dered
all the men in the vicinity taken prisoners. Then, refusing to listen to
explanation or discussion, he had them all stood up against a wall and
shot. When it was all over, he listened to explanations and learned that
the report was that of a cap placed in the switch by the German railway
men as a signal to stop the train before reaching the next station. By
way of reparation, he then graciously admitted that the civilians were
innocent. But, as my caller said: "The civilians were also dead."

Another pleasant thing the Germans seem to be doing is arresting
peaceful citizens by hundreds and sending them back to Germany to
harvest the crops. They will also reap a fine harvest of hatred for
generations to come.

Poor Bulle is in considerable doubt as to his status. For many months he
has not heard from his Government, if any, and has not been able to get
a word as to whether he is Charge d'Affaires or not. I told him to-day
that he had a rather unique situation as the representative of a country
without a Government to a Government without a country. He extracted a
chuckle from that.

Blount made up his mind to leave for America this afternoon, by way of
Ostend and England. His family was all ready to start, but when he went
down to headquarters to get a _laisser-passer_ it was refused.
Operations are apparently about to be started in _tout le bazar_, and
they don't want stray civilians seeing too much. Blount will now settle
down here for the present. His loss is our gain.

The Danish Minister was in again this afternoon. He is going away, and
has finally turned his Legation over to us. We now have four Legations
besides our own--German, British, Austro-Hungarian, and Danish.

One little thing the Germans have done here that is _echt Deutsch_ is to
change the clocks on the railway stations and public buildings to German
time. Every other clock in town continues about its business in the
same old way, and the change only serves to arouse resentment.

Another thing is, that on entering a town, they hold the Burgomaster,
the Procureur du Roi and other authorities as hostages, to ensure good
behaviour by the population. Of course the hoodlum class would like
nothing better than to see their natural enemies, the defenders of law
and order, ignominiously shot, and they do not restrain themselves a bit
on account of the hostages. Just lack of imagination.

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