did everything
according to New York time.

I had an hour's talk with von der Lancken about noon, and finally got
off without testifying, which is a great comfort to me. He knew from
their own troops that I had been in Louvain during the fighting, and
had already reported that to Berlin. I finally prevailed upon him to let
it go at that.

After we had settled our business, von der Lancken talked to me for half
an hour or so about the war in general. He said they had just received a
telegram that Reims is in flames, cathedral and all. It is a terrible
thing to think of, and I suppose may turn out to be another Louvain
before we get through. Von der Lancken explained it on the ground that
French troops had come up and occupied the town, and that it was
necessary to take it by storm--that troops could never operate against a
position of that sort until artillery had cleared the way. I don't know
just how far that sort of an explanation explains.

The Germans got out an _affiche_ of news this morning, stating that
"_les troupes Allemands ont fait des progres sur certains points_." It
does not sound very enthusiastic.

People coming in from Mons and Charleroi yesterday and to-day say that
the German rear guard has fallen back on villages near those places and
ordered the inhabitants to leave; the idea evidently being that they are
preparing to resist any further advance of the allies.

After lunch, Baron de Menten de Horne was brought into the Legation
again. The Germans seem anxious to get rid of him, and have finally
turned him loose. I cannot very well make out their object in setting
him free without getting a German officer in exchange, but they were
keen to get him off their hands and wanted us to take cognisance of the
fact that they had accorded him his liberty. This we have done. I shall
be curious to see whether there is any sequel to this case.

Late this afternoon we got a telegram from the Consul at Liege, stating
that Shaler and Couchman had been arrested in that city because they
were carrying private letters to be posted when they got to England.
They had taken a certain number of letters, all of them open and
containing nothing but information as to the welfare of individuals
here. They were on a mission of interest to the German
authorities--getting foodstuffs to prevent a famine here. The Minister
got off an urgent telegram to the Consul to get to work and have them
released, and also saw von der La