[Illustration: His Majesty, Albert, King of the Belgians _Photograph by Boute, Brussels_]

A JOURNAL FROM OUR LEGATION IN BELGIUM

BY HUGH GIBSON

SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN LEGATION IN BRUSSELS

ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS

_Copyright, 1917, by_ DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY

_All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian._

TO MY MOTHER

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

His Majesty, Albert, King of the Belgians _Front_

FACING PAGE Facsimile of the first page of the German ultimatum to Belgium (_in the text_) 16

Pass issued by the Belgian military authorities to enable Mr. Gibson to enter the German Legation at Brussels 16

Maitre Gaston de Leval, legal adviser to the American Legation in Brussels 17

Her Majesty, Elizabeth, Queen of the Belgians 32

Mr. Brand Whitlock, American Minister to Belgium 33

German supply train entering Brussels 96

German infantry entering Brussels 97

German officers and soldiers were always ready to oblige by posing for the camera 112

"Mit Gott fuer Kaiser und Reich" 112

Count Guy d'Oultremont 113

From left to right: Colonel DuCane, Captain Ferguson and Colonel Fairholme 113

Pass issued by General von Jarotzky (_in text_) 116

Letter signed by Burgomaster Max requesting the Belgian authorities to allow Mr. Gibson to pass (_in text_) 128

Boy Scouts at Belgian headquarters 140

Reading from left to right: a Belgian Staff Officer, Colonel Fairholme, Colonel DuCane and Captain Ferguson 140

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Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium by Gibson
• 2: A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium by Gibson
• 3: In its inception and execution
• 4: A Journal From Our Legation In Belgium BRUSSELS
• 5: Brussels is beginning to look warlike
• 6: Lots of shops are refusing to accept bank notes
• 7: And going about to the different Legations
• 8: Held in check by the Garde Civique
• 9: In a frantic demonstration of loyalty
• 10: Durch belgisches Gebiet gegen Deutschland vorzugehen
• 11: He first read the German ultimatum
• 12: If Belgium adopts a friendly attitude
• 13: Von Stumm came back with the German Minister
• 14: We soon arranged matters as far as the Belgian frontier
• 15: When the Germans advance beyond Liege
• 16: We walked around the corner to the German Legation
• 17: The Minister of the Interior sent out
• 18: Liege seems to be holding out still
• 19: That particular crowd cheered up somewhat
• 20: Nasmith and I got under way to look after our exodus
• 21: Dandoy had not had any sleep for nearly sixty hours
• 22: They are not advertising their whereabouts
• 23: To take me back to the Legation
• 24: Then we posted a notice in the hall
• 25: I had the Garde Civique stand by me while I talked with them
• 26: Who are really more Belgian than German
• 27: But was refused admittance by the Gardes Civiques
• 28: Each time van der Elst would ring
• 29: Eight French aeroplanes sailed over the city this afternoon
• 30: There were crowds on the Boulevards
• 31: Which is on the way from Liege to Tirlemont
• 32: His father was at the Legation
• 33: Including the wife of the old Hofrath
• 34: In return for which we were given tags of immunity
• 35: Who wants to join the Belgian forces
• 36: Who asked us for a lift as far as Tervueren
• 37: When we got to the first outpost at Tervueren
• 38: Hearing requests for vises on laisser passers
• 39: Wanted to build modern fortifications at Diest
• 40: Diest was attacked by Germans about three days ago
• 41: Some Belgian troops fired at the aeroplane
• 42: When we got to the barricade at the entrance to Diest
• 43: McCutcheon is a great friend of the Minister
• 44: The Belgian Government realised the importance of this
• 45: Who asked me to take them to Ghent
• 46: De Leval and I started off down the street together
• 47: First came some lancers a couple of battalions
• 48: Turning near the Hotel de Ville
• 49: As they get a little nearer the French frontier
• 50: I also asked for laisser passers for everybody in the shop
• 51: Since the telegraph offices were closed
• 52: The boys ventured to inquire how
• 53: There is talk now of a search of the British Legation
• 54: And joined forces with the Spanish Minister
• 55: We asked that he send for the Director General
• 56: We shall have to deal with the condition
• 57: They can see the funny side of it
• 58: Cobb and Lewis set forth on another adventure
• 59: Gibsen est charge d'une mission officielle
• 60: Between the last Germans and the edge of Malines
• 61: About twelve kilometers out of Antwerp
• 62: And made for the Consulate General
• 63: Which Sherman took to the office for me
• 64: Tombes dans la Journee du 20 Aout 1914
• 65: Next time I sit under a glass skylight in Antwerp
• 66: If the bombs were dropped near the fortifications
• 67: And got into Brussels from the west without mishap
• 68: And is going to start a regular German administration
• 69: Rector of the American College at Louvain
• 70: When I got back to the Legation
• 71: Louvain Illustration The dead and the living
• 72: All sorts of wreckage scattered over the street
• 73: He turned out to be a volunteer officer from Hamburg
• 74: Bulle stood not upon the order of his going
• 75: Apparently a number of civilians
• 76: And we scuttled back to our shelter
• 77: Permission was readily granted for us to leave
• 78: In harmony with the policy of terrorising the population
• 79: He has turned his Legation over to us
• 80: The clergy has a tremendous influence in Belgium
• 81: Where there is heavy cannonading going on
• 82: At Ninove they walked a mile or so
• 83: We honk honked our way through them
• 84: From the Ministry I went to the Societe Generale
• 85: Blount will now settle down here for the present
• 86: Von der Goltz Field Marshal Baron von der Goltz Pacha
• 87: He had started for the Spanish Legation
• 88: Between here and the Spanish Legation yesterday
• 89: Of the Foreign Office in Berlin
• 90: All that could be packed there
• 91: My laisser passer had been promised for ten o'clock
• 92: The crowd that came to tea included von der Goltz
• 93: Nach Bruessel zurueckzukehren beabsichtigen
• 94: We started out to feel our way into Malines
• 95: One Zeppelin had succeeded in getting over the town
• 96: Also poor Prince Ernest de Ligne
• 97: And started down the bank of the canal toward Hofstade
• 98: And that we had to go back to Malines
• 99: And Colonel Fairholme gloated particularly
• 100: Colonel DuCane and Captain Ferguson came in
• 101: We found things moving rapidly at headquarters in Lierre
• 102: Colonel Fairholme speaks German like a native
• 103: Who told us that a battery of the big French howitzers
• 104: Most of the shrapnel burst in the air and did no damage
• 105: Looking for a good place for lunch
• 106: After lunch we went back through Malines again
• 107: Gathered up Monsieur de Woeste and Faura
• 108: But twenty five Germans surrounded them
• 109: And had a list of Belgian officers who were there
• 110: Entering Antwerp from the north
• 111: And brought before von Luettwitz
• 112: The office of von der Lancken was dark and empty
• 113: And also saw von der Lancken about it
• 114: But when he saw von der Lancken
• 115: My departure for Antwerp has been put off again and again
• 116: Luettwitz replied to this by having Max arrested
• 117: My laisser passer has not come
• 118: We went back through Vise even faster
• 119: Malines has been bombarded again
• 120: There is another examination at Folkstone
• 121: Getting to Antwerp Tuesday morning about nine
• 122: The population can await the bombardment in calm
• 123: De lignes telegraphiques ou lignes telephoniques
• 124: Then on to Brussels by way of Namur
• 125: Lancken had talked the same matter over with him
• 126: Luettwitz was not at all of that mind
• 127: I found Villalobar on the sidewalk
• 128: We had papers from the Dutch Legation
• 129: Next I went to the Spanish Embassy
• 130: And finally the organisation to be set up in Belgium
• 131: With Hoover as chairman and motive power
• 132: Who have not yet left Belgian soil
• 133: Getting to Dunkerque a little after four
• 134: We made quick time to Furnes and drew up before Headquarters
• 135: When we were bowling along about one kilometer from the town
• 136: Where the Belgian army is being reformed and rested
• 137: Seemingly I was boarding with Monsieur de Broqueville
• 138: Aerschot was partially destroyed on August 19th and 20th
• 139: Hoover heard him patiently to the end
• 140: An authorised agent of the German Government
• 141: Under convoy of Captain Sunderland
• 142: And enough to cause a nervous breakdown
• 143: But Nasmith spent the night there
• 144: Having spent his time at the club
• 145: When we got to the Ecole Militaire
• 146: Jeffes had made no preparations for going
• 147: And the latter by General von Kraewel
• 148: There is no explanation of the departure of von der Goltz
• 149: And offered to go on with us to Vise
• 150: Ohne Genehmigung der Kommandantur
• 151: And stopped long enough for a look at Andennes
• 152: Et ceux qui croiraient ne pas devoir se soumettre a cet avis
• 153: And put them back in the cellars
• 154: For I never saw such politeness in any headquarters
• 155: And of General Freiherr von Kraewel
• 156: But the German authorities are deaf to appeals
• 157: Jeffes is philosophical and uncomplaining
• 158: Antwerp is completely Germanised already
• 159: Where they were filled with all sorts of Xmas food
• 160: To consult with Miss Cavell and
• 161: Maitre de Leval communicated with Mr
• 162: As regards Bancq and Edith Cavell
• 163: Increase the offense committed by Miss Cavell
• 164: De Leval had seen the Minister
• 165: Lancken read the note aloud in our presence
• 166: Lancken was gone about half an hour
• 167: In the meantime I went after Harrach and Falkenhausen again