own in the midst of war
and carnage and try to make a fair inquiry on a matter of this sort. If
one one-thousandth part of the charges are proven to be true....

The rest of the afternoon was spent seeing people who came in for news
of Brussels, and who had messages to send home. I had had to tell the
hotel people that I would be there from four to seven to see people, and
that the rest of the time I must have free for my own work. They came in
swarms; all the diplomats, the Cabinet Ministers, and the Ministers of
State, army officers, and other officials--a perfect mob. I had a
package of cards on which I noted names and addresses and the messages
which were to be delivered. These messages have been sent out to-day,
after being submitted to the military authorities, some of them in
writing and some by word of mouth, and if they have afforded one-tenth
the comfort that I hope, the sum total of misery in this town has been
reduced a good deal this day.

Colonel Fairholme left for the front, with the King, early in the
morning, and was with him during the battle at Malines. He thought we
were going back during the day, as I had told him the evening before.
About noon he called up from the telephone and told Sir Francis that
under no circumstances was I to be allowed to start, as the town was
being bombarded with heavy siege pieces and all traffic was absolutely
stopped; that we could not only not get by, but that any part of the
trip by the regular road was extremely dangerous. I was just as glad
that we had decided to stay over. The Colonel stayed out all that night
and had not returned to Antwerp when we left yesterday. During the
morning he called up again and asked about us, again advising against
our starting. Pretty decent of a man who has as much to think of as he
had to be worrying about us enough to take time to telephone us as to
the dangers of the road.

During the evening bad news came in from France, and everybody was down
in the mouth. The French Minister came in and told me what he had
received. Everybody was plainly worried, and altogether things looked
pretty dismal. We sat around a little while and then decided for a good
night's sleep.

To make sure of offering no unnecessary chances for Mr. Zeppelin the
authorities had ordered all the lights on the streets put out at eight
o'clock. It was dark as midnight and there was no use in thinking of
venturing out into the town. The Cathedral clock was stopp