326 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XXIII 



matter; he had abstained from voting for the reason 

 that he had no instructions in the premises. 



July 2. 



In the morning Major Allen, military attache of our 

 embassy at Berlin, arrived, bringing the Grotius wreath. 

 Under Secretary Hay s permission, I had given to one 

 of the best Berlin silversmiths virtually carte blanche, 

 and the result is most satisfactory. The wreath is very 

 large, being made up, on one side, of a laurel branch 

 with leaves of frosted silver and berries of gold, and, on 

 the other, of an oak branch with silver leaves and gold 

 acorns, both boughs being tied together at the bottom 

 by a large knot of ribbon in silver gilded, bearing the 

 arms of the Netherlands and the United States on en 

 ameled shields, and an inscription as follows ; 



To the Memory of HUGO GROTIUS j 



In Reverence and Gratitude, 



From the United States of America ; 



On the Occasion of the International Peace Conference 



of The Hague. 



July 4th, 1899. 



It is a superb piece of work, and its ebony case, with 

 silver clasps, and bearing a silver shield with suitable 

 inscription, is also perfect : the whole thing attracts most 

 favorable attention. 



