Oct. 4 [4 October 1919] And reached Ludd [Lod (Lydda)] about 7.
There I breakfasted and got to Jerusalem [(El Quds esh Sherif,
Yerushalayim)] at 11. Major General Watson, Chief Administrator in
succession to General Money, put me up. He is quartered in the
German Hospice on the Mount of Olives. General Watson was away
but I found Lady Watson and her two daughters. Col. Popham and his
wife (he has been acting for Ronald Storrs while he was away) came
to lunch. Afterwards R.S. sent a motor for me and I went down to the
Military Governor's Office, a huge and disgraceful German house
outside the {Jaffa} Damascus Gate, where we gossiped for some
time. We then walked through the Jaffa Gate, went to the exquisite
little Armenian church, and so to the Haram. Back by the Via
Dolorosa. On our way back to the Mt of Olives called on Mrs Vester
and arranged some visits for the following day. She is an American,
daughter of Mrs Spafford who was a leading person in the group of
Americans who came out some 35 years ago in immediate
anticipation of the end of the world. They have, however,
accommodated themselves to its continuance and are now a useful
community. Vester is a pure German who escaped conscription by
being over age and earned our gratitude by his work in a Turkish
hospital where the Americans befriended our wounded.