322 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XXIII 



plan everything of an obligatory nature, if Germany in 

 sists upon it, I learn that the Dutch Government is much 

 opposed to this concession, and may publicly protest 

 against it. 



A curious part of the means used in bringing about 

 this change of opinion was the pastoral letter, elsewhere 

 referred to, issued by the Protestant Episcopal bishop 

 of Texas, calling for prayers throughout the State for 

 the success of the conference in its efforts to diminish 

 the horrors of war. This pastoral letter, to which I re 

 ferred in my letter to Minister von Billow, I intrusted 

 to Holls, authorizing him to use it as he thought fit. He 

 showed it to Prince Hohenlohe, and the latter, although 

 a Eoman Catholic, was evidently affected by it, and es 

 pecially by the depth and extent of the longing for peace 

 which it showed. It is perhaps an interesting example 

 of an indirect &quot;answer to prayer, &quot; since it undoubtedly 

 strengthened the feelings in the prince chancellor s mind 

 which led him to favor arbitration. 



June 24. 



Sent to M. de Staal, as president of the conference, the 

 memorial relating to the exemption of private property, 

 not contraband of war, from capture on the high seas. 

 Devoted the morning to blocking out my Grotius address, 

 and afterward drove with Holls to Delft to look over 

 the ground for our Fourth-of-July festival. The town 

 hall is interesting and contains, among other portraits, 

 one which is evidently a good likeness of Grotius; the 

 only difficulty is that, for our intended luncheon, the 

 rooms, though beautiful, seem inadequate. 



Thence to the church, and after looking over that part 

 of it near the monuments, with reference to the Grotius 

 ceremony, went into the organ-loft with the organist. 

 There I listened for nearly an hour while he and 

 Holls played finely on that noble instrument ; and as I sat 

 and looked down over the church and upon the distant 

 monuments, the old historic scenes of four hundred years 



