o play.

For the last year or two I have looked forward to just such a post as
this, where nothing ever happens, where there is no earthly chance of
being called out of bed in the middle of the night to see the human race
brawling over its differences. When pounding along in the small hours of
the night, nearly dead with fatigue, I have thought that I should like
to have a long assignment to just such a post and become a diplomatic
Lotos Eater. And at first it was great fun.

That phase lasted until I had had a thorough rest, and then the longing
for something more active began to manifest itself.

I sat down and wrote to the Department of State that while I greatly
appreciated having been sent to this much-coveted post I was ready
whenever there might be need of my services to go where there was work
to be done.

* * * * *

_July 28, 1914._--Well, the roof has fallen in. War was declared this
afternoon by Austria. The town is seething with excitement and
everybody seems to realise how near they are to the big stage. Three
classes of reserves have already been called to the colours to defend
Belgian neutrality. A general mobilisation is prepared and may be
declared at any time. The Bourse has been closed to prevent too much
play on the situation, and let things steady themselves. In every other
way the hatches have been battened down and preparations made for heavy
weather.

To-night the streets are crowded and demonstrations for and against war
are being held. The Socialists have Jaures, their French leader, up from
Paris, and have him haranguing an anti-war demonstration in the Grande
Place, where a tremendous crowd has collected. Nobody on earth can see
where it will all lead. England is trying hard to localise the conflict,
and has valuable help. If she does not succeed * * *

An advance guard of tourists is arriving from France, Germany, and
Switzerland, and a lot of them drop in for advice as to whether it is
safe for them to go to various places in Europe. And most of them seem
to feel that we really have authoritative information as to what the
next few days are to bring forth, and resent the fact that we are too
disobliging to tell them the inside news. A deluge of this sort would be
easier for a full-sized Embassy to grapple with, but as Belgium is one
of those places where nothing ever happens we have the smallest possible
organisation, consisting on