difficulties than you would guess.  New subjects and new duties come with great rapidity, but they soon fall into formulas—­at least into classes.  We shall have no sharp crises nor grave difficulties so long as our Government and this Government keep their more than friendly relations.  I see Sir Edward Grey almost every day.  We talk of many things—­all phases of one vast wreck; and all the clear-cut points that come up I report by telegraph.  To-day the talk was of American cargoes in British ships and the machinery they have set up here for fair settlement.  Then of Americans applying for enlistment in Canadian regiments.  “If sheer brute force conquer Europe,” said he, “the United States will be the only country where life will be worth living; and in time you will have to fight against it, too, if it conquer Europe.”  He spoke of the letter he had just received from the President, and he asked me many sympathetic questions about you also and about your health.  I ventured to express some solicitude for him.

     “How much do you get out now

     “Only for an automobile drive Sunday afternoon.”

     This from a man who is never happy away from nature and is at home
     only in the woods and along the streams.  He looks worn.

     I hear nothing but satisfaction with our neutrality tight-rope
     walk.  I think we are keeping it here, by close attention to our
     work and by silence.

Our volunteer and temporary aids are doing well—­especially the army and navy officers.  We now occupy three work-places:  (1) the over-crowded embassy; (2) a suite of offices around the corner where the ever-lengthening list of inquiries for persons is handled and where an army officer pays money to persons whose friends have deposited it for them with the Government in Washington—­just now at the rate of about $15,000 a day; and (3) two great rooms at the Savoy Hotel, where the admirable relief committee (which meets all trains that bring people from the continent) gives aid to the needy and helps people to get tickets home.  They have this week helped about 400 with more or less money—­after full investigation.

     At the Embassy a secretary remains till bed-time, which generally
     means till midnight; and I go back there for an hour or two every
     night.

The financial help we give to German and Austrian subjects (poor devils) is given, of course, at their embassies, where we have men—­our men-in charge.  Each of these governments accepted my offer to give our Ambassadors (Gerard and Penfield) a sum of money to help Americans if I would set aside an equal sum to help their people here.  The German fund that I thus began with was $50,000; the Austrian, $25,000.  All this and more will be needed before the war ends.—­All this activity is kept up with scrupulous attention to the British rules and regulations.  In fact, we are helping this Government much in