ice, to which the despatches and the
passports came; the Conference Chamber, where all vexed questions were
discussed and decided; the Court of Appeal, where people who thought
they had not received fair treatment could present their complaints; and
the Consolation Room, where the really distressed, as well as the
slightly hysterical, came to tell their troubles. Some of them were
tragic and some comic. The most agitated and frightened persons were
among the fat commercial men. The women, as a rule, were fine and steady
and cheerful, especially the American-born. They met the adventure with
good sense and smiling faces; asked with commendable brevity for the
best advice or service that we could give them; and usually took the
advice and were more grateful for the service than it deserved.

So the days rolled on, full of infinitely varied cares and labors; and
every afternoon, about five o'clock, the whole staff with a dozen or a
score of our passing friends, went out under the spreading chestnut-tree
in the back garden for a half-hour of tea and talk. It was all very
peaceful and democratic. We were in neutral, friendly Holland. The big,
protecting shield of "Uncle Sam" was over us, and we felt safe.

III

Yet how near, how fearful, was the fierce reality of the unpardonable
war! Belgium was invaded by the Germans, an hour or two away from us. At
any moment their troops might be tempted to take the short cut through
the narrow strip of Dutch territory which runs so far down into Belgium;
and then the neutrality of Holland would be gone! The little country
would be part of the battle-field. Holland has always been resolved to
fight any invader.

All through August and September, 1914, that fear hung over the Dutch
people. It recurred later again and again--whenever a movement of German
troops came too close to the borders of Holland; whenever a newspaper
tale of impending operations transpired from Berlin or London. Once or
twice the anxiety rose almost to a popular panic. But I noticed that
even then the stock-market at Amsterdam remained calm. Now, the Dutch
are a very prudent folk, especially the bankers. Therefore I concluded
that somebody had received strong assurances both from Germany and Great
Britain that neither would invade the Netherlands provided the other
abstained.

But all the time there was that dreadful example of the "scrap of
paper"--the treaty which had been no protection for Belgium--to shake