German military authorities. Near Assche, he was stopped by an
outpost, and told he could not go any further. He accepted this in good
part, and said he would go back. At this point, an old turkey gobbler of
a General arrived and lit into him for being there. He replied that he
had done nothing to which exception could be taken; that his papers were
in order, and that he was ready to return at the first indication from
the military authorities. This seemed to enrage the old soldier who
announced that they would do nothing of the sort; that they were
prisoners of war and would be sent back under armed guard. X----
protested that this was an outrage against the representative of a
friendly country, but in spite of this two armed soldiers were placed
in the car with them and another beside the driver, and they were
brought back to town as prisoners. By dint of arguments and threats they
were taken to headquarters instead of jail, and succeeded in seeing
General von Luettwitz who piled on the excuses. It does you no good to
have legitimate business and papers in order if it suits some apoplectic
officer to clap you into jail.

One of the officers I saw to-day told me that the Germans were
deliberately terrorizing the country through which they passed. It is a
perfectly convincing explanation of German doings in this country, but I
did not think they were prepared to admit it so frankly. This frank
fellow made no claim that civilians had attacked the German troops; his
only observation was that they might do so unless they were so
completely cowed that they dared not raise their hands. He emphasised
the fact that it was not done as a result of bad temper, but as part of
the scheme of things in general. For my information, he remarked that in
the long run this was the most humane manner of conducting war, as it
discouraged people from doing things that would bring terrible
punishment upon them. And yet some of these Belgians are ungrateful
enough to complain at being murdered and robbed.

* * * * *

_September 4th._--Autumn is coming with little gusts of wind and falling
leaves. Clouds are thick, and there is a sort of hidden chill in the
air. It is depressing in itself, and makes us think with some dismay of
what is ahead of the millions of men who are in the field, if the war is
to continue into the winter as seems probable.

I am sure there is something big in the air