gun. They pay a few pfennigs per
meal.

I have heard rumours lately of actual dissatisfaction among
soldiers at front and of many being transferred, but this unrest
also will have no definite result.

Constant rain lately will damage the harvest and rot the potatoes
to some extent. Nevertheless, as I have often said, the Germans
will last. Holland has allowed more food in lately.

* * * * *

The long confinement will make many prisoners insane. Many old
men at Ruhleben, living six in a horse's stall or in dim hay
lofts, simply turn their faces to the wall and refuse even to
complain.

The statement in the American papers that our National Guard
could not mobilise for Mexico because of lack of sleeping cars
caused much ridicule here, where they go to the front in cattle
cars.

* * * * *

_July, 1916._ A committee called the National Committee for an
Honourable Peace has been formed. Prince Wedel is at the head.
Most of the people are friends of the Chancellor. One is an
editor of the _Frankfurter Zeitung_ which is the Chancellor's
organ. On August 1st, fifty speakers, of this Committee will
begin to speak, probably the opposition will come into their
meetings and try to speak or break up the meetings.

The _Lokal Anzeiger_, also a government organ, prints an
editorial to the effect that Germany may take up ruthless
submarine war again. Great numbers of U-boats are being built and
in September operations will be on a big scale, though the
Chancellor will try to keep them to cruiser warfare.

The prisoner question on all sides is growing acute. The Germans
sent me a note to-day threatening stern reprisals if the alleged
bad treatment of their prisoners in Russia does not stop.

We can no longer talk to prisoners alone. Von Jagow told me that
after the visit of Madam Sasenoff, or Samsenoff, to a Russian
prisoners' camp, there was a riot, but the real reason is that
the Germans have much to conceal. The prison food now is a
starvation ration.

* * * * *

The Alliance of the Six, really an organization fostered by big
iron business in Westphalia, is very active for annexation. This
wants to get the French iron mines and coal, and so control the
iron business of the Continent and perhaps Europe.

A man from Syria passed through here recently and gave me most
interesting accounts of the state of affairs there. The Tu