our efforts null and void, and could not under any circumstances be agreed to.  The discussion was attended with considerable excitement at times, and the Bulgarian delegates even threatened to withdraw altogether if we did not give way.  Kuehlmann and my humble self remained perfectly firm, and told them we had no objection to their withdrawing if they pleased; they could also, if they pleased, send their own answer separately to the proposal, but no further alteration would be made in the draft which we, Kuehlmann and I, had drawn up.  As no settlement could be arrived at, the plenary sitting was postponed to the 25th, and the Bulgarian delegates wired to Sofia for fresh instructions.

“The Bulgarians received a negative reply, and presumably the snub we had expected.  They were very dejected, and made no further difficulty about agreeing to the common action.  So the matter is settled as far as that goes.

“In the afternoon I had more trouble with the Germans.  The German military party ‘fear’ that the Entente may, perhaps, be inclined to agree to a general peace, and could not think of ending the war in this ‘unprofitable’ fashion.  It is intolerable to have to listen to such twaddle.

“If the great victories which the German generals are hoping for on the Western front should be realised, there will be no bounds to their demands, and the difficulty of all negotiations will be still further increased.

“December 25, 1917.—­The plenary sitting took place to-day, when we gave the Russians our answer to their peace proposals.  I was presiding, and delivered the answer, and Joffe replied. The general offer of peace is thus to be made, and we must await the result. In order to lose no time, however, the negotiations on matters concerning Russia are being continued meanwhile.  We have thus made a good step forward, and perhaps got over the worst.  It is impossible to say whether yesterday may not have been a decisive turning point in the history of the world.

“December 26, 1917.—­The special negotiations began at 9 A.M.  The programme drawn up by Kuehlmann, chiefly questions of economical matters and representation, were dealt with so rapidly and smoothly that by 11 o’clock the sitting terminated, for lack of further matter to discuss.  This is perhaps a good omen.  Our people are using to-day to enter the results of the discussion in a report of proceedings, as the sitting is to be continued to-morrow, when territorial questions will be brought up.

“December 26, 1917.—­I have been out for a long walk alone.

“On the way back, I met an old Jew.  He was sitting in the gutter, weeping bitterly.  He did not beg, did not even look at me, only wept and wept, and could not speak at first for sobs.  And then he told me his story—­Russian, Polish, and German, all mixed together.