lmet and an original Iron Cross of the second degree. The
marking on the temple band of the helmet said, "48th Regiment, 4th Army
Corps, Company 7, No. 57, 1909-1914,"--meaning that the owner started
service in 1909 and the helmet was issued to him in 1914. It is
believed it belonged to a soldier who was either wounded or killed
outside of Antwerp. The Iron Cross has on it: "1870" (when the order
was started), and the letter "F" (Friedrich), and the date of its
issuance. I should add that I did not rob a dead or dying soldier of
these trophies, but I was asked not to show them in either Belgium or
England, nor to state how I came by them. And I have kept my promise.

I had also a fragment of shrapnel casing from a 32 cm. shell--the only
bomb which hit the Antwerp Cathedral during the German attack. It was
given to me by Mr. Edward Eyre Hunt, who picked it up on the morning of
the German entry. There were also some Belgian bullet clips and a bit
of shrapnel picked up near the spot where I was knocked down by the
concussion of a bursting shell on that same morning.

When I reached Bentheim we were put through the usual search by the
border patrol and military officials of the Zollamt. I had pinned the
Iron Cross to my undershirt, but the helmet was a bit bulky for such
treatment.

"Take it out!" roared the officer who discovered the headgear wrapped in
a sweater in my rucksack. "Dass ist str-r-reng ver-r-rboten!"

When I explained that I had come by it honestly, and wanted to take it
home, he burst into a passion. The fact that I showed a letter from Von
Bernstorff and explained that I was known in the Foreign Office in
Berlin made no impression whatsoever. The officer said that if the
owner was dead, the helmet could not even go to his family. It was
government property and should return, therefore, to the commissary
department. At all events, it must not leave the Empire.

I missed my train and was kept in Bentheim overnight. In the morning I
again tried persuasion, but without success. As it was now a question
of myself or the helmet, I decided to get myself home. I went back once
more, and as a final chance put up this proposition to my officer. I
showed my credentials and explained that I was going to The Hague.
Would he in the mean time put my name on the helmet, and if within
forty-eight hours he received a wire both from the Foreign Office in
Berlin and The Hague Legation, would he send the h