y infractions whatsoever of the
above orders are committed.

"On the other hand, if the city remains absolutely quiet,
the hostages and inhabitants will be protected by the German
army.

"By order of the German Authorities,

"The Mayor, DR. LAUGHT.

"Rheims, September 12, 1914."

Below was appended a list of names and addresses of ninety-one leading
citizens, officials, and ecclesiastics, and, as if that were not
enough, this list was finished by the words "and others."

* * * * *

_Paris, Thursday, September 17th._ During my absence at the Battle of
the Marne last week, the powers-that-be at the Embassy decided that I
was too much needed in Paris for the German-Austrian affairs to be
allowed to go to the front again.

[Illustration: THE CHATEAU OF MONDEMONT]

Therefore, when another expedition departed today, I was not permitted
to be one of the party.

On our trip I took rough field notes during the daytime and sat up at
night into the early morning hours in order to expand these jottings
into an accurate and comprehensive diary. I am now arranging this
material into a report to be forwarded to Washington.

* * * * *

The whole "deuxieme etage" of the _Chancellerie_ is now given over to
the Austrian, German, and Hungarian affairs. The arrangement of rooms
is the same as in the American _Chancellerie_ on the floor below. Mr.
Percival Dodge, ex-first-assistant Secretary of State, is now head of
the department and occupies the room over Ambassador Herrick. I have
the room over the First Secretary, and Mr. Hazeltine the room over the
Second Secretary. Lieutenant Donait is to be chief of the office
staff, which consists of three stenographers and two messengers. We
have, in addition, three personal stenographers. This arrangement will
be a great improvement, as our rooms on the ground floor were much too
cramped for the volume of business.

* * * * *

_Monday, September 21st._ The immense amount of effective work
accomplished under Mr. Herrick would have been impossible had he not
been so ably supported by the two Secretaries of the Embassy, Mr.
Bliss and Mr. Frazier, past-masters of the intricate technique of
their profession. In the emergency of the war crisis the usefulness of
the numerous subordinate members of the Embassy staff absolutely
depended upon the s