AT THE HAGUE PEACE CONFERENCE: V-1899 349 



most entirely by me, but signed by all the members of 

 the commission, were presented, re-read, and signed, 

 after which the delegation adjourned, sine die. 



August 1. 



After some little preliminary work on matters con 

 nected with the winding up of our commission, went with 

 my private secretary, Mr. Vickery, to Amsterdam, visit 

 ing the old church, the palace, the Zoological Gardens, etc. 

 Thence to Gouda and saw the stained-glass windows in 

 the old church there, which I have so long desired to 

 study. 



August 3. 



At 8.30 left The Hague and went by rail, yia Cologne 

 and Ehrenbreitstein, to Homburg, arriving in the even 

 ing. 



August 5. 



This morning resumed my duties as ambassador at 

 Berlin. 



There was one proceeding at the final meeting of the 

 conference which I have omitted, but which really ought 

 to find a place in this diary. Just before the final 

 speeches, to the amazement of all and almost to the stu 

 pefaction of many, the president, M. de Staal, handed to 

 the secretary, without comment, a paper which the latter 

 began to read. It turned out to be a correspondence 

 which had taken place, just before the conference, be 

 tween the Queen of the Netherlands and the Pope. 



The Queen s letter written, of course, by her minis 

 ters, in the desire to placate the Catholic party, which 

 holds the balance of power in the Netherlands dwelt 

 most respectfully on the high functions of his Holiness, 

 etc., etc., indicating, if not saying, that it was not the fault 

 of her government that he was not invited to join in the 

 conference. 



The answer from the Pope was a masterpiece of Vati- 



