is at the
outbreak of the war was entirely the fault of Germany herself, for it
is an open secret that her spy system is her pet weapon of offense;
her enemies therefore, naturally, see a spy in every Teuton. It is
also well understood that, spy or no spy, every German man, woman, and
child is admonished, when traveling in foreign countries, to "watch,
record, and report anything of interest to the German Government."

All the accusations that have been brought against France, that she
did not properly provide for her interned prisoners, that she did not
adequately care for her own wounded or the wounded of her enemy, that
she did not give efficient support to her English allies on the
retreat from Mons to Compiegne, resolve themselves into one
conclusion, that she did not want or expect instant war and was not
prepared for all the emergencies which the German attack precipitated.
But all the world knows that she speedily supplied deficiencies and
remedied defects with great ability and indomitable courage.

In saying that alien civilians in Germany were not interned in prison
camps the German diplomat evidently thought I knew nothing about the
vile detention camps at Ruhleben and of the English men and women who
are there incarcerated to suffer beyond anything that the Germans ever
endured in France.

* * * * *

_Tuesday, December 8th._ I went to the American Embassy this morning
to obtain the necessary paper for my departure tomorrow for Vienna.
Mr. Grew called me into his private office and said that Ambassador
Gerard was particularly anxious that I should go to London instead as
he had dispatches of the utmost importance to send and would feel
indebted to me if I could take them. He warned me that the undertaking
would not be pleasant or altogether safe. I promptly accepted the
mission,--indeed such requests are, in the Army, the Navy, and the
Diplomatic Service, made only to be accepted. I am to leave Berlin
Thursday morning at 8:59 and go through Germany and Holland to
Flushing, where I shall take a boat across the North Sea to Folkestone
and thence to our Embassy in London.

* * * * *

This evening I looked over the casualty lists posted on the walls of
an official building. These lists are published on numerous very large
sheets of white paper. Each sheet has three columns in fine print. The
names are grouped by regiments and companies, so that