hey, too, will require food from abroad. The local committee has
asked Shaler to go to Holland and from there to England to purchase as
much food as possible, make arrangements for sending it across the
frontier and investigate the chances of getting future supplies. The
German authorities have given assurances that they will not requisition
any of the supplies imported for the use of the civil population. They
are to issue placards signed by the Military Governor ordering the
military authorities to respect our purchases. These placards are to be
affixed to the cars and barges bringing in the supplies and we are
inclined to believe that they will be effective.

After hurried preparation Shaler got away this afternoon with young
Couchman by way of Liege. I went out to lunch with him and see him off.
It is not an easy task he has ahead, but he went to it with a good
heart.

Yesterday evening the Minister had an interview with Baron von der
Lancken about the question of my making a statement as to what I saw at
Louvain. I naturally am very reluctant to be brought into the affair,
but the Germans have been very insistent, and finally von der Lancken
said that he was confident that if he could talk with me for a few
minutes he could arrange the matter to the satisfaction of everybody. He
asked that I go to see him at the Ministry at half past six. I hurried
home and dressed for dinner, so as to be able to go straight to Mrs.
Z.'s, and then run over to the Ministry on the minute. The office of von
der Lancken was dark and empty. I waited in the chilly corridors for
twenty minutes and then went my way.

This morning one of his minions was here on another matter and I took
occasion to mention the fact that he had not been there when I called.
He came right back with the statement that they had come back from the
field particularly early, on my account, and had waited for me in vain
for nearly an hour. I assured them that I had been there on the minute
and had been in the office, and that there was no one there. Mystery! By
way of clinching it I said that the office was dark as the tomb. Then a
ray of light struck the German, and he said: "Oh, I see, you came at
half past six, Belgian time! Of course von der Lancken expected you at
half past six, German time!!!" When he asked me when I would call I felt
inclined to set eleven in the morning and then wander over at three in
the afternoon, with the statement that, of course, I