Free Agent of Peace by Jennifer Hobhouse Balme Page B

distant restaurant where it would be convenient for him to meet us. Dr. Alice asked me to come afterward and sup with her – about 8.30 p.m. I had had no dinner, only those early sandwiches about 9.30 a.m. outside Ruhleben, and hardly a mouthful for tea and was faint with exhaustion. I felt I should not even hear what Heine said unless I were refreshed. So at the Restaurant while Dr. Alice went upstairs to look for him I asked for a cup of cocoa. I was vexed afterwards for I think she was surprised as if it reflected upon her hospitality and to my regret she insisted upon paying for it and adding biscuits. I was then able to hold out – but I noticed that she remarked several times that it would be a ‘light’ supper. Afterwards I understood more clearly why.
    Heine came and impressed me very deeply, a grave weighty man. He spoke slowly and very clearly so that I understood nearly all he said and Dr. Salomon interpreted the rest. He is highly thought of in the Reichstag, a fine speaker – a leader of the Majority Socialists – who followed the government to war on account of the danger from Russia. He made me grasp as never before the way in which Germans regard Russia – it looms large in their eyes. He spoke chiefly, however, of the food question – and scouted the idea that it would oblige the government to make peace. He said people were suffering and would have to suffer privation – but that scarcity need never have been if the government had taken it in hand soon enough. He said that at the beginning of the Blockade the Social Democrats had drawn up a scheme of distribution and presented it to the Government. This (like all Governments) took no heed, and luxury and waste continued. Now point by point that scheme was being adopted. Meanwhile there had been a year’s needless waste. He spoke of the ‘great push’ expected to begin in a few days. (It did begin in fact June 25th, two days later.)
    It was a long interesting strangely moving conversation, as we three sat round the little table in the third-rate Restaurant – speaking in low earnest voices. At last he excused himself and bid us farewell and we went out to find a rare cab. With difficulty this was done – a strange old man to drive us and we reached Dr. Salomon’s beautiful little flat. It was interesting this peep of a German ‘professional’ woman’s flat. She had one maid and supper was ordered. While we talked, she told me much of her life, her work, her love for Lady Aberdeen (2nd mother to her) in whose house in Ireland she had been staying when the war broke out. She sent messages to Lady Aberdeen. At last supper was ready – and it certainly was light. In a moment I realised how short food was in private houses. There was an omelet made of one egg for the two of us, there were three very small and very thinly cut slices of bread – there was a very small dish of stewed cherries. In addition there was a small block of butter 3oz the total supply per head for two weeks. I realized I must only make a feint of taking any and just scraped it with my knife. As to the omelet we took tiny mouthfuls and eked them out with much conversation. She said they were content and were learning something fresh every day. Formerly they had cooked with so much butter and fat, now they adopted the English fashion of grilling their meat over the fire and found it enjoyable. She spoke much of the care Municipalities and Societies were taking of the poor and of expectant mothers.
    It was still broad daylight when, after 10 p.m., the old cabman came again and she packed me in and told him to drive me home – which he did and I enjoyed the quiet drive in the late evening light. It was 11 p.m. when I reached the hotel after a very full day.
    Thursday, June 22nd Up early. Falkenhausen ’phoned he would come round about midday and lunch with me. Rieth ’phoned from the Foreign Office for