y plans were to leave for Brussels on Monday morning, but in the
evening the Ambassador sent for me and it was decided that I should go
to Havre and from there to see the King and Queen. That will take me to
within a couple of hours from Brussels, according to old calculations,
but under present conditions I shall have to get there by way of France,
England and Holland.

* * * * *

_Hotel des Regates, Havre, October 26, 1914._--This is the third town
where I have paid my respects to the Belgian Government. I would gladly
have foregone the experience, for it is depressing.

I left Waterloo station at 9:15 last night. Instead of the usual
two-hour run to Southampton, we puttered along and did not arrive until
after one. I had a compartment and made myself as comfortable as
possible. When we arrived I found poor Colonel Swalm, the Consul,
waiting for me. The Ambassador had telegraphed him to see me off, and he
did so regardless of the hour. I felt horribly guilty to have him
waiting about for me, but it certainly did make things a lot easier.

I got straight to bed, but had a hard time sleeping, as there was a
tremendous racket of loading all night long. Nearly all the passengers
were British officers on their way to the front. Among the others I
found de Bassompierre of the Foreign Office, and a Mr. and Mrs. W----,
who were coming over with a Rolls-Royce, to be presented to the Belgian
General Staff. If I go to the front, he will take me. We sailed at
daybreak and were here by two o'clock. Our Consul, Osborne, was waiting
for me at the dock with Henry Needham, the correspondent of _Colliers_.
I was let straight through the customs, where a _woman_ marked my bag,
and then came to this hotel overlooking the sea.

This was the first thing we saw as we came into the harbour. It is in a
suburb called Nice Havrais, built by old Dufayel of Paris. It was a
curious and pathetic sensation to see the Belgian flags still flying
bravely. The different Ministries are set up here, and one villa has
been set aside for the King and Queen, who have not yet left Belgian
soil. The Legations are all established in this hotel and are bored to
extinction, as their work has dropped very much. This little suburb
enjoys all the privileges of extraterritoriality, and even the French
Minister to Belgium goes through the motions of being accredited to a
foreign Government in his country. The cars