was organized to give food to the poor here, of which Mr. Whitlock and the Spanish Minister were patrons.  Three weeks ago the Ministerial allies discovered that the situation was exceedingly grave, not only here but all over Belgium.  Committees came to see Mr. Whitlock from Louvain, Liege, Namur, Charleroi, Mons, Dinant, &c., and the people, I was told, were within four weeks of absolute starvation.  Mr. Whitlock got the German Military Governor of Belgium, Field Marshal von der Goltz, to give the Spanish Minister and himself a guarantee in writing that any food sent in for the poor Belgians would not be requisitioned for the German Army.

The next thing was to get the permission of England; so two weeks ago Secretary Gibson was sent to London with Baron Lambert, a banker, and M. Franqui to get England’s permission as well as a first shipment of food.  Two weeks ago Mr. Whitlock sent a long letter to the State Department and to President Wilson, asking them to do something.  At least one phrase of Mr. Whitlock’s coinage has been going the rounds here.  In the various preliminary discussions as to whose responsibility it was to take care of the Belgian people there was considerable talk about Hague conventions.  “Starving people can’t eat Hague conventions” was his answer.

Minister Whitlock also feels vastly relieved that he has got practically all non-official Americans out of Belgium, the twoscore still here being mostly resident business men, with a sprinkling of the boldest tourists, who are staying “to see the fun,” in spite of Ministerial warnings.

Mr. Whitlock believes he has broken the world’s record by being eight Ministers at once.  At one time he was representing Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Japan, Servia, Denmark, and Lichtenstein.  When he told a German officer that he represented Lichtenstein—­which is said to be a small sovereign State somewhere, dependent on Austria—­the officer laughed and said:  “Theoretically, Germany is still at war with Lichtenstein and has been since 1866, it having been overlooked in the peace shuffle.”  The reason for representing Denmark, which isn’t at war with anybody, is that the Danish Minister is equally accredited to Belgium and The Hague, and had no Secretary to leave behind when he departed Hagueward.  Of course, the American flag does not fly over the Danish Legation here.  In addition, the French and Russian interests were also offered to Mr. Whitlock, but he was so full of responsibility that he had to ask to be excused.

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LOUVAIN, Nov. 5.—­Louvain now presents the ghastly spectacle of a dead city, buried under ruins, slowly coming to life again, and continues to give full scope to the morbid streak in human nature; for sightseers continue to flock here in increasing numbers from Antwerp, Brussels, and, in fact, all over Belgium, excepting from over the deadline of the operating zone.  With the Bruxellois especially the trip