A Journal From Our Legation in BelgiumGibson, Hugh
History
A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium
Gibson, Hugh
Belgium -- History -- German occupation, 1914-1918
I went around to the Consulate on time, and found that, through a
misunderstanding, Jeffes had made no preparations for going, having been
assured that another attempt would be made to get him off. I pointed out
that the Minister had given his word of honour that Jeffes should be
there, and that he would be left in a very unpleasant and annoying
position if we did not turn up as promised. Jeffes was perfectly ready,
although not willing to go. I went to the Ecole Militaire and explained
to von der Lancken that Jeffes' failure to appear was due to a mistake,
and asked that he be given time to straighten out his accounts and come
later in the day or to-morrow morning. The answer was that he must come
some time during the day. The Consul-General went straight to von
Luettwitz with Jeffes, made a great plea on the score of his health or
lack of it, and got his time extended until he could be given a medical
examination by the military authorities. Late in the afternoon he was
looked over and told to go home and be quiet, that he would probably not
be wanted, but that if anything came up, they would communicate with him
further.
* * * * *
_Brussels, November 27, 1914._--More busy days. Each day we swear that
we will stop work early and go out to play. Each day we sit at our
desks, and darkness comes down upon us, and we do not get away until
nearly eight o'clock. "Thanksgiving Day" was no exception, and to-day we
are going through the same old performance. Yesterday, by strenuous
work, I got down to swept bunkers and had a good prospect of an easy
day. Instead of that there has been a deluge of Consuls, mail,
telegrams, and excited callers, and we are snowed under a heap of work
it will take several days to get out of the way.
We came back to them with a bump, however, when Nasmith came to my flat
at midnight to say that Jeffes had been arrested. And it was done in the
usual charming manner. In the course of the afternoon, the
Consul-General got a note asking him to go to headquarters "to talk over
the case of Mr. Jeffes." It asked also that Jeffes accompany the
Consul-General "to the conference." When they arrived it was announced
that Jeffes was under arrest and to be sent immediately to the Ecole
Militaire. The Consul-General, like the Minister, on the occasion of his
visit, was placed in the position of having lured his friend into jail.
He protested vigorously, but was not even allowed to accompany Jeffes to
the Ecole Militaire. It was only after some heated argument that Jeffes
was allowed five minutes at home, under guard, to get a few belongings
together to take with him. The Consul-General is furious, and so am I
when I remember how decently the German Vice-Consul here was treated
when the war broke out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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