miserable business, and of the effort to deal with the Prussians. They are mentally immature; they do evil for the pleasure of doing it---evil for evil's sake; and they seem in a fair way, too, to dominate the world with their rascality.

Sunday, July 4, 1915.---A furiously hot day, the typical weather of the glorious Fourth, and a celebration we shall remember---a celebration that was a little oasis of liberty here in a desert where liberty just now is unknown. And the Belgians---the poor Belgians have silently celebrated it with us. I had decided against a reception or manifestation of any sort as in bad taste under the circumstances. The little salon is a bower of flowers tonight, and all day there has been a constant stream of visitors at the Legation signing the book, leaving cards, and all sorts of little souvenirs and gifts expressing felicitations and gratitude. The whole city in a way has celebrated the day, the flag on many a breast with the ivy leaf. Strange, that here away across the sea the vibrations of that wild free music of '76 should today be felt; yet not after all perhaps so strange, for the principles of our revolution are loved here, loved passionately now! And we thought political liberty had been won for all the world!

Burgomaster Lemonnier and the aldermen called at 10:30 and we received them in the grand salon, where Lemonnier made a little speech, very moving, and I responded and then Lemonnier presented to Nell a lovely brooch, the American flag in platinum, enamel, the stripes of diamonds and rubies, a pretty jewel from the City of Brussels. Then a glass of champagne, and they went., and we drove off to Ravenstein. Then, by one o'clock, forty of the young men of the C.R.B. had arrived, and Villalobar and Van Vollenhoven and we had luncheon at the long table---and so many extra came, that we had to have extra tables set. There were three little flags---the Spanish, Dutch, and American, on the table. We had coffee on the lawn, and then the boys had Humbert(13) make a mock 4th of July oration, which came to be serious after all; then they called on me for a speech, and Villalobar spoke a few words; and then the boys sang a number of American songs---but they couldn't sing the "Star-Spangled Banner." It is a shame that we have not a national song that can be sung! What they did sing were the Negro songs---the only native, indigenous music we possess. The caddies came up and presented Nell with a huge bouquet of flowers.

And so ends our Fourth, the most significant one I ever knew. It brings back memories of the Fourth we used to have when I was a boy, and all the Brands had a picnic. How long ago that is! It was the anniversary of Grandfather and Grandmother Brand's wedding. They were married in 1832!

How beautiful are the two huge new flags we hoisted over the Legation today! Never so beautiful as now! Or so full of meaning!

There is a persistent rumor that the Kaiser is in Brussels, but I don't believe it. Clark says troop trains full of soldiers have been going through Mons at intervals of twenty minutes for four days. Evidently a big effort near Arras.

July 7, 1915.---Villalobar and Francqui were waiting for me to discuss the memo Francqui had prepared to be read to von der Lancken, and discussed at the meeting this afternoon. At three o'clock then we three, with Van Vollenhoven, were at von der Lancken's, and we discussed the difficult question to which the German desire to know about the Comité National, and if possible, to direct its operation, have given rise. Reith was there, and Harrach. Francqui read his memo, and there was much discussion on two points. The first, that which involved the presence of a commissioner of the military leaders, at the meetings of the committees; there was much discussion, and the Germans were stubborn, as usual, unable at first to see things in any other light than that in which they had always seen it, and wished to see it. I thought once the whole thing was in the fire---though, as Villalobar said afterwards when we drove away, it was "not fire but fire-works." And a curious illustration of the German mentality---a German trick---came to light. In von Bissing's letter the paragraph that foreshadowed the grim figures of the military leaders at the committee meetings, the paragraph that had given rise to so much trouble, was written in the conditional mood, as if it were a suggestion. Villalobar and I had seized on this fact to calm the Belgians, saying that it was not yet wholly settled. When Francqui this afternoon set forth his objections, von der Lancken said that he saw no way out of it, since the Governor-General had stated that it was necessary to do so. We called his attention to those conditional phrases and he said finally that in the original German it was in the indicative; he had translated it into French, and put it in the conditional! There's intellectual honesty for you! And finally we got them around to it, by inducing them to try Francqui's scheme and see how we get on under it.

"No shotgun marriage, Monsieur, I beg of you," said Francqui. "We do not want a divorce two weeks afterwards."

July 8, 1915.---At Wolles this morning; and much talk of what contributes "values" in painting. After luncheon the Viscountess de Spoelberg and committee of ladies who are working for the benefit of the lace-makers came to present a beautiful lace centre-piece for the President, and a lovely lace scarf for Nell. Then we started for Ravenstein. I hadn't had a bit of exercise or fresh air since Sunday ----and Crosby came with bad news, a telegram from Hoover asking us to postpone further negotiations with the Germans until we heard from him, the English Government having imposed new conditions. I was sick at heart, and utterly discouraged, for we had just arranged all our difficulties and reached an agreement and after so much difficulty! We don't know what the conditions are, but it makes another complication and more trouble---and I am at my wit's end, and do not know how to go on any further. The English Government, as reformed by bull-headed Toryism, is now nothing but an inert mass of stubborn inefficiency, incapable of checking Germany, or of doing anything, and so interfering with those who can accomplish something in the world. It makes me sick, sick, sick.

The Belgians have a new decoration to wear in their button holes---"a scrap of paper."

July 9, 1915.--Another shock today, and again a day of nervous tension, and nervous fatigue tonight. I had gone to Watelet's;(14) had just got into the pose; Watelet was painting, and the pretty Mme. or Mlle. Hanley---if that is her name---was beginning to paint behind me, when there was a knock on the door and de Leval burst in, saying to come at once, that the Germans had ordered their military leaders or the commissioners of the military leaders to attend all committee meetings, that 30,000 Belgians had given their demissions, that the revictualing was at last and finally finished, and that Villalobar, Francqui, and Lambert were waiting for me at the Legation to decide what steps to take. We rushed back to the Legation then, and there they were, though calmer than I expected to find them, in such a crisis and universal chaos. On inquiry I learned that the order had indeed gone out to the military leaders, either after or before von der Lancken had promised on Wednesday that he would suspend execution and change the modus, and that several Belgians either had resigned or had signified their intention of resigning and so on. It was plain that the Germans had broken their word, and had proceeded according to their original intention, and in direct contravention of their plighted faith, for Francqui had a copy of one of the orders...

It was decided that Villalobar and I should see von der Lancken separately, explain to him the gravity of the situation, and ask him to work out the details of a modus vivendi with Francqui. Villalobar was calm and equal to the situation, and as for Francqui, "I," he said, "I am always an optimist." Lambert was indignant and depressed. We, Villalobar and I, were to see von der Lancken in the afternoon...

While the situation, here, was not so irreparable or so grave as de Leval had said, it was bad enough, and to the moral sense sickening. For, within three days, we had had from von der Lancken an admission that he had wilfully mistranslated von Bissing's letter; then a promise from him to change the method of proceeding, and now proof that either at the time he had made the promise there were in existence or that immediately afterwards there had been prepared and delivered, orders that were directly in conformity with von Bissing's original letter, and directly in contravention of von der Lancken's promise given to us at Wednesday's conference. What could one do in the midst of such lying? How was one to deal with officials who could easily reach to such methods? It was new ground to me. In all the years of my experience at the bar, in the mayor's office, in city politics, in public affairs, I never knew the like...

Towards four o'clock I went to see von der Lancken; the red and yellow flag of Spain was fluttering in Villalobar's car at the door; Villalobar was within with von der Lancken. I waited and finally was admitted. Villalobar and von der Lancken were together, tired, I thought, with grave, drawn expressions; an air, I thought, of whispering and of dark secret understanding. I was still disgusted, impatient, not much disposed to mince matters, yet aware as always of the difficulty, the detestation, the moral distress I generally feel in dealing with von der Lancken---his twisted, tortuous ways, his insincerity, his disingenuousness .... He began, however, before I could begin, his hand over his heart. "Mon Dieu! mon cher collégue," and so on. It was all a mistake, he said; our dear colleagues had told him; the orders had not been given, there had been too much zeal on the part of some of the military leaders. I saw that Villalobar had already gained the point. Von der Lancken went on to say that he would see Francqui tomorrow and arrange all as we had agreed on Wednesday; the presidents of the committees would see the commissioners before the meetings, and discuss with them and furnish them with procès verbales afterwards, and so on. This was satisfactory, I told him, and added that the effect on the mind of the world outside would be very bad, if it were to be known that the Germans here were interfering. He said he realized that; said, too, that he didn't want any one outside to say that the "barbarians" had seized the crop and that the Governor-General was eating it all up himself ....

He was humble enough, and I saw that all was well. I didn't think that he would break his word again.

July 15, 1915.---To see Watelet, and then when I got home found Villalobar waiting for me. He enjoyed his breath of free air in Holland; saw Sir Alan Johnstone, who he said, was in bad humor; the French Minister, who told him the French would try to make an advance in August, and Loudon,(15) who told him, that under no circumstances would Holland enter the war.

Rain and storms all afternoon, but later went driving with Nell. Then when I returned found Crosby here. He had received yesterday from Page a copy of the conditions imposed by the English Government in reference to the new arrangement. Note signed by Lord Crewe but written, I think, by Hoover, or inspired by him, since it is very stiff in its demands for recognition of the Commission for Relief in Belgium. The other demands we had, for the most part, foreseen and they are included in Francqui's memorandum now being considered by von der Lancken. Francqui was in this afternoon and we talked it over; many difficulties, of course, Francqui complains to me of Crosby, and Crosby complains of Francqui. They are all good men but very human.

July 16, 1915.---At three, Villalobar, Francqui, Lambert, and Crosby, for a discussion of the note that the English Government sent by Page. The note is very brutal in tone... and makes no mention whatever of Villalobar or of me, but treats of the matter as though the Comité National and the Commission for Relief in Belgium had carried on the negotiations. It made no difference to me, of course, I only wish that were the case, but it made Villalobar angry, as I knew it would, thus to be ignored, and we had to spend half an hour mollifying him, though he was, after all, large and magnanimous about it ....

Oddly enough, the demands(16) made by the British Government have already been orally accorded in principle by the Germans here, but I knew at once that if we submitted the Britons' ugly note, the whole work would be overthrown. And so I suggested that we write a note to the Germans, a note for Villalobar and me to sign, setting forth the demands of the British in other and softer words, more polite, more Latin in expression, more of "l'eau bénite de la cour." And then for two hours, in the tobacco smoke, talk, talk, talk, everybody having his say, everybody raising some new question, until at last Francqui and I wrote the note I had suggested.

I have been sitting in conferences now for twenty years, and I never yet knew one in which the conclusions might not have been reached in one-fifth the time employed---that is, if they'd done what I told them to in the first place!

July 19, 1915.---To von der Lancken's, who had asked Villalobar, Van Vollenhoven, and me to come to see him. He had his answer as to the English Note, and it was wholly favorable; they accepted all the conditions and would have a letter to that effect signed by the Governor-General in a day or so.

Thus all was well again---and then came a telegram from Hoover, saying he would arrive tonight! So, more trouble, of which there is no end.

Von der Lancken has arranged to start tomorrow afternoon in a motor for Lille and the front, and wishes Villalobar and me to go. It is a chance to see a battle and the trenches---unlovely though those sights must be---but with Hoover coming I am not sure that I should leave.

Ah me! That this war were only over!

July 20, 1915.---Decided to go to Lille and so telephoned to von der Lancken. Hoover and White came in at eleven o'clock and I talked with them. Hoover came to talk with Francqui about the relations between the Comité National and the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Hoover is really anxious to have the Commission for Relief in Belgium cease to function, and thinks this is a good time to retire; provided some other means can be devised to have the food brought in.