ernoon papers say that in Paris the name of the Rue de Berlin has
been changed to Rue de Liege. Here the Rue d'Allemagne has been changed
to Rue de Liege and the Rue de Prusse to Rue du General Leman, the
defender of Liege. The time abounds in _beaux gestes_ and they certainly
have their effect on the situation.

Kitchener says that the war may last for some time. At first it seemed
to be taken for granted that it could not last long, as the financial
strain would be too great and the damage done so enormous that one side
or the other would have to yield to avoid national bankruptcy.

* * * * *

_Brussels, August 11, 1914._--Our halls have been filled with Germans
and Americans, the latter in smaller numbers and the former in larger
crowds than ever. They are gradually being got out of the country,
however, and those who are going to remain are being induced to go to
the right authorities, so that their troubles will soon be settled to a
large extent, and they will not be coming here so much. We are getting
off hundreds of telegrams about the whereabouts and welfare of Americans
and others here and in other parts of Europe; this work alone is enough
to keep a good-sized staff working, and we have them hard at it.

This afternoon I went over to the British Legation and saw Colonel
Fairholme, the military attache, for a few minutes. He was just back
from a trip out into the wilds with a party of British officers and was
so clearly rushed that I had not the heart to detain him, although I was
bursting with curiosity about the news he evidently had concealed about
him. He appreciates the lenient way I have treated him, and goes out of
his way to let me have anything that he can.

While I was out we saw a German monoplane which sailed over the city not
very high up. The newspapers have published a clear description of the
various aeroplanes that are engaged in the present war, so that nobody
will be foolish enough to fire at those of the allies when they come our
way. This one was clearly German, and the Garde Civique and others were
firing at it with their rifles, but without any success. Our Legation
guard, which consists of about twenty-five men, banged away in a perfect
fusillade, but the airman was far too high for them to have much chance
of hitting him.

Yesterday afternoon when the German biplanes passed over the city, a
Belgian officer gave chase in a monoplane