aphers, bookkeepers, and the like.

The other embassies and most of the consulates have fled. Their
members have left Paris more precipitately and with less dignity than
has been shown even by the civil population. They all seemed to lose
their wits when the Germans drew near Paris; they made their
preparations to depart in the most frantic haste; they were white of
face and perspiring with nervousness. It is not a pleasant sight to
see strong men palsied with fright, but we have seen many such these
days. Not a soul remains in the British Embassy or consulate to take
care of England's manifold interests. It seems strange that when
thousands of British heroes of the army are dying brave deaths on the
fields of battle, not a single British hero was to be found in the
diplomatic corps with nerve enough to risk the inconveniences of a
siege. The Ambassador of another country, who fled with the crowd,
left in spite of orders from his king absolutely directing him to
remain. Apparently he has sacrificed his career to his fright, for
this king was so determined that his embassy at least should remain in
Paris that he has replaced this ambassador by another who has more
courage,--the new one is a soldier.

These fleeing diplomats insult France by assuming that she is already
conquered, and insult the Germans by assuming that the lives of the
accredited plenipotentiaries of foreign nations would not be safe in
the hands of German soldiers. They also leave their own subjects in
Paris without a soul to represent them at a moment when they really
need a representative for the first time in decades. When these
magnates have recomposed their minds in Bordeaux and have time to
formulate excuses, they will probably say that they left Paris because
it was their solemn duty to accompany the French Government; but
yesterday, when they were asked why they were departing so swiftly,
they could only cry: "The Germans are coming."

Mr. Herrick looks on with calm amazement. Three days ago he
telegraphed Washington to ask for authorization to stay in Paris. The
reply left the matter to his own discretion. Thirty minutes later he
was in the cabinet of M. Delcasse to say that he would stay in Paris
no matter what might come. It must have been a wonderful tableau when
those two men faced each other across M. Delcasse's big desk. As Mr.
Herrick stated that the American Embassy was positively to remain in
Paris, M. Delcasse's expression of calm