252 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XX 



dreamed. Books, documents, letters, wise and unwise, 

 thoughtful and crankish, shrewd and childish, poured in 

 upon me ; in all classes of society there seemed ferment 

 ing a mixture of hope and doubt; even the German Em 

 peror apparently felt it, for shortly there came an invita 

 tion to the palace, and on my arrival I found that the 

 subject uppermost in his mind was the approaching con 

 ference. Of our conversation, as well as of some other 

 interviews at this period, I speak elsewhere. 



On the 16th of May I left Berlin, and arrived late in 

 the evening at The Hague. As every day s doings were 

 entered in my diary, it seems best to give an account 

 of this part of my life in the shape of extracts from it. 



May 17, 1899. 



This morning, on going out of our hotel, the Oude 

 Doelen, I found that since my former visit, thirty-five 

 years ago, there had been little apparent change. It is 

 the same old town, quiet, picturesque, full of historical 

 monuments and art treasures. This hotel and the neigh 

 boring streets had been decorated with the flags of va 

 rious nations, including our own, and crowds were assem 

 bled under our windows and in the public places. The 

 hotel is in one of the most attractive parts of the city 

 architecturally and historically, and is itself interesting 

 from both points of view. It has been a hostelry ever 

 since the middle ages, and over the main entrance a tablet 

 indicates rebuilding in 1625. Connected with it by in 

 terior passages are a number of buildings which were 

 once private residences, and one of the largest and best 

 of these has been engaged for us. Fortunately the pres 

 ent Secretary of State, John Hay, has been in the diplo 

 matic service ; and when I wrote him, some weeks ago, on 

 the importance of proper quarters being secured for us, 

 he entered heartily into the matter, giving full powers to 

 the minister here to do whatever was necessary, subject 

 to my approval. The result is that we are quite as well 

 provided for as any other delegation at the conference. 



