aron Lambert and Monsieur Francqui, one of the leading
bankers of Brussels and a man of poise and judgment. They expressed
reluctance but were soon persuaded.

This morning, during a call at the Political Department, the talk turned
on Mexico. I was asked what the President was driving at, and answered
that he was clearly trying to give the Mexicans every opportunity to
solve their own troubles without interference. I was then asked, rather
slyly, whether the President really wanted them to settle their
troubles. Without waiting to hear my answer, the oracle went on to tell
me what our real policy was as he saw it, and he had no doubts. The
President wanted to take Mexico, but was intelligent enough to realise
that if he simply seized it, he would forfeit any claim he might have to
disinterestedness, and our Anglo-Saxon hypocrisy could not swallow that.
Therefore, he was deliberately allowing the Mexicans to drift into a
hopeless condition of anarchy, which he knew would get steadily worse,
until all the best and most prosperous elements in the country would
come to the conclusion that they would be happier and safer under
American rule than under the uncertain despotism of changing factions.
The President could then yield to their entreaties, and could take over
the government of Mexico as a humanitarian service to the people.

I made a feeble attempt to explain what our real feelings were toward
Mexico, but it soon became evident that we could not think in the same
terms, so I gave up. There was no criticism expressed or implied. On the
contrary, there was evidence of real admiration of the President's
technique.

The rest of the day was spent in getting ready letters and telegrams and
other papers necessary in our work.

Fowler and I dined at the Lambert's, finished up our work at the
Legation, and got to bed at midnight. We got up yesterday morning at
half-past three, and at half-past four set sail in three motors--one
filled with servants and mountains of small baggage.

We sped in the dark through ruined villages to Antwerp, and from there
to Esschen on the Dutch frontier, which we reached soon after daylight.
We had papers from the Dutch Legation, calling upon the customs
authorities to let us pass, but a chuckle-headed _douanier_ would not
even read our papers, and held us up for an hour, while he made out
papers of various sorts and collected a deposit on our cars. I
expostulated in vain, and shall have to