ts, and their auxiliary army. These are merely
examples. They are all small things. But there are so many of them, they
return with such persistent regularity, that we would feel very little
inclination to risk our national existence for a nation which, according
to our feeling, (rightly or wrongly, I am not debating that question,)
has never treated us with fairness, and which we had to fight for over
three centuries before it would accept those general principles of
international law which first of all were laid down by Grotius in the
beginning of the seventeenth century.

Remember, however, that this does not mean any hostility to England. Mr.
Wells undoubtedly knows that our ships have invariably done noble work
in rescuing the victims of submarine attacks. He will know that our
Government (to the great anger of Germany) has construed the articles of
several international treaties in the most liberal way and has
immediately released all such British subjects as were thrown upon our
coast through the accidents of war. He will also know, if he has read
the papers, that our entire country has turned out to do homage to the
bravery of those men. The danger to the sailor of a British man-of-war
who lands in Holland is that he will be killed by a severe attack of
nicotine poisoning caused by the cigars which the people, in their
desire to show their feelings and unable to break the strict law of
neutrality, shower upon the Englishman who is fished out of the North
Sea by our trawlers or our steamers.

But away deep under this very strong personal sympathy for England, and
with very sincere admiration for the British form of government, the
people of Holland cannot easily overcome a feeling of vague distrust
that the nation which in the past has so often abused them cannot
entirely be counted upon to treat them justly this time. Incidentally, I
may say that the bungling of Mr. Churchill in Antwerp, which we know
much better than do the people of England, is another reason why we are
a bit afraid of the island across the North Sea.

We are indeed in the position of a dog that has often been beaten
innocently and that is now smiled upon and asked to be good and attack
another person who has never done him any harm. The comparison may not
be very flattering to us, but Mr. Wells will understand what I mean. We
have had the Germans with us always. Personally, taking them by and
large, we like them not. Their ways are not our