316 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE -XXIII 



ably rich in Egyptian and other monuments. Roman 

 art is also very fully represented. 



Thence home, and, on arriving, found, of all men in 

 the world, Thomas B. Reed, Speaker of our House of 

 Representatives. Mr. Newel, our minister, took us both 

 for a drive to Scheveningen, and Mr. Reed s conversa 

 tion was exceedingly interesting; he is well read in his 

 tory and, apparently, in every field of English litera 

 ture. There is a bigness, a heartiness, a shrewdness, and 

 a genuineness about him which greatly attract me. 



June 19. 



Called on M. de Staal to show him Holls s telegram 

 from Berlin, which is encouraging. De Staal thinks that 

 we may have to give up the tenth section of the arbitra 

 tion plan, which includes obligatory arbitration in sundry 

 minor matters ; but while I shall be very sorry to see this 

 done, we ought to make the sacrifice if it will hold Ger 

 many, Italy, and Austria to us. 



A little later received a hearty telegram from the Sec 

 retary of State authorizing our ordering the wreath of 

 silver and gold and placing it on the tomb of Grotius. 

 Telegraphed and wrote Major Allen at Berlin full direc 

 tions on the subject. I am determined that the tribute 

 shall be worthy of our country, of its object, and of the 

 occasion. 



In the afternoon took Speaker Reed, with his wife and 

 daughter, through the &quot; House in the Wood,&quot; afterward 

 through the grounds, which are more beautiful than ever, 

 and then to Delft, where we visited the tombs of William 

 the Silent and Grotius, and finally the house in which 

 William was assassinated. It was even more interesting 

 to me than during either of my former visits, and was 

 evidently quite as interesting to Mr. Reed. 



At six attended a long meeting of the American dele 

 gation, which elaborated the final draft of our communi 

 cation to M. de Staal on the immunity of private prop 

 erty on the high seas. Various passages were stricken 



