off either through Holland or Antwerp. We are able to send nothing but
open messages over the military wire through Berlin and I have a strong
suspicion that these are being censored.
* * * * *
_Brussels, September 7, 1914._--Did not get off to Antwerp to-day but
hope to make it by to-morrow noon. There was too much going on, but
arrangements are being made for a _laisser-passer_, etc., and I
anticipate no trouble beyond being shot or made prisoner.
Gherardi[6] came in this morning for a call and then left for Maubeuge,
which the Germans had arranged to capture during the day. They seemed
very sure of it, but I would not be surprised to see him come sailing
back without having seen the surrender.
[Footnote 6: American Naval Attaché at Berlin.]
Baron von der Lancken, of the Foreign Office in Berlin, called this
morning. He is here to handle relations with the Foreign Ministers
remaining in Brussels. As we have had the care of German interests they
all come here first and our position is better than that of any other
Legation in the country. We have things on a working basis.
* * * * *
_September 8th._--Last night, after dinner, I trotted around and called
on the wives of some of the Belgian officials to see whether there was
any news of them that I could give to their husbands in Antwerp. I found
Madame Davignon, the wife of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in her
son's home, peacefully working away on clothes for the wounded. She told
me all the news of the house so that I could repeat it to her husband.
She is as calm as you please and far from despairing.
Madame de Broqueville, the wife of the Prime Minister, turned her house
into a Red Cross hospital at the outbreak of hostilities; it is a
beautiful big place. Of course there are practically nothing but German
wounded in the house now, but the good lady conquers her natural
feelings and has them as well looked after as though they were of her
own race. I went in in an apologetic mood for intruding on her at so
late an hour, but she had lots to say and I stayed on for a long time.
It did her good to talk, and I was so overawed by her courage and poise
that I sat and listened in silent admiration. The wives of the Cabinet
Ministers and other officials have shown wonderful nerve and are
standing right up to their duty.
Count and Countess de X had an interesting story to tell of their
experiences when the first armies went through. When the war broke out
they were at their château and were caught by the first onrush of
troops. Their fine cellars were emptied for the benefit of the invader,
but nothing more serious happened to them until the second wave came
along. Then there was a demand for more wine. As all the wine had been
carried away they could not comply. The Germans were convinced that they
were being fooled, and searched the place very carefully. Finally they
imprisoned the X's for three days in the cellar and then brought them
forth and stood them up before a firing squad and threatened to shoot
them unless they told where the wine was hidden. At the critical moment
a big gray military car rolled up, and to their considerable relief they
saw that one of the occupants was a German princeling, who had formerly
been their guest on several occasions. They called out to him, and by
his orders were immediately released. After expressing their thanks to
him they went into the château to find that soldiers were engaged in
packing up their fine collections of enamels and porcelains to ship them
to Germany. Another appeal to the Prince, who was most sympathetic. He
was a practical and resourceful man, and said:
"Of course I'll stop this, but you will understand that our men would
like to keep some little souvenir of the war in Belgium. That would be
hard to prevent. But I would suggest that you pick out all the pieces
that you value most and pack them away in that large wardrobe. Then I'll
do the rest."
Madame de X was, of course, delighted with this, and scurried about
gathering together the finest pieces and packing them carefully into the
big wardrobe. She kept it up as long as there was a nook or cranny
where odd pieces could be put, and then reported progress to the Prince.
"Are you sure that all the best pieces are there?" says he.
"All that could be packed there," answers Madame de X.
"Good," says the Prince, and then turning to his orderly: "Have that
wardrobe sent to Berlin for me."
The way the German army cleaned out the wine of the country was a
revelation to everybody. They would not take what they needed for the
day's drinking but would clear out whole cellars at a time and load what
was not drunk onto carts to be carried away. The result was that people
who had a little warning had recourse to all sorts of ingenious tricks
to save some of their store. There was one bright man in the province of
Namur who removed his stock of wine--all except a few thousand bottles
of new wine--and deposited them in the ornamental pond near his château.
The Germans arrived a few hours afterward and raised a great fog because
they were not satisfied with the amount of wine they found. The owner of
the château had discreetly slipped away to Brussels and they could not
do anything to him. However, they tapped all the walls for secret hiding
places and went over the park to see if anything had been buried--all in
vain. The next morning, however, the pond was covered with labels which
had soaked off and floated to the surface, and after draining the pond
the whole stock was carted away.
Madame B----, who was there, has an interesting souvenir which she
proposes to keep if possible. During the first days of the war her
château was occupied by a lot of officers, who got gloriously drunk and
smashed up pretty well everything in the drawing-room and dining-room.
One of them, with a fine sense of humour, took a piece of hard chalk and
wrote on the top of her piano in large letters: _Deutschland über
alles!_ The crowd left the place in the morning without trying to cover
their traces, and Madame B---- came in to put things to rights. The first
thing she did was to get a large piece of plate glass to cover the top
of the piano so that the legend would not be effaced, and over that she
placed an ordinary piano cover so that no future visitor would be
inclined to erase the inscription. When the war is over this will be an
interesting reminder of her visitors.
This morning I was ready to start for Antwerp. My _laisser-passer_ had
been promised for ten o'clock. When it did not come by that hour, I went
up to see Baron von der Lancken who had agreed to attend to the matter.
He received me most graciously, told me how delighted he was to see me,
how it pleased him to see that we came to him with our little troubles,
etc. He kept off the subject of the _laisser-passer_ as long as he
could, but when he could stave it off no longer he said that he must ask
me to see von Herwarth, who had been placed in charge of all matters
regarding passports, etc. I made a blue streak over to Herwarth's
office, and saw him after a little delay. He kept me as long as he
could, and told me all that he knew about the war and perhaps a great
deal more. When we got down to the subject of my visit he said that von
der Lancken was mistaken, that passports could be granted only by
Colonel von Claer who had his office about a block away. I began to
smell a rat about this time, but kept plugging away. I spent an hour and
a quarter in the antechamber of the Colonel, being unable to get to him
or to any of his officers. It was all part of a game. Both von der
Lancken and Herwarth harped upon the danger of the trip to Antwerp,
advised against it and told how terribly they would feel if anything
were to happen to me. I asked each of them point blank if they
contemplated an attack while I was there. They both avoided the subject,
but said that with the situation as it was now it was impossible to tell
from one moment to another what might happen. I saw that they were
undecided about what was going to happen next, and that until they did
know they did not intend to let me go. They naturally do not wish to
have anything happen to me or anyone else connected with the Legation,
so I feel entirely safe about going.
After lunch I went back to the siege and stayed until my friend, the
Colonel, left by the fire-escape or some equally desperate way so as to
avoid seeing me.
Von der Goltz had sent word to the Minister that he was coming here for
tea this afternoon, and wanted to meet the Spanish Minister. That was
our opportunity, and the Minister was all primed with what he was to say
to the old chap. They beat us to it, however. The problem had evidently
been decided since I saw von der Lancken in the morning, for he greeted
me with the news that the _laisser-passer_ would be around in the course
of the evening. He added that the General was anxious to send one of the
Belgian Ministers of State to Antwerp, and would appreciate it if I
would take him with me. He is Count de Woeste, the man who has always
fought against having an army, on the ground that Belgium was so fully
guaranteed by her treaties that it was unnecessary. Baron von der
Lancken says that they will make out a _laisser-passer_ on which he will
be included, and that the military authorities will mark out the route
by which we had best go, so as to avoid running into trouble. I imagine
it will take us by way of Termonde and St. Nicolas.
The crowd that came to tea included von der Goltz, Pacha, Baron von der
Lancken, Herr von Sandt, and Count Ortenburg--a scion of a mediatised
Bavarian family. They told us of all the glorious triumphs of the German
army, and of the terrible drubbing that was in store for their enemies.
They stayed on for about an hour.
When they left, I escorted the old man to his car. Before he climbed in,
he looked me over curiously and remarked: "_Tiens, c'est fous qui faîtes
ce foyage à Anfers! Four afez peaucoup de gourage. Che tacherai
d'arranger un petit entr'acte pour fous être agreaple. Mais il vaut
refenir aussitot gue bossible!_" They evidently intend to hold off for a
day to await certain developments, and I am to get the benefit of the
delay.
The Marshal also told us that Maubeuge had fallen, and that they had
made forty-five thousand prisoners. It seems almost incredible that the
French and English would have left that many men at Maubeuge when they
knew that it was bound to fall. Perhaps we shall find that this is not
altogether accurate. They say nothing about what is happening in
Austria. The news from England and Antwerp is to the effect that the
Russians are giving the Austrians a hard time of it.
This afternoon the German headquarters issued an order prohibiting the
bringing of newspapers to Brussels from the outside world, and
announcing that any one who brings newspapers here or is found with
papers in his possession will be severely punished. Two German papers
will be distributed by the authorities, and everything else is taboo.
They evidently intend that their own version of passing events shall be
the only one to get out here.
* * * * *
_Brussels, September 13, 1914._--Ever since the 9th I have been off on
my little jaunt to Antwerp, and have not been able to get a line on
paper.
I was not at all sure that I was going to get away at all, until I got
down to the Legation on Wednesday morning and found my _laisser-passer_,
signed by von der Goltz, waiting for me--another to add to my already
large and interesting collection. With it was a letter from my friend
and well-wisher, Baron von der Lancken, who said that an officer would
be assigned to accompany us as far as the German outposts. He suggested
that I take along a large white flag to be hoisted over the motor for
the run between the lines. The note and _laisser-passer_ had arrived at
the Legation about one o'clock in the morning, and had looked so
important that the slaves waked the Minister from a deep sleep to
receive them.
[Illustration: Pass issued by Field-Marshal von der Goltz to enable Mr.
Gibson to pass through the German lines to Antwerp.
Passierschein
=============
für den ersten Sekretär der Gesandtschaft der Vereinigten Staaten
von Amerika zu Brüssel
herrn Hugh Gibson
und den Königlich Belgischen Staatsminister
herrn Woeste,
die sich nach Antwerpen begeben, von wo sie am 10. September d. J.
nach Brüssel zurückzukehren beabsichtigen.
Bei der Rückreise von Antwerpen nach Brüssel werden die
vorbezeichneten herren begleitet sein von dem ersten Sekretär der
hiesigen Spanischen Gesandtschaft,
Marquis de Faura
und einem oder zwei weiteren belgischen Herren, deren Namen noch
nicht angegeben werden künnen.
Die herren sind frei und ungehindert passieren und repassieren zu
lassen. Jeder Beistand ist ihnen zu gewahren.
Brüssel, den 9. September 1914
Der Generalgouverneur in Belgien.]
When I got to the office I found that Villalobar had not sent over his
contribution of letters, so I ran up to the Legation and saw him. He
bade me farewell as though I were off to certain death, and loaded me
with a large bundle of letters and telegrams.
When I got back to the shop, I found my fellow-passenger, the Count de
Woeste, waiting for me. He is a leader of the Catholic party which has
been in power in Belgium for the past thirty years, and, although he is
seventy-five years old, he is still a big figure in the little country.
He behaved very well on the trip, and if I were a Belgian citizen I
should vote for him on account of his good nerve.
We bowled off to headquarters, where I was mightily pleased to find that
von Herwarth had assigned himself to the duty of taking us up to the
outposts--just for a visit. It was the only satisfactory one I have had
with him since he came. At headquarters there were always too many
interruptions. My old travelling companion had a hard time to keep
himself in hand and not enter upon a joint debate upon the war, its
causes and justification. He did well, however, and my two passengers
parted on good terms, even going to the extraordinary length of shaking
hands at the outpost.
A big military motor, filled with armed men, was sent ahead to act as
guide, and we followed along closely behind in a cloud of dust.
From the outskirts of Brussels right up to the German outposts at
Hofstade, the fields were filled with German troops of every
sort--infantry, lancers, heavy artillery, and even three or four large
detachments of sailors in blue blouses and caps. All the men, except
the sailors and a few of the Landsturm who wear conspicuous blue
uniforms, were in the new greenish grey, which is about the finest color
that has yet seen active service. Frequently we drove several hundred
yards beside a field before noticing that it was filled with soldiers.
Several of the villages between Dieghem and Hofstade were partially
burned, and there were evidences of shell fire--which to these peasants
must be a perfectly convincing substitute for hell-fire--and of fighting
at really close quarters. Between Perck and Hofstade, the fields were
covered with deep entrenchments, and over some of these were stuck dummy
heads to draw hostile fire. Some, on the other hand, were fitted with
Belgian caps picked up on the battle-field, evidently for the purpose of
inducing Belgian troops to approach for a closer look before firing.
Most of the big trees along the road had been cut down, and many houses
razed to the ground so as to have a cleaner sweep for the artillery. At
Dieghem, the German pilot-car picked up a naval officer who was to
accompany us as far as the outposts and to inspect his men on the way
back.
On the outskirts of Hofstade, under a brick railway bridge, we found the
last German troops. They had some hard fighting here at the time of the
last Belgian sortie, and the bridge and the surrounding houses showed
evidences of shell fire.
[Illustration: A street in Louvain]
[Illustration: Fixing on the white flag for the dash between the lines]
[Illustration: Refugees from the villages near the Antwerp forts]
[Illustration: Arrival in Antwerp of refugees from Malines]
I was rather against putting up the white flag, but both Herwarth and
the naval officer were most insistent that I should do so, saying that
the country between the lines was filled with patrols, both Belgian and
German; that they felt that hostilities were to be commenced at any
moment, and that any one who ventured into the district between the
lines would stand a fine chance of being shot unless he carried a
conciliatory emblem. They rigged up a long pole on the side of the car
with a white flag about six feet square, and bidding a glad farewell to
the representatives of Hohenzollern and Company, we started out to feel
our way into Malines. About 500 yards beyond the bridge we sighted two
Belgian bicycle patrols who, on seeing us, jumped off their machines and
ran into an abandoned farmhouse. Knowing that they were at high tension,
we crept up very slowly so that they might have a good look at us before
trying their marksmanship. They were peeking over the window-ledge, with
their rifles trained at us; but after a good look at the black clothes
and white whiskers of M. de Woeste they pulled in their weapons and
waved us to go ahead. About a kilometer farther on, we came around a
turn in the road and nearly ran into the first Belgian outpost--six men
and an officer. As we came around upon them they scurried behind stone
walls and trees, and gave us the usual pleasant greeting of levelled
rifles. As the most prudent things to do under such circumstances, the
car was stopped, and I went ahead to parley. The officer proved to be
young Z----. He turned quite white when he got a good look at me, and
remarked that it was fortunate they had not had a sight of us farther
down the road, as we would certainly have been filled with lead.
He said that the Germans had tried three times that morning to get
through the lines in cars flying the white flag, in one instance at
least, with a machine-gun in the car. As a result of this, the outposts
had orders not to take any chance for the rest of the time intervening
before the attack which was expected to begin at any minute.
Far be it from me to suggest that our friends had me put up the white
flag, so as to offer proof of the Belgian savagery in firing on the
white flag.
After this little experience, we took in our white flag and made the
rest of our trip without trouble. We found outposts about every hundred
yards, and were stopped at the point of the rifle each time; but as we
got farther away from the outer lines the behaviour of the posts was
noticeably less nervous, and when we got into Malines the mere sight of
our papers was sufficient to let us freely through.
Since my last trip, the Belgians have been working steadily at their
preparations for defence, and have accomplished wonders. Their large
tracts of land, some of them forming natural routes, for entry between
the forts, have been inundated with water from the canals so as to be
quite impassable. Tremendous barbed wire entanglements form a broad
barrier all around the outer and inner fortifications; they are so thick
and so strongly braced that artillery fire would be practically useless
against them, and cutting with wire nippers would be so slow that it
could not be accomplished without a horrible loss of men.
There are any number of huge searchlights placed on the fortifications
to sweep the skies for Zeppelins. Since my last visit, one Zeppelin had
succeeded in getting over the town, but was surprised and dropped its
whole cargo of 15 bombs in a distance of a few hundred yards, taking no
lives and doing little material damage. Since then, several big craft
have appeared at night, but have always been frightened away by the
searchlights and the fire of the small vertical guns which have been
ready for them.
All the villages which cluster around the fortifications have been razed
to the ground, and the avenues of big trees have been cut down; it is a
pretty dreadful sight.
I left M. de Woeste at the Grand Hôtel, where the Cabinet is staying,
and then made for the Saint Antoine. Had lunch with Sir Francis Villiers
and Colonel Fairholme, and got my first real news since the Prussian
headquarters stopped issuing bulletins of German victories. Sir Francis
showed me the telegrams he had received about the German check and
retreat in France; and Prince Koudacheff, the Russian Minister, who
joined us for coffee, vied with him by showing me his telegrams about
the Russian advance in Eastern Prussia and in Austria.
After luncheon, I had some pow-wows on the subject that had brought me,
and went to see various people for whom I had messages. They are a lot
more cheerful than the last time I was in Antwerp, and are ready for
anything.
From the Foreign Office, I went to the Consulate General, where I found
a mountain of letters and telegrams. Got off my cables, and answered as
much of the other correspondence as was absolutely necessary--no more.
On my way back to the hotel, I ran into General Jungbluth coming out of
the Palace, and was promptly hauled inside for gossip.
The Queen, who has very properly come back from England, walked in on us
and stopped to hear the news from Brussels.
I got back to the hotel, and found all the colleagues waiting for me to
hear the latest news from Brussels. I played my part, and was nearly
torn to pieces in their eagerness for news from the town where there is
none. They were all there except the Papal Nuncio, who is most unhappy
in the midst of war's alarms and hardly budges from the episcopal
palace.
After dinner I was again asked to go to the Grand Hôtel to see the Prime
Minister. He had nothing startling to say, but was anxious to know what
was going on in Brussels. He showed me his telegrams from France,
England and Russia, and his maps with the recent movements worked out
with little flags.
Monsieur de Brocqueville told me an interesting incident that had taken
place at Ghent. It seems that when the Germans arrived there, they sent
in an officer and several soldiers to arrange for requisitions, etc., a
promise having been given that they would not be molested. Of course,
the whole town was on the _qui vive_ and everybody had been warned to
refrain from incurring their displeasure. Just as the German motor
passed in front of our Consulate, a Belgian armoured car came charging
in from Antwerp, knowing nothing of the presence of the Germans, and
upon seeing the enemy uniform, opened fire, wounding the officer and one
of the men.
That was enough to start things, and the town would probably be in ruins
to-day but for the quick thinking and action of Van Hee, the American
Vice-Consul. He plunged down the staircase, seized the Burgomaster, who
happened to be present, pushed him into a motor with the wounded men and
went straight to the German headquarters to explain that the attack had
been made by two men from Antwerp who knew nothing of the agreement
reached between the city and the German forces, and to plead that no
reprisals should be made upon the city. The general said that he was
prepared to accept the statement of the Vice-Consul on this matter, and
that he would not therefore visit retribution on the town if the
requisitions which he had demanded were promptly furnished. The
requisitions were heavy, and he was apparently afraid that they might
not be sent. He said that he would send in troops to occupy the town
until the supplies requisitioned were actually in his possession, but
finally agreed to refrain from doing so on condition that the
Vice-Consul should give his word of honour that the supplies should be
forthcoming.