n a little while to say
that he was told that the only safe way was to go by Namur, Liege and
Holland, entering Antwerp from the north. He evidently insisted on a
perfectly safe route, that could be guaranteed, and they told him a
story that they thought would dissuade him from making the trip. They do
not like to have a lot of people coming and going.

We have no more news from the outside world; the battle still rages all
along the line in France (according to what we hear), but we have no
inkling as to whether the German retreat still continues. The only thing
we are told at headquarters is that the outcome is as yet undecided, but
that the Germans are in a favourable position, and that they will be
victorious in a few days. I would give a good deal for a little real
news as to how things are going.

This morning Major Langhorne, our Military Attache from Berlin, breezed
in upon us. He is travelling around with six other Military Attaches,
seeing as much of the field of operations as the German officer who
personally conducts them will permit. They got in this morning, and left
about one, so we had only a few minutes' visit, and he carried off all
our good wishes and New York papers.

The German _affiche_ of yesterday, ordering the Belgian flags taken
down, has made everybody furious, and for a time we thought there might
be trouble. If the flags had been ordered down the day the Germans came
in there would not have been half as much resentment, but, on the
contrary, they began by proclaiming that the patriotic feelings of the
people would be scrupulously respected. Max, the Burgomaster, got out a
little proclamation of his own which served to soothe the feelings of
the people. After expressing some views as to the German order, he says:

I ask the population of the town to give a fresh example of
self-restraint and greatness of soul which it has already so often
shown during these sad days.

Let us provisionally accept the sacrifice which is imposed upon us;
let us take down our flags in order to avoid conflicts, and
patiently await the hour of redress.

Soon flags were coming down all over the city, and there was not a
murmur. An hour after Max's proclamation was posted, however, German
soldiers were running about covering them with sheets of white paper.
The Military authorities were furious, because Max had intimated in his
poster that the present situation would not endure