no trouble with the higher officers at headquarters, but I never
go there that I do not want to murder the large brutes of
non-commissioned officers who guard the door. They wear large brass
plates on their chest and look like bock-beer signs. They have a free
and careless way of booting everybody out the door and refusing to
listen to anybody. I get fighting mad every time I go there and this
morning got sufficiently roused to develop considerable fluency in
German. I pictured to the large rough-neck some of the things that were
going to happen to him if I was not let in; he was sufficiently
impressed to permit me to stand on the sidewalk while my card was sent
in. When I got in I made a few well-chosen remarks on the manners, if
any, of the watch dogs of the Ministry.

From the Ministry I went to the Societe Generale, where I was asked to
attend a conference between the bankers of the city. There were ten of
them in the big directors' room, and they worked to some purpose. M.
Francqui, the director and leading spirit of the Societe Generale,
presided over the meeting. He explained the general situation simply and
clearly, and stated what they had done and wanted to do. They had three
points on which they wanted advice, and they were brought up and
disposed of one at a time. By twelve o'clock I got away, and felt that
the hour I had put in there had been well spent.

When I got back to the Legation, I found a nice Belgian who had no
request to make of us, but wanted to tell his story to somebody, and a
terrible story it was, too. He had fitted up his chateau near Mons as a
Red Cross hospital. During the battle there a week ago, 102 British
wounded had been brought in. The Germans found the chateau a hindrance
in their operations, so got it out of the way by battering down the
walls with artillery, and then throwing grenades into the building to
set it on fire. There was great difficulty in getting the wounded out
and hiding them in such shelter as was to be found. One man, at least,
was burned alive in his bed. It seems incredible that Red Cross
hospitals should be attacked, but stories come in from every side,
tending to show that they are.

Beside this man's property there is a railway crossing. When a troop
train passed over it day before yesterday, there was an explosion like
the report of a rifle. The train was immediately stopped. The officer in
command announced that civilians had fired upon his train, and or